Verb + 자마자 [ Korean Grammar ]

Learning grammar is one of the most difficult things for Korean language learners. In this blog, we will try to help you learn Korean grammar in the quickest and easiest way possible. This blog will be helpful for those who are studying the Korean language and want to improve their grammar skills.
Today, we’ll look at how to form sentences using the Korean grammar pattern “Verb + 자마자”, along with some example sentences.

It is used by the speaker to indicate that one action happens as soon as the previous action is completed.

It is equivalent to saying “as soon as” in English.

It is very easy to understand the usage. You simply need to add it after the verb stem.

Example : 

1. As soon as I get home.

집에 도착하자마자

2. As soon as I ate.

먹자마자

*** It has to be used with the verb in the first half of the sentence clause.

Rule to conjugate :

Remove ~다 from the root verb and add ~자마자 after the stem verb irrespective of whether the verb stem ends with a consonant or vowel.

• 가다 - 가 + 자마자 = 가자마자
  
• 먹다 - 먹 + 자마자 = 먹자마자
  

If the verb stem ends with 하 simply add ~자마자 after the verb stem. 

Eg :

• 가자마자 - As soon as I go
• 먹자마자 - As soon as I eat
• 도착하자마자 - As soon as I arrive
• 전화하자마자 - As soon as I call
• 들어가자마자 - As soon as I go in
• 출발하자마자 - As soon as I leave
• 타자마자 - As soon as I board
• 찾자마자 - As soon as I find
• 시작하자마자 - As soon as I start
• 나오자마자 - As soon as I come out
• 만나자마자 - As soon as I meet
• 연락하자마자 - As soon as I call
• 듣자마자 - As soon as I hear

Now let's look at some example sentences of the words mentioned above. 

1. Call me up as soon as you get there.

거기 가자마자 나한테 전화해라.

2. I hate to eat and run.

이렇게 밥 먹자마자 가는 거 정말 싫어.

3. I unpacked my bags as soon as I arrived.

나는 도착하자마자 가방을 풀었다.

4. As soon as you call me, I’ll come to the airport to pick you up.

네가 전화하자마자 공항으로 데리러 갈게.

5. I put on my seat belt as soon as I get into the car. 

나는 차에 타자마자 안전벨트를 맵니다.

6. Let me know as soon as you find anything. 

네가 뭐라도 찾자마자 나한테 알려 줘.

7. As soon as they started, they faced more challenges.

그들은 시작하자마자 다른 어려움을 마주했다.

8. He married directly as soon as he left the university. 

그는 대학을 나오자마자 바로 결혼했다.

9. This coffee became a bestseller as soon as it came out.

이 커피는 나오자마자 아주 잘 팔리는 커피가 되었다.

10. We clicked as soon as we met. 

우리는 만나자마자 죽이 잘 맞았어.

11. As soon as I contacted him, he happened to come outside

연락하자마자 밖에 나오더라고요.

12. As soon as she heard the news, she became speechless.

그녀는 소식을 듣자마자 말문이 막혔다.

Related Korean grammar posts :

N/V ~아/어 달라고

Verb ~게 하다

V~자고 하다

A/V + 기는 하지만

A-아/어하다

(으)ㄴ/는/인 데다가

Verb + 기 전에 and Noun + 전에

To understand TOPIK Test structure, application process, Levels and Passing scores etc. check these pages:

1. TOPIK – The Complete Guide & 2. TOPIK Levels and Passing Marks. You can also Practice Online with TOPIK GUIDE Mock Tests.

Learning Korean can be tricky, especially when the goal of your learning is conversation. If you’ve ever attempted to speak Korean but were unable to, then hopefully you’ll find this post helpful.

Thank you for reading. If you have any questions or suggestions. Comment down below.