🕐 Expressing "Before" & "After" in Korean: Action Sequencing Masterclass

Order matters in everyday conversation! Teacher Hoon breaks down how to properly use -기 전에 and -고 나서 to describe your daily routines like a native speaker.

Hangang River view, representing daily life in Korea

Mastering Action Sequence (EEAT Tip)

Connecting actions naturally is a key milestone for Beginner to Intermediate learners. As a teacher, I've noticed that students often confuse the starting points of these structures. Let's simplify the rules and focus on real-world examples you can use tonight.

1. How to Use -기 전에 (Before Doing)

Attach -기 to your verb stem, then add 전에. This shows that the first mentioned action happens after the main event in the sentence.

학교에 가기 전에 아침을 먹었어요.
(I ate breakfast before going to school.)

자기 전에 책을 읽어요.
(I read a book before sleeping.)

2. How to Use -고 나서 (After Doing)

This is attached to a verb stem to show that the first action is completely finished before the next one starts.

운동하고 나서 샤워했어요.
(After exercising, I took a shower.)

수업이 끝나고 나서 친구를 만났어요.
(I met my friend after class ended.)

3. Expert Comparison: Point of View Matters

-기 전에: Focuses on the upcoming main event (The "Before" point).
-고 나서: Focuses on the completion of the previous event (The "After" point).

⚠ Common Mistake: You cannot say "먹고 나서 공부했어요" to mean "Before studying, I ate." In Korean, the flow of the sentence matches the flow of time or the specific marker used.

4. Real-Life Practice Patterns

운전하기 전에 음악을 틀어요.
(I play music before driving.)

밥을 먹고 나서 이를 닦아요.
(I brush my teeth after eating.)

공부하기 전에 커피를 마셨어요.
(I drank coffee before studying.)

💡 Did You Know?

Korean is spoken by over 77 million people worldwide! As Korean language schools grow globally—from the U.S. to Vietnam—mastering these sequencing structures is what helps learners transition from "memorizing words" to "expressing their natural daily life."

Want to Practice Your Daily Routine in Korean?

Describing your day using -기 전에 and -고 나서 is a fantastic way to build fluency. Book a 1:1 session with Hoon on italki, and we'll refine your daily stories together!

🚀 Master Action Sequencing with Hoon

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