TOPIK II · LEVEL 3
-(으)ㄴ 다음에
'After doing A, B': the second event follows the first. It means the same as -(으)ㄴ 후에 / -(으)ㄴ 뒤에 but sounds more conversational.
시간·순서Time & sequenceHan: 다음에 always takes the completed modifier -(으)ㄴ, even when the plan is in the future.
Examples
이 길로 쭉 간 다음에 사거리에서 오른쪽으로 도세요.Go straight down this road, then turn right at the intersection.
손을 깨끗이 씻은 다음에 음식을 드세요.Wash your hands thoroughly, then eat.
졸업한 다음에 뭐 할 계획이에요?What are you planning to do after you graduate?
Don’t mix up
-(으)ㄴ 다음에vs-(으)ㄴ 후에Same meaning; 후에 is a little more formal and common in writing: 식사를 마친 후에 회의를 시작하겠습니다 vs 밥 먹은 다음에 영화 보자.-(으)ㄴ 다음에vs-고 나서-고 나서 stresses that A is completely finished first: 다 읽고 나서 돌려줄게 'I'll return it once I've finished it' vs 읽은 다음에 돌려줄게 'I'll return it after reading it'.How to build it
V+(으)ㄴ 다음(에)
N+다음(에)
먹다 → 먹은 다음에; 가다 → 간 다음에; 만들다 → 만든 다음에; 듣다 → 들은 다음에; 수업 → 수업 다음에
- The modifier is always -(으)ㄴ, even for habits or future plans: 밥을 먹은 다음에 약을 드세요 (not 먹는 다음에). Tense goes only at the end of the sentence.
- Very common in step-by-step instructions such as recipes and directions: 물이 끓은 다음에 면을 넣으세요.
- 에 can be dropped (먹은 다음); 다음에 on its own means 'next time' (다음에 또 만나요).
Classic mistake
Wrong: 숙제를 하는 다음에 게임을 할 거예요.
Right: 숙제를 한 다음에 게임을 할 거예요.
다음에 always takes the completed modifier -(으)ㄴ, even when the plan is in the future.
Practise -(으)ㄴ 다음에 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)며-(으)며 is a formal, written 'and' (listing) or 'while' (two actions at once).
- -(으)ㄴ 채(로)-(으)ㄴ 채(로) means doing something while a previous state is still kept: 'with … still on / still …ing'.
- -(으)ㄴ/는 김에Use it when you take the chance of doing one thing to also do another thing: 'while I'm at it, I'll also…'.
- -(으)ㄴ/는 대로Shows that an action is done exactly the way something was said, done, seen or planned.
- -고 나다Marks that an action has been fully completed before what follows; used in -고 나면 'once A is done', -고 나니(까) 'after A, (I found)…' and -고 난 후/뒤/다음에.
- -고 나서-고 나서 means "after (fully) finishing A, then B" and stresses that the first action is completed before the next begins.
- -는 길에-는 길에 means 'on the way to / while going somewhere': doing B along the way.
- -는 동안-는 동안 marks the whole stretch of time an action lasts, during which something else happens or continues.
- -는 사이에-는 사이에 means 'while (A is going on), B happened' — often B happens without the subject noticing.