A sequence of Events: 아서/어서/여서 Grammar + Free Worksheets
- My Korean Lesson
- Jul 18, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
안녕하세요! Last lesson, you learned how to express what you did after arriving at a place: N에 가서 V grammar. This grammar showed you a hint of today's lesson! You'll learn how to show the temporal order, the sequence of events!
1. 아서/어서/여서 Grammar
You may know that the connective ending 아서/어서/여서 grammar is used to talk about the reason. Yes, the grammar you'll learn today has the same spelling! It just has a different purpose. (Like the marker 에 can be both a time and place marker!)
⚐ If you want to check out the "because" 아/어/여서, please click here to check out my other lesson.
The 아서/어서/여서 (shortly 아/어/여서) you'll learn today is to show the temporal order. It shows a sequence of events. A happens, and then B happens.
The important part of this grammar is that the first clause and the second clause are closely related to each other. Without the first action, the second part can't happen! Here is a quick example for you!
도서관에 가서 공부를 했어요.
Going to the library is a primary preceding event before studying. So, we connect these two with time order 아/어/여서 grammar!
2. Conjugation Information
Given that we are discussing actions, this grammar rule is applicable only to verbs. Adjectives cannot be used in conjunction with this particular grammar structure.
Except for that part, this grammar is exactly the same with "because" 아/어/여서 conjugation rules—the "because" 아/어/여서 was able to be attached to an adjective as well.
The grammar that starts with 아/어/여 is very common and important. If you have studied with me, you should be familiar with this rule by now.
So, I'll talk about each conjugation briefly. If you want to learn more about it or want to review it, please click here to read my other post.
Regular Rules (규칙)
① If the stem ends with vowel ㅏ or ㅗ, add 아서.
앉다 (to sit) → 앉아서
가다 (to go) → 가서
보다 (to see) → 봐서
닫다 (to close) → 닫아서
② If the verb ends with 하다, replace it with 해서.
수영하다 (to swim) → 수영해서
말하다 (to talk) → 말해서
전화하다 (to make a phone call) → 전화해서
③ Other than 1 or 2, add 어서.
먹다 (to eat) → 먹어서
펴다 (to open) → 펴서
마시다 (to drink) → 마셔서
웃다 (to laugh) → 웃어서
Irregular Rules (불규칙)
① 불규칙 ㄷ: Change ㄷ to ㄹ and add 아/어서
듣다 (to listen) → 들어서
걷다 (to walk) → 걸어서
② 불규칙 ㅅ: Erase ㅅ and add 아/어서
짓다 (to build) → 지어서
긋다 (to draw lines) → 그어서
③ 불규칙 ㅂ: Erase ㅂ and add 와/워서
굽다 (to bake, to roast, to barbecue) → 구워서
돕다 (to help) → 도와서
④ 불규칙 ㅡ: Erase ㅡ and add 아/어서
쓰다 (to write, to use) → 써서
끄다 (to turn off) → 꺼서
⑤ 불규칙 르: Erase ㅡ from 르 add one more ㄹ in front of it, add 아/어서
부르다 (to call) → 불러서
자르다 (to cut) → 잘라서
3. Sentence Information
Tense
The tense will be revealed at the end of the sentence. The 아/어/여서 part won't be changed. Look at the examples carefully.
I barbecue and eat the meat. | |
I barbecued and ate the meat. | |
I'll barbecue and eat the meat. |
The red part 굽다(to barbecue) with the 아/어서 form doesn't change no matter what tense you say. We can tell the tense of the sentence only with the last verb.
Subject/Topic
This grammar consists of two parts: do A and then do B. The subject (or the topic) should be matched for both!
(O) 저는 집에 가서 점심을 먹어요. I go home and then eat lunch.
(X) 저는 집에 가서 민수는 점심을 먹어요. I go home and then Minsu eats lunch.
(O) 저는 집에 가서 민수와 같이 점심을 먹어요. I go home and then eat lunch together with Minsu.
Extra Meaning
This one is a bit advanced part. You may skim-read. 아서/어서/여서 can be used to show that time has elapsed. It can also show the time when the second action happened.
그녀는 2년에 걸쳐서 여행을 했어요. She traveled for two years.
걸치다 has many meanings. In this case, it shows the time range or extent. She traveled the world for two years. In this case, translating it with "V and then V" is not natural. We can understand it as a span.
요즘에는 7시가 넘어서 집에 가요. These days, I go home after 7.
넘다 means to pass. So, in this case, you can understand it as "after". It's awkward to translate it with the normal 아서/어서/여서 meaning.
Including the "because" 아/어/여서, you just have to judge the meaning by context. Think flexibly!
4. Examples
1
I met my friend and went shopping. |
친구를 만나서 쇼핑을 했어요. I met my friend and went shopping.
Meeting a friend is the primary action before going shopping. With this grammar, you can tell that this person went shopping with that friend.
2
Go across and then go to the left. |
길을 건너서 왼쪽으로 가세요. Go across and then go to the left.
You can encounter this grammar often when giving directions! To give a direction, you need to use the direction marker (으)로 as well. Please click here if you want to learn more details.
3
I sat and read a book. |
의자에 앉아서 책을 읽었어요. I sat and read a book.
Sitting happened first. Then, reading happened. Also, I remained "sitting". To show this order and relationship, we can combine two verbs with 아/어/여서!
4
I lie down on the bed and watch YouTube. |
침대에 누워서 유튜브를 봐요. I lie down on the bed and watch YouTube.
You can Koreanize the word "YouTube" in 유튜브!
5
Will you meet your friend and then go together? |
친구를 만나서 같이 갈 거예요? Will you meet your friend and then go together?
Of course, you can use this grammar other than a statement. You can ask someone like this example! Don't forget, the object marker 을/를 is easily omitted in daily conversation, so you can also say 친구 만나서 같이 갈 거예요?
5. Wrap-up & Worksheets
You've learned the connective ending 아/어/여서 today to show the time order. Here is the summary and worksheet for you!
아서/어서/여서 show a sequence of events.
Event 1 is closely related to Event 2.
You have to check the last vowel of the stem to conjugate!
I prepared the two worksheets for this lesson. First, practice the conjugation. Then, practice the sentence making! They are free and printable PDF files!
Conjugation Practice Worksheet
Sentence Practice Worksheet
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Next lesson, you'll learn how to say from N1 to N2! See you soon!
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