In this guide, we’ll cover the ‘-(으)러 가다/오다’ grammar structure, used to express going or coming for a specific purpose. Understanding this structure is crucial for improving your Korean and sounding more natural in conversations. We’ll explain its usage, provide examples in different tenses, and give practice exercises to help you master it.
Contents
1. Definition
-(으)러 가다/오다 is a grammatical structure in Korean that expresses the purpose of going to or coming to a place to do something. It’s similar to the English phrases “to go to do something” or “to come to do something.”
- Example in English: I go to study.
- Korean Equivalent: 공부하러 가다
2. Form (Structure)
The structure of ‘-(으)러 가다/오다’ changes depending on whether the verb stem ends with a consonant or a vowel. Here’s a revised table explaining the form with examples:
| Verb Stem Ending | Form | Example |
| Consonant (with 받침) | Verb stem + 으러 가다/오다 | 먹다 → 먹으러 가다/오다 (to go/come to eat) |
| Vowel (without 받침)) | Verb stem + 러 가다/오다 | 보다 → 보러 가다/오다 (to go/come to see) |
| ㄹ (Irregular) | Verb stem + 러 가다/오다 | 놀다 → 놀러 가다/오다 (to go/come to play) |
- Consonant ending:
- 읽다 → 읽으러 가다/오다 (to go/come to read)
- 찾다 → 찾으러 가다/오다 (to go/come to find)
- Vowel ending:
- 배우다 ) → 배우러 가다/오다 (to go/come to learn)
- 주다 → 주러 가다/오다 (to go/come to give)
- ㄹ ending (Irregular):
- 살다 → 살러 가다/오다 (to go/come to live)
- 만들다 → 만들러 가다/오다 (to go/come to make)
3. Meaning & Usage
The ‘-(으)러 가다/오다’ construction is used to express the purpose of going or coming to a place. It is used when the speaker is going (or coming) somewhere with a specific intention, usually for an action like eating, studying, or meeting someone. This structure emphasizes the purpose behind the action.
- 가다: To go to do something
- 오다: To come to do something
This structure is commonly used in both everyday conversations and formal contexts. The verb ‘가다’ is used when the subject is moving away from the speaker (to a location), while ‘오다’ is used when the subject is coming towards the speaker (from a location).
4. Examples
Here are 20 different examples using various tenses and situations:
- 오늘은 학교에 공부하러 가요. (I’m going to school to study today.)
- 내일 도서관에 책을 빌리러 갈 거예요. (I will go to the library tomorrow to borrow a book.)
- 친구가 나를 만나러 집에 올 거야. (A friend will come to my home to meet me.)
- 그는 병원에 진료받으러 갔어요. (He went to the hospital to get treatment.)
- 우리는 공원에 운동하러 갔어요. (We went to the park to exercise.)
- 그들은 미국에 여행하러 갔어요. (They went to the U.S. for a trip.)
- 저는 저녁을 먹으러 집에 올 거예요. (I will come home to eat dinner.)
- 저는 약국에 약을 사러 갈 거예요. (I will go to the pharmacy to buy medicine.)
- 이사할 때 도와주러 네 집에 올 거야. (I will come to your house to help when you move.)
- 우리는 영화관에 영화 보러 가고 있어요. (We are going to the movies.)
- 나는 마트에 장 보러 가요. (I’m going to the supermarket to do some shopping.)
- 친구를 만나러 나갔어요. (I went out to meet my friend.)
- 동생을 데리러 학교에 갔어요. (I went to school to pick up my younger sibling.)
- 그는 서울에 회의하러 왔어요. (He came to Seoul for a meeting.)
- 아이들은 학교에 공부하러 가요. (The children go to school to study.)
- 우리는 공원에 산책하러 갔어요. (We went to the park to take a walk.)
- 그들은 뉴욕에 여행하러 왔어요. (They came to New York for a trip.)
- 나는 그곳에 일하러 가요. (I’m going there to work.)
