Purpose for Coming or Going with '러'

01

Conjugation Rules

The suffix attaches directly to the verb stem. The choice between 러 (rŏreorŏle) and 으러 (ŭ·rŏeu·reoŭ·rŏu·le) depends on the final sound of the stem.

• Stