Korean · TOPIK Band 1 · Chapter 36

일하러 가요Going to work

Ilhareo gayo

Talking about jobs and workplaces. Vocabulary: 회사원, 요리사, 간호사, 경찰관, 회사, 사무실, 일, 가르치다, 손님, 만들다. Key grammar: the purpose form "-(으)러 가다/오다" (go/come in order to). Add "-(으)러" to the verb stem and put "가다/오다" after it: "밥을 먹으러 가요" (먹다 + 으러 + 가요, I go to eat), "일하러 회사에 가요" (I go to the company to work). "-(으)러" always attaches to the "purpose" verb, and the motion verb (가다/오다) comes last. English speakers, like "go to eat", attach "러" to the motion verb: "가러 먹어요" ✗ → "먹으러 가요" ✓. Hangul corner: "먹으러" — the batchim ㄱ carries over, so it sounds [머그러].

Dialogue

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가러 먹어요 / 먹으러 가요

Jieun마ma이i클keul씨ssi,점jeom심sim시si간gan이i에e요yo.어eo디di가ga요yo?Michael, it’s lunchtime. Where are you going?
Michael식sik당dang에e가ga러reo밥bab을eul먹meog어eo요yo.I’m eating rice to go to the restaurant. (slip: "-(으)러" attaches to the purpose verb 먹다, not the motion verb 가다 — "밥을 먹으러 식당에 가요")
Jieun"러reo"는neun목mok적jeog에e붙but여yeo요yo.목mok적jeog은eun"먹meok다da"예ye요yo:"밥bab을eul먹meog으eu러reo식sik당dang에e가ga요yo"."러" attaches to the purpose. The purpose is "먹다": "밥을 먹으러 식당에 가요".
Michael아a,밥bab을eul먹meog으eu러reo식sik당dang에e가ga요yo.그geu리ri고go커keo피pi를reul마ma시si러reo카ka페pe에e가ga요yo.Ah, I go to the restaurant to eat. And I go to the café to drink coffee.
Jieun완wan벽byeok해hae요yo!그geu럼reom오o후hu에e는neun뭐mwo하ha러reo가ga요yo?Perfect! So what are you going to do this afternoon?
Michael한han국gug어eo를reul배bae우u러reo학hag원won에e가ga요yo.선seon생saeng님nim이i문mun법beob을eul가ga르reu쳐chyeo요yo.I go to the academy to learn Korean. The teacher teaches grammar.

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무슨 일을 해요?— What do you do for work?

Minsu지ji은eun씨ssi는neun무mu슨seun일ir을eul해hae요yo?Jieun, what do you do for work?
Jieun저jeo는neun간gan호ho사sa예ye요yo.매mae일il병byeong원won에e일il하ha러reo가ga요yo.I’m a nurse. I go to the hospital to work every day.
Minsu일ir이i많man아a요yo?사sa무mu실sir에e서seo일il해hae요yo?Do you have a lot of work? Do you work in an office?
Jieun아a니ni요yo,사sa무mu실sir이i아a니ni라ra환hwan자ja들deul한han테te가ga요yo.손son님nim이i아a니ni라ra환hwan자ja예ye요yo.No, not an office — I go to the patients. They aren’t customers, they’re patients.
Minsu멋meos있iss어eo요yo!저jeo는neun요yo리ri사sa예ye요yo.손son님nim들deur이i음eum식sig을eul먹meog으eu러reo우u리ri가ga게ge에e와wa요yo.That’s cool! I’m a cook. Customers come to our shop to eat.
Jieun그geu럼reom다da음eum에e밥bab을eul먹meog으eu러reo갈gal게ge요yo.맛mas있in는neun음eum식sig을eul만man들deur어eo주ju세se요yo!Then next time I’ll come to eat. Please make me some delicious food!

Vocabulary

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회hoe사sa원won: nounoffice worker
요yo리ri사sa: nouncook, chef
간gan호ho사sa: nounnurse
경gyeong찰chal관gwan: nounpolice officer
회hoe사sa: nouncompany
사sa무mu실sil: nounoffice (room)
일il: nounwork, job
가ga르reu치chi다da: verbto teach
손son님nim: nouncustomer, guest
만man들deul다da: verbto make
다da니ni다da: verbto attend, go regularly (to work/school)

Grammar

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Purpose: "-(으)러 가다/오다" (go/come to do)

Explanation

Use "-(으)러 가다/오다" to say the purpose for which you go or come. Add "-(으)러" to the stem of the purpose verb: no batchim → "-러" (만나다→만나러 to meet, 배우다→배우러 to learn), with a batchim → "-으러" (먹다→먹으러 to eat, 읽다→읽으러 to read). A ㄹ batchim just takes "-러" (만들다→만들러). Then the motion verb "가다/오다/다니다" comes last: "밥을 먹으러 가요" (I go to eat), "친구를 만나러 와요" (I come to meet a friend), "저는 회사에 일하러 다녀요" (I commute to the company to work). With a place, the order is "place에 + purpose-(으)러 + 가다": "도서관에 책을 빌리러 가요" (I go to the library to borrow a book). English puts the motion verb first, like "go to eat", but Korean attaches "러" to the "purpose" verb and puts the motion verb last. English speakers attach "러" to "가다": "식당에 가러 먹어요" ✗ → "식당에 밥을 먹으러 가요" ✓.

Examples

저는 회사에 일하러 가요.I go to the company to work.
친구를 만나러 카페에 와요.I come to the café to meet a friend.
요리사는 음식을 만들러 주방에 가요.The cook goes to the kitchen to make food.
주말에 책을 빌리러 도서관에 가요.On the weekend I go to the library to borrow books.

Hangul

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한글: "-으러"의 연음과 직업 이름— Hangul: liaison in "-으러" and job names

Use the romanization and read aloud:

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