intermediate · freeInteractive lesson
-자마자
Try it freeComplete examples with -자마자Apply the formation rule before moving into the related grammar path.Open →Explanation
Immediate sequence.
도착하자마자.
Start with “끝나자마자 연락했어요.” (I contacted as soon as it finished.). Say the whole sentence first, then identify exactly what -자마자 contributes before changing any other words.
Compare “일어나자마자 물을 마셔요.” with “보자마자 알았어요.”. Keep the function of -자마자 the same while noticing what changes around it; then rebuild one of the examples with vocabulary you already know.
Examples
끝나자마자 연락했어요.
I contacted as soon as it finished.
일어나자마자 물을 마셔요.
I drink water as soon as I wake.
보자마자 알았어요.
I knew as soon as I saw it.
Common mistakes
- Do not choose -자마자 only because an English translation contains “as soon as”. Check the Korean function, attachment, and speech level in the full sentence.
- Do not memorize -자마자 as an isolated ending. Mark the stem or phrase it attaches to in one example, then rebuild that example with new vocabulary.
How to practice
- Production check: say “끝나자마자 연락했어요.” naturally, then change one content word without changing the job -자마자 is doing.
- When a related pattern is listed below, compare both forms in the same situation instead of memorizing two English glosses separately.
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