TOPIK I · LEVEL 1
-(으)로
-(으)로 marks the direction you head toward, the means or tool you use, or what something is made of.
조사ParticlesHan: After a final ㄹ use 로, not 으로.
Examples
이 빵은 쌀로 만들었어요.This bread is made from rice.
학교에 버스로 가요.I go to school by bus.
볼펜으로 이름을 쓰세요.Write your name with a pen.
이쪽으로 오세요.Please come this way.
Don’t mix up
-(으)로vs-에에 marks the goal you arrive at; (으)로 the direction you head in: 서울에 가요 'go to Seoul' vs 서울로 가요 'head toward Seoul'.How to build it
N(vowel or ㄹ)+로
N(consonant)+으로
버스 → 버스로, 지하철 → 지하철로, 손 → 손으로
- Nouns ending in ㄹ take 로, not 으로: 연필로, 지하철로.
- For direction, (으)로 means 'toward' and focuses on the route; 에 focuses on arriving at the destination.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 지하철으로 왔어요.
Right: 지하철로 왔어요.
After a final ㄹ use 로, not 으로.
Practise -(으)로 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(이)나(이)나 links two nouns as alternatives ("A or B"), and after a number it shows an approximate amount in questions or a surprisingly large amount in statements.
- -도-도 attaches to a noun to say that this thing is 'also' included, adding it to something already mentioned.
- -만Attach 만 to a noun to say 'only this one and nothing else'.
- -에에 marks the place where something is, the place you go to, or the time when something happens.
- -의-의 links two nouns to show possession or belonging: A의 B = A's B.
- -은/는-은/는 marks what the sentence is about (the topic), often something already known, or something you are contrasting with another thing.
- -을/를을/를 sits right after a noun to show it is the thing the action is done to, the direct object.
- -이/가이/가 attaches to a noun to show it is the subject, the one who does something or is described, and often presents it as new or focused information.
- -와/과 (하고/랑)와/과, 하고 and (이)랑 join two nouns as "A and B" or show the person you do something "with".