TOPIK I · LEVEL 2
-(으)ㄴ 후에
Shows that the second action happens after the first action is finished.
시간·순서Time & sequenceHan: Before 후에 the verb takes 은/ㄴ, even for everyday habits in the present; 는 is not used with 후에.
Examples
이 약은 밥을 먹은 후에 드세요.Please take this medicine after eating.
손을 씻은 후에 음식을 만들어야 해요.After washing your hands, you have to cook.
수업이 끝난 후에 친구하고 커피를 마셔요.After class is over, I drink coffee with a friend.
대학교를 졸업한 후에 한국 회사에 취직했어요.After graduating from university, I got a job at a Korean company.
Don’t mix up
-(으)ㄴ 후에vs-기 전에The opposite order: -기 전에 means the main action comes BEFORE the first one. 밥을 먹기 전에 손을 씻어요.-(으)ㄴ 후에vs-고 나서Almost the same meaning, but -고 나서 is more conversational and has no noun form (식사 후에 is fine, but there is no 식사고 나서). 숙제를 하고 나서 게임을 해요.-(으)ㄴ 후에vs-(으)ㄴ 지-(으)ㄴ 지 measures how much time has passed since an action and is followed by a period + 되다/지나다, not by a next action. 한국에 온 지 1년이 됐어요.How to build it
V+(으)ㄴ 후에
먹다 → 먹은 후에, 가다 → 간 후에, 만들다 → 만든 후에
- Stems ending in a consonant take 은 (먹은 후에); stems ending in a vowel take ㄴ (간 후에); ㄹ-stems drop ㄹ and take ㄴ (만든 후에). With nouns, use N 후에 (식사 후에).
- The form before 후에 stays 은/ㄴ even for present habits or future plans; do not use 는 or add 았/었 (먹는 후에 ✗, 먹었은 후에 ✗). Tense is shown only at the end of the sentence.
- It is used with action verbs, not plain adjectives; for a change of state use -아/어진 후에 (날씨가 따뜻해진 후에).
- The sentence can end with any sentence type, including requests and suggestions (식사한 후에 드세요, 수업이 끝난 후에 만나요).
Classic mistake
Wrong: 밥을 먹는 후에 커피를 마셔요.
Right: 밥을 먹은 후에 커피를 마셔요.
Before 후에 the verb takes 은/ㄴ, even for everyday habits in the present; 는 is not used with 후에.
Practise -(으)ㄴ 후에 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)ㄴ 지Shows how much time has passed since an action happened.
- -(으)ㄹ 때Attaches to a verb or adjective to say at what time or in what situation something happens: 'when …'.
- -(으)면서-(으)면서 links two actions or states that one person does or has at the same time: "while doing A, (also) B."
- -기 전에-기 전에 means 'before doing': the main action happens before the action of the verb that -기 전에 attaches to.
- -다가-다가 means you were doing one thing and then stopped or switched to another: 'while doing A, (then) B'.
- -(으)면-(으)면 attaches to a verb or adjective to set a condition: "if X happens or is true, then Y," and it can also mean "whenever X" for things that regularly happen.
- -(으)ㄹ 것Ends a written instruction or rule with a noun-like command: 'do X; X is to be done'. Impersonal and firm; used in notices, exam instructions, memos and rule lists.
- -(으)면 안 되다States that an action is not allowed or not acceptable: 'you must not… / it's not okay to…'.
- -(으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다Attach it to a verb to say that someone can or cannot do something, either because of their ability or because the situation allows or prevents it.