- 저녁 먹으러 집에 올게요. (I’ll come home for dinner.)
- 그들은 파리로 여행하러 갔어요. (They went to Paris for a trip.)
5. Practice Exercises
Complete the following sentences using the -(으)러 가다/오다 structure:
- 저는 친구를 ______ 공원에 갑니다. (만나다) (I go to the park to meet a friend.)
- 그녀는 한국어를 ______ 학원에 다닙니다. (배우다) (She goes to an academy to learn Korean.)
- 우리는 영화를 ______ 극장에 갈 거예요. (보다) (We will go to the theater to watch a movie.)
- 그는 커피를 ______ 카페에 자주 갑니다. (마시다) (He often goes to a cafe to drink coffee.)
- 저는 책을 ______ 도서관에 갔어요. (빌리다) (I went to the library to borrow books.)
- 그들은 수영을 ______ 해변에 왔습니다. (하다) (They came to the beach to swim.)
- 저는 점심을 ______ 식당에 갈 거예요. (먹다) (I will go to a restaurant to eat lunch.)
- 그녀는 옷을 ______ 백화점에 갔습니다. (사다) (She went to the department store to buy clothes.)
- 우리는 운동을 ______ 공원에 갑니다. (하다) (We go to the park to exercise.)
- 그는 친구를 ______ 공항에 갈 예정입니다. (마중하다) (He plans to go to the airport to pick up a friend.)
6. Answers
- 만나러
- 배우러
- 보러
- 마시러
- 빌리러
- 하러
- 먹으러
- 사러
- 하러
- 마중하러
7. Common Mistakes and Tips
Here are some common mistakes learners make when using the ‘-(으)러 가다/오다’ structure, along with tips to avoid them:
⚠️ Mistake 1: Incorrect use of ‘으러’ when there is no 받침 (final consonant)
Example:
가러 오다 ❌ ( to come to go)
보러 가다 ✅ (to go to see)
💡 Tip: Remember, when the verb stem ends with a vowel (no 받침), use ‘러’ instead of ‘으러’. This is a crucial distinction to make.
⚠️ Mistake 2: Using ‘가다’ or ‘오다’ without adding a purpose
Example:
저는 학교에 가다. ❌ (I go to school)
저는 학교에 공부하러 가요. ✅ (I go to school to study)
💡 Tip: Always use ‘가다/오다’ in combination with ‘러’ to express purpose. Without this, the sentence will lack clarity about the intention.
⚠️ Mistake 3: Using the wrong verb when describing going or coming for a specific purpose
Example:
책을 읽으러 오다 ❌ (To come to read a book)
책을 읽으러 가다 ✅ (To go to read a book)
💡 Tip: Use ‘가다’ for going to a place with a purpose, and ‘오다’ for coming towards the speaker with the same purpose. This is key to making the sentence clear and correct.
⚠️ Mistake 4: Forgetting to adjust the verb ending for tense
Example:
나는 식사를 하러 가요. ❌ (I go to eat) [In past tense]
나는 식사를 하러 갔어요. ✅ (I went to eat)
💡 Tip: Be sure to adjust the verb tense according to the context of your sentence (past, present, or future) to maintain grammatical accuracy.
⚠️ Mistake 5: Overusing the structure in situations where purpose isn’t clearly stated
Example:
나는 운동을 하러 가요. ❌ (I am going to exercise.) (but the purpose of the movement is unclear)
나는 체육관에 운동하러 가요. ✅ (I am going to the gym to exercise.)
💡 Tip: The structure ‘V-(으)러 가다/오다’ is used specifically when there is a clear purpose. If the purpose isn’t obvious, it’s better to use simpler forms like ‘가다/오다’.
The grammar structure ‘-(으)러 가다/오다’ is essential for describing actions done with a specific purpose. It is widely used in daily conversations and will help you sound more natural in Korean. With plenty of practice, you’ll be able to use it seamlessly in various contexts. Remember to keep the purpose clear and always match the verb tense with the context!