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Grammar Beginner TOPIK I · Level 1–2 Sejong Korean 1 · Unit 18

(으)로

(으)로: By, Toward, As — One Particle, Several Jobs

By / toward / as — a particle marking means, direction, material, and related roles.

Before this, make sure you know: -아요 / -어요 , (장소)에

How to form it

When Form Example
Noun ends in a consonant (not ㄹ) N + 으로 지하철 → 지하철로 / 버스 → 버스로
Noun ends in a vowel or ㄹ N + 로 기차 → 기차로 / 서울 → 서울로

(으)로 is one particle with several everyday jobs — by (means), toward (direction), and related senses.

우리말샘 lists 으로 after consonant nouns (excluding ㄹ) for direction, path, material, means, method, status, and more. Classroom Korean pairs it with 로 after vowel and ㄹ-final nouns.

Forms

Noun ends withShapeExample
Consonant (not ㄹ)으로지하철로, 버스로
Vowel로기차로, 배로
ㄹ로서울로
길이 막히니까 지하철로 갑시다.   The road is jammed, so let's take the subway.
이쪽으로 오세요.                 Come this way.
한국어로 말해요.                 Speak in Korean.

Means first

Sejong’s leisure unit leans on transport: 지하철로. That is the safest beginner anchor — by what?

Direction (toward) and “in which language” ride the same particle. Learn means solidly before stacking every English by/with/as onto one Korean form.

Not 에, not 에서

ParticleTypical beginner job
(장소)에 에existence / arrival
에서 에서action location / departure
(으)로means / direction

*학교에 지하철로 가요 mixes jobs — school as destination is usually 에, subway as means is 로.

Same-unit partner

Reason clauses in the same unit often use -(으)니까 — because the road is jammed, let’s go by subway.

Do not confuse it with

(장소)에

at, to — a destination or a static location

에서

where an action happens, and where you came from

Taught alongside this

In the Sejong course this appears in 길이 막히니까 공연장까지 지하철로 갑시다 — Sejong Korean 1, Unit 18, on the theme of 여가. These come with it:

-(으)니까 because — the one that works before commands and suggestions

Words used above

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으로euroby / toward / as (after consonant noun)
로roby / toward / as (after vowel or ㄹ noun)
지하철jihacheolsubway
막히다makidato be blocked / congested

Quick check

No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.

1. How do you say 'by subway'?

2. What follows a vowel-final noun?

3. How is 으로 different from 에 for place?

Common questions

Is (으)로 only 'by'?

No. 우리말샘 lists direction, path, material, means, method, status, and more. Beginner speech starts with means (지하철로) and simple direction (이쪽으로).

으로 vs 로 — which?

Consonant nouns (not ㄹ): 으로. Vowel or ㄹ-final nouns: 로. 책으로, 차로.

으로 vs 에서?

[[g:eseo]] is where an action happens or where you leave from. (으)로 is how you go or which way you head — 지하철로 가요.

What about 으로서?

A longer form for status/qualification. Do not swap it blindly with plain (으)로 at this level.