안녕하세요~! 토미입니다!
Let’s do our best to learn Korean today!
Today’s grammar is -자 “as soon as / right after,” -자마자 “as soon as,” and -자니 “I intend to do~, but / I hesitate to.”
If you learn today’s grammar, you can express that something happens right after another like
이 상품은 발매하자마자 매진되었다.
This product was sold out as soon as it went on sale.
By the way, this is the 55th lesson, so I made a heartfelt test.
The test will cover the 51st through 55th intermediate level. And this is the present for you!
Let’s take the test, check your ability, pass TOPIK II Level 4, and become an intermediate master!
그럼 시작할게요!
－자
The first grammar, -자, means “as soon as / right after.”
As soon as you see 자, some of you may have thought of the grammar 하자! “Let’s do it!” 먹자! “Let’s eat!”
But!!!
This time, the grammar is not an expression used at the end of a sentence to invite someone. It is used in the middle of a sentence to express an action in the second clause that happens right after the completion of the action in the first clause.
In addition, you use this expression when the two actions are closely related, with the action in the first clause serving as the cause or motivation for the outcome described in the second clause.
There are similar expressions such as -기가 무섭게 (as soon as ~), which we learned in the 22nd intermediate lesson, and -자마자 (as soon as ~), which I will introduce later. I will explain the differences in the section of -자마자.
To get back on track, the formula will be verbs + 자.
Conjugating -자 is quite simple: you add -자 to a verb stem. For example, 가다 “to go” will be 가자 “as soon as (I) go.”
먹다 “to eat” will be 먹자 “as soon as (I) eat.”
You can use this expression for nouns as well.
When you use it for nouns, it indicates the possession of two characteristics simultaneously. It means “be both A and B.”
In this case, you attach -이자 to nouns with or without a final consonant.
Thus, the formula will be Nouns + 이자.
For example, 학교 “school” will be 학교이자 “be both school and ~.” 매점 a “shop” will be 매점이자 “be both a shop and ~.”
Now, let’s look at the example sentence.
집 밖을 나서자 빗방울이 떨어졌다.
As soon as I got out of the house, raindrops fell.
Here, 나서다 is “to get out.” You attach -자 to the stem to make 나서자 “as soon as I got out.”
If you look at 나서자 only, it could be the present tense. But when you look at the end of a sentence, you notice it ended with 떨어졌다 “fell,” which is the past tense.
Thus, you can understand that getting out happened before the raindrops fell. Therefore, you translate 나서자 as the past tense.
Moreover, let’s look at the word 나서다 “to get out.” 나가다 means “to go out,” but 나서다 means “to step forward” or “to lean out.” So, 나서다 is used here to express that you are stepping out to get out of the house. Do you get it?
Next, let’s look at the following example sentence with a noun!
그는 내 아버지이자 스승이다.
He is my father and mentor.
Here, 아버지 is a “father.” You attach -이자 to the noun to make 아버지이자 “he is my father and ~.” 아버지 has no final consonant, but be aware that you use -이자. OK?
In the sentence, the speaker conveys that the subject “he” is my father and a mentor simultaneously, so you use -이자. Do you get it？
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes. Which one is the correct answer?
그 사랑이 나에게는 （ ） 마지막이었다.
That love was my first and last.
（1）처음이자 （2）처음자
What a romantic and sad sentence! It’s like pure love, isn’t it? This correct answer is number one. 처음 “first” has a final consonant, but whether there is a final consonant or not, you are supposed to attach 이자. Therefore, the correct answer is 처음이자, not 처음자.
Let’s read it together!
그 사랑이 나에게는 （처음이자） 마지막이었다.
Please read it three times with a racing heart. Now, let’s look at the following quiz!
토픽 시험에 ( ) 우리 엄마가 무척 기뻐하셨다.
Right after I passed the TOPIK, my mother was pleased.
（1）합격했자 （2）합격하자
The correct answer is number two. Here, 합격하다 is “to pass.” You attach 자 to the stem to make 합격하자 “After I passed ~.” You attach 자 to the verb stem as it is, so it is a simple conjugation.
Please note that the number one 합격했자 is wrong because you cannot attach 자 to the past tense even if the event was in the past.
Now, let’s read it together!
토픽 시험에 (합격하자) 우리 엄마가 무척 기뻐하셨다.
Please try to read it three times, and imagine that they are happy together.
－자마자
The second grammar, -자마자, means “as soon as” and it is interchangeable with the first grammar -자 because both indicate that one action occurs right after another action.
However, there is a difference!! So, I will go into depth.
When you use -자, two actions are closely related. In most cases, the first action is a precondition, such as the motivation or the reason for the second action. Therefore, the second action occurs as the result of the first action.
On the other hand, when you use -자마자, the first and the second actions don’t need to be related. It just expresses a temporal before-after relationship.
