-자마자
-자마자: The Instant One Thing Ends, the Next Begins
Connective: as soon as the first action happens, the next event follows right away.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb stem | stem + -자마자 | 가자마자 / 도착하자마자 / 끝나자마자 |
| After -으시- | -으시자마자 | 도착하시자마자 |
-자마자 is the connective for immediate succession: as soon as A happens, B follows. 우리말샘: after a verb stem (or -으시-), the next event arises right after the first action is realised.
It is not the propositive -자 (let’s) from -자. Same 자 letters show up in more than one grammar family — keep the jobs separate.
Shape
집에 오자마자 씻었어요.
문을 열자마자 바람이 들어왔어요.
수업이 끝나자마자 나갔어요.
비행기에서 내리자마자 메시지를 보냈어요.Holiday pacing:
호텔에 도착하자마자 짐부터 풀었어요.
휴가 시작하자마자 비가 왔어요.
알람이 울리자마자 일어났어요.Immediate, not merely sequential
| Form | Timing feel |
|---|---|
| -고 | and / then (may be loose) |
| -아서/어서 | so / and then (cause or soft sequence) |
| -자마자 | the instant A finishes, B starts |
| -기 전에 | before A |
밥을 먹고 나갔어요. ate, and (then) left — sequence
밥을 먹자마자 나갔어요. left the moment eating finishedNot “let’s”
가자. Let’s go. (-자)
가자마자 전화했어요. As soon as (I/we) went, (I) called.If -자 ends the sentence as a proposal, you are not in this slot.
Learner traps
- Using -자마자 when the second event is hours later — the form promises tightness.
- Reading 가자마자 as a weird let’s.
- Gluing it to adjectives (*예쁘자마자…).
Ask: does B fire the moment A completes? If yes, -자마자. If you only need a calm and then, -고 is enough.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
On the jabi learning path, this appears in 여행을 가는 대신에 집에서 쉬는 것이 좋겠네요 (Instead of going on a trip, it would be better to rest at home.) — Intermediate Korean 1, Unit 7, on the theme of rest and vacation. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. 집에 오자마자 씻었어요 means…
2. How is -자마자 different from propositive -자?
3. Best tool for a loose ‘and then’ list?
Common questions
Can adjectives take -자마자?
Dictionary attachment is verb stems (and -으시-). Keep it on actions for this lesson.
Do both clauses need the same subject?
Often yes in early examples (I arrive → I sleep). Real input can vary; master same-subject drills first.
Is *도착했자마자 standard beginner form?
Learn stem + -자마자 (도착하자마자). Do not stack a casual past on the first stem as your default.
vs -기 전에?
gi-jeone is before doing. -자마자 is immediately after doing.