따라
따라: By Chance That Day — Not ‘According To’
Particle: on that particular occasion, coincidentally — often after 오늘, 날, etc.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Time / day noun | N따라 | 오늘따라 / 그날따라 / 아침따라 |
| Common frame | N따라 … | 오늘따라 일이 많아요 |
따라 (this slot) means of all occasions — oddly then. It is not “according to.”
우리말샘 따라 「001」: after nouns like 오늘, 날 — for no special reason, coincidentally only in that case. The curriculum gloss exists because English speakers keep reading the letters as 에 따라.
Why this is hard
Same Hangul block as the end of 에 따라, and the same root letters as the verb 따르다. Three different jobs share a spelling family. If you only memorise “따라 = according to,” every 오늘따라 line will mistranslate into nonsense.
The meaning is not “following today’s rule.” It is “today, of all days — oddly.” Mild surprise or mild complaint rides along for free.
What it does
You flag that this occasion feels oddly specific — busier, wetter, worse luck than usual.
오늘따라 일이 많아요.
오늘따라 길이 막혀요.
그날따라 비가 왔어요.
아침따라 지각했어요.Tone: of all days… — not a formal report of dependence on a standard.
Forms
Time / occasion noun + 따라. Classic hosts: 오늘, 그날, 아침.
오늘따라. ✅ (occasion)
규정에 따라. ✅ but different slot — 에 따라
*규정따라. ❌ do not invent ‘according to’ without 에
따라가다. ✅ verb — not this particleWhen not to use it
Do not teach it as a clipped 에 따라. Dropping 에 does not create this particle; it creates a wrong “according to” on bare nouns.
Do not attach it to rule, law, or schedule nouns to mean dependence (날씨에 따라, 규칙에 따라 stay with 에 따라).
Do not confuse it with the verb 따르다 / 따라가다. Walking behind someone is a different word class.
Avoid stacking it onto every time word for colour. 오늘따라 is natural; forcing 화요일따라 every week sounds like you are hunting for the pattern.
Neighbours — and why they differ
| Form | Why it is not this slot |
|---|---|
| 에 따라 | According to / depending on a standard or condition. Needs 에. |
| 에 의하여 | Formal by / due to agency — written weight, not “of all days.” |
| 마다 | Every occasion — regularity, the opposite of one odd day. |
Ask: am I marking one occasion as oddly special (오늘따라…)? If yes, this 따라. If you mean “depending on X,” keep 에 따라.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
On the jabi learning path, this appears in 조사 (inspection) — Advanced Korean 1, Unit 1, on the theme of inspection. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. Today of all days feels oddly packed with work. Which line marks that coincidental occasion?
2. Which line matches a forms-table example for this particle?
3. Same letters 따라 — which line means depending on a standard, not ‘of all days’?
Common questions
What does the dictionary say?
우리말샘 따라 「001」: after nouns like 오늘, 날 — ‘for no special reason, coincidentally only in that case.’
Is it 에 따라 shortened?
No. Do not merge with 에 따라. Curriculum gloss warns against ‘according to.’
Only with 오늘?
오늘따라 is classic; 그날따라, 아침따라 also appear. Stick to time/occasion nouns.
Tone?
Often mild surprise or complaint: ‘of all days…’