For example, you can say
케이크를 사자 커피도 사고 싶다는 생각이 들었다. (〇)
Right after buying a cake, I felt like getting some coffee too.
This is the correct sentence because the first action, buying a cake, became the motivation to get some coffee. You can also say
케이크를 사자마자 커피도 사고 싶다는 생각이 들었다. (〇)
This sentence is also correct.
But you cannot say
케이크를 사자 넘어졌다 (X)
Right after buying a cake, I fell
This is the wrong sentence because two actions, buying a cake and falling, are not closely related. But you can say
케이크를 사자마자 넘어졌다. (〇)
As soon as I bought the cake, I fell.
Since it is using -자마자, you can see the second action, falling, happened right after the first action, buying a cake. Buying a cake is not the reason to fall, so you connect two different actions with 자마자.
“Hey, Tammy.”
I understand the difference between -자 and -자마자.
Is there any difference between -기 무섭게 “as soon as ~” and -자마자?
That’s an excellent question!
-기 무섭게 “as soon as ~” is a similar expression to -자마자. They are interchangeble. But Korean people use -자마자 more often than -기 무섭게.
Then I will tell you the conjugation.
It is verb stem + 자마자.
For example, 가다 “to go” becomes 가자마자 “as soon as I go.” 먹다 “to eat” becomes 먹자마자 “as soon as I eat.”
Now, let’s look at the example sentence.
집을 나가자마자 전화가 걸려 왔다.
As soon as I left the house, I got a phone call.
Here, 나가다 is “to leave.” You attach -자마자 to the stem to make 나가자마자 “as soon as I left.”
It shows the action of “leaving the house” is immediately followed by the action of “getting a phone call.” Let’s look at the following example sentence.
내 아들은 수험생이라서 식사가 끝나자마자 방에 가서 공부를 시작한다.
My son is a student preparing for college entrance exams, so as soon as he finishes eating, he returns to his room and starts studying.
Students preparing for entrance exams have to study hard, don’t they?
Here, 끝나다 is “to finish.” You attach 자마자 to the stem to make 끝나자마자 “as soon as he finishes.” Let’s look at the following example sentence.
저는 아침에 일어나자마자 창문을 여는 습관이 있어요.
I have a habit of opening the window as soon as I wake up.
Here, 일어나다 means “to wake up.” You attach 자마자 to the stem to make 일어나자마자 “as soon as I wake up.”
It shows that the action of “getting up” is immediately followed by the next action of “opening the window.”
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes. Which one is the correct answer?
비가（ ）우산을 썼다.
As soon as it started raining, I took an umbrella.
（1）오자마자 （2）와자마자
The correct answer is number one.
비가 오다 is “to rain.” You attach 자마자 directly to the stem to make 비가 오자마자” as soon as it started raining.”
You cannot use it like number two, 와자마자.
Now, let’s read it together!
비가（오자마자）우산을 썼다.
Please read it at least three times to get used to the grammar.
Now, let’s look at the following quiz!
( ）여자친구가 생겼다.
As soon as he got slim, he got a girlfriend.
（1）날씬해지자마자 （2）날씬하자마자
The correct answer is number one. What did you think? Did anyone think the answer was number two?
날씬하다 is an adjective meaning “to be slim.”
So, you can’t attach 자마자 to adjectives. In this case, you use the grammar -아/어지다 “to become/get” to convert the adjective into a verb.
So, if you add -아/어지다 to the adjective 날씬하다 “to be slim,” it becomes 날씬해지다 “to get slim.”
You attach -자마자 to the stem to make 날씬해지자마자 “as soon as he got slim.”
Now let’s read it together!
（날씬해지자마자）여자친구가 생겼다.
It’s hard to pronounce, but please practice at least three times.
－자니
The last grammar, –자니, means “I intend to do~, but / I hesitate to.” A similar expression is -려면 “try to.” But 자니 has a much more hesitant meaning than -려면.
And you often use it when you think about doing something but can’t do it or have problems.
You often repeat 자니, 자니 twice to say, “This is no good, and that is no good either.”
The conjugation is verb stem + 자니. Simple, isn’t it? Oh, that helps!
For example, 가다 “to go” becomes 가자니 “(I) intend to go, but.” 먹다 “to eat” will be 먹자니 “(I) intend to eat, but.”
And you can use this only for the present tense. Note that you cannot use it with the past tense -았/었 or the future tense – 겠.
Then let’s look at an example sentence.
외식해서 남은 음식은 버리자니 아깝고, 가지고 가자니 짐이 되고.
I hesitate to throw away leftover food from eating out, but at the same time, if I intend to take it with me, it will be a burden.
This is an example sentence that housewives could confront often. In the first half clause, 버리다 is “to throw away.” You attach 자니 to the stem to make 버리자니 “I hesitate to throw away.”
