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V ~았/었더니

Today we'll be looking at the usage of " V ~았/었더니 " Korean grammar point with some example sentences.

Usage:

There are two ways to use this grammar pattern.

  1. This expression is used to indicate realisation of a new incident or situation in the second clause which is different from a past one in the first clause.
  2. This expression can also be used to indicate the result in the second clause because of doing something in the first clause.

Thing to keep in mind is that ~았/었더니 is used only with a verb and not with an adjective.

The usage is different and is not to be mistaken with A/V-더니 [Korean Grammar] 

V ~았/었더니
The basic conjugation rules are :
  • When the stem ends with 오 or 아 then add ~았더니 at the end. 
  • When the stem ends with anything other than 오 or 아 then add ~었더니 at the end. 
  • When the stem ends with 하다 then add ~였더니 (하다 becomes 했더니) at the end. 

This expression is used to indicate realisation of a new incident or situation in the second clause which is different from a past one in the first clause. It has a nuance of surprise.

    • When I got home, there was a package.

    집에 왔더니 소포가 하나 와 있었다.

  • As I continued to walk along the road, a small temple appeared.

길을 따라 계속 걸었더니 작은 절이 나타났다.

  • When I opened the door at the doorbell, it was a postman.

초인종 소리에 문을 열었더니 우체부 아저씨였다.

  • It was already evening when I woke up after dozing off.

깜빡 졸다 일어났더니 벌써 저녁이었다.

  • After a long time, I left work early and my wife was not at home.

모처럼 일찍 퇴근했더니 아내는 집에 없었다.

 

This expression can also be used to indicate the result in the second clause because of doing something in the first clause.

This usage lacks the nuance of surprise and generally mentions the cause and effect because of doing something.

  • I feel dizzy because I drank a lot.

 술을 많이 마셨더니 어지럽다.

  • My stomach hurts because I ate a lot for dinner.

저녁을 많이 먹었더니 배가 아프다.

    •  I worked too hard for a few days and got sick.

    며칠 무리했더니 몸살이 났다.

  • When I hung a swing at home, the child loved it.

집에 그네를 매달았더니 아이가 무척 좋아했다.

  • I bought the cheapest one, so I don't like the quality.

가장 저렴한 걸로 샀더니 품질이 영 마음에 들지 않는다.

  • I took notes while dozing off, so I can't read what's written.

졸면서 필기했더니 무슨 글씨인지 못 알아보겠다.

  •  I exercised after a long time yesterday, so my body aches here and there.

어제 오랜만에 운동을 했더니 여기저기 몸이 쑤신다.

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.

If you are going to take the TOPIK Test for the first time, or if you want to give your score a boost so that you can pass a higher level, we would strongly advise you to get the Complete Guide to TOPIK – Self-Study Package. It is a digital study package that has everything you need to get a great score in the TOPIK test – all the past TOPIK papers with answer sheets, grammar and vocabulary study material, video tutorials explaining the test structure, strategies to solve them and much more. You can check out more details about this study package HERE.

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.

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