-기가 무섭게

-기가 무섭게 means that the second event happens the very instant the first one occurs, almost too fast to believe.

시간·순서Time & sequence

Han: -기가 무섭게 does not take the past marker; the past tense is shown only by the final verb 뛰어나갔다.

Examples

그 가수의 콘서트 표는 예매가 시작되기가 무섭게 매진되었다.Tickets for that singer's concert sold out the instant booking opened.

아이는 집에 들어오기가 무섭게 가방을 던지고 놀이터로 나갔다.The child had barely come home before tossing his bag aside and heading out to the playground.

수업이 끝나기가 무섭게 학생들이 교실 밖으로 뛰어나갔다.The moment class ended, the students rushed out of the classroom.

월급이 들어오기가 무섭게 카드값으로 다 나가 버렸어요.No sooner had my salary come in than it all went on my credit card bill.

-기가 무섭게vs-는 대로-는 대로 is for future plans, promises and requests; -기가 무섭게 reports what already happened: 결과가 나오는 대로 알려 드리겠습니다.

V+기가 무섭게 (also V + 기 무섭게)

끝나다 → 끝나기가 무섭게

Attach it to the bare verb stem; do not put past -았/었- before 기가 무섭게. Tense is shown only at the end of the sentence.
It is used to describe events that actually happened or habitually happen; it usually cannot end in a command or suggestion (-(으)세요, -자, -(으)ㅂ시다).
It is used with verbs, not adjectives, and the two clauses may have the same or different subjects.

Wrong: ~~수업이 끝났기가 무섭게 학생들이 뛰어나갔다.~~

Right: 수업이 끝나기가 무섭게 학생들이 뛰어나갔다.

-기가 무섭게 does not take the past marker; the past tense is shown only by the final verb 뛰어나갔다.

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