High School - Grade 12
Lesson 2: "As soon as..."
-자마자
Immediate Sequence
How do you express that one action happens *immediately* after another finishes, with almost no time in between? The grammar point `-자마자` is perfect for this.
It attaches directly to the verb stem of the first action and means "**as soon as**..." or "**right after**...". It emphasizes the close temporal connection between the two events.
The Conjugation Rule
This one is super simple! It doesn't matter if the verb stem ends in a vowel or a consonant.
The Rule
Attach -자마자 directly to the verb stem.
Verb Stem + 자마자
도착하다 도착하자마자
("As soon as (I) arrive...")
먹다 먹자마자
("As soon as (I) eat...")
듣다 듣자마자
("As soon as (I) hear...")
Examples in Action
집에 도착하자마자 잠이 들었어요.
As soon as I got home, I fell asleep.
그 소식을 듣자마자 전화를 걸었어요.
As soon as I heard that news, I made a phone call.
수업이 끝나자마자 학생들이 교실을 나갔어요.
Right after the class ended, the students left the classroom.
Usage Note:
The subject of both clauses (the action before `-자마자` and the action after) must be the same.
Also, `-자마자` is generally used for past or present actions, not typically for future plans.
Coming Up Next...
You've learned how to connect actions that happen immediately! Next, let's learn a more formal way to express purpose: "-을/를 위해서" ("for the sake of...").