In the second half clause, 가지고 가다 is “to take it with.” You attach -자니 to the stem to make 가지고 가자니 “I hesitate to take it with.”
Two actions are compared in the first and second half parts, and you can see that both are difficult to realize.
In this way, sometimes you use -자니 twice in a row to convey a helpless situation or reason. Let’s look at another example sentence.
대학 가자니 돈이 모자라고 취직하자니 구인정보가 없다.
I intend to go to college, but I don’t have enough money, and I intend to get a job, but there is no job information.
Did you get the feeling of frustration of being stuck in all directions?
The sentence structure is the same as the previous example sentence. -자니, -자니 Right? .
In the first clause, 가다 is “to go.” You attach -자니 to the stem to make 가자니 “I intend to go .”
In the second half part, 취직하다 is “to find a job.” You attach -자니 to the stem to make 취직하자니 “I intend to get a job.”
You add -자니 to both the first and second clauses to express your disappointment at being unable to move forward in any direction.
The following sentence is another negative example. Let’s take a look.
막상 사업을 시작하자니 아직 실력이 부족한 것을 깨달았다.
I intended to start a business but realized I was not yet competent enough.
Well, it is good to realize something, isn’t it? Here, 시작하다 is “to start.” You attach -자니 to the stem to make 시작하자니 “I intended to begin~, but.”
The sentence that follows -자니 is usually pessimistic, so 실력이 부족하다 “not competent enough” is followed.
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes. Which one is the correct answer?
이 시간에 컵라면을 ( ) 살이 찔 것 같고, 안 먹자니 배가 고프다.
I intend to eat instant noodles at this hour, but I might gain weight. At the same time, I worry I will be hungry if I don’t eat.
（1）먹고 있자니 （2）먹자니
The correct answer is number two. 먹다 is “to eat.” You attach 자니 to the stem to make 먹자니 “if I eat.” After 자니, something you don’t want comes. Therefore, it said 살이 찔 것 같다 “I might gain weight.”
Number one, 먹고 있자니 is wrong because it is different from the content.
Now let’s read it together!
이 시간에 컵라면을 (먹자니) 살이 찔 것 같고, 안 먹자니 배가 고프다.
Please read it three times like “Oh my God, what should I do?”
Now let’s look at the next quiz!
대학교를 ( ) 학비를 내준 부모님한테 너무 미안하다.
I intend to quit college but feel too sorry for my parents, who paid my tuition.
（1）그만했자니 （2）그만두자니
The correct answer is number two. 그만두다 is “to quit.” You attach -자니 to the stem to make 그만두자니 “to quit.”
Number one, 그만했자니 is wrong. You can’t use it with the past tense, so be careful. You can understand the frustration of a student who wants to quit college, but it’s hard. This is when you need 자니!
Now, let’s read it together!
대학교를 (그만두자니) 학비를 내준 부모님한테 너무 미안하다.
Please read it more than three times with a painful feeling.
Homework
Now, I will tell you what today says!
가자니 태산이요, 돌아서자니 숭산이라
I intend to go forward, but there’s a vast mountain. And if I plan to turn back, there’s another huge mountain.
This is a Korean proverb, which means both options are pretty bad. This proverb is the same as “Between the devil and the deep blue sea” in English.
A similar four-character idiom is 사면초가 “No way out.”
I am sure you understand the feeling of -자니 now!!
Then. Let’s move on to your homework!
There are two homework assignments.
First, compose three sentences using today’s grammar.
First, try to make a sentence using -자 “as soon as / right after.”
For example, please make a sentence such as:
경기에서 우승하는 것은 자기자신의 명예이자 팀의 영광이다.
Winning a competition is an honor for oneself and a glory for the team at the same time.
Don’t forget that you use 이자 whether a noun has a final consonant.
Second, try to make a sentence using -자마자 “as soon as.”
For example, please make a sentence such as
오늘은 일어나자마자 집을 나갔다.
Today, I left the house as soon as I woke up.
Remember, permanently attach -자마자 to the stem as the present tense.
Lastly, try to make a sentence using -자니 “I intend to do~, but / I hesitate to.”
For example,
빨래를 널자니 비가 오고 있었다.
I intended to hang the laundry, but it was raining.
You can use this expression when something you do not wish to happen, so please think about it.
The second homework is to memorize new words. Please memorize the forty words from number 2161 to number 2200 on page 28 in the intermediate vocabulary list. My website has a vocabulary quiz of forty words, so feel free to try it. The link is in the description box.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the video, this will be the 55th lesson, so there will be a check test, which I made with great care.
The test range is from the 51st to the 55th intermediate lessons. The test is designed to strengthen grammar and reading skills, so please try to improve your skills through the test.
And thank you for your hard work today! I will try my best to make your Korean life more fulfilling.
그럼 오늘도 행복 가득, 웃음 가득한 하루 되세요！
한국어 화이팅, 화이팅, 화이팅！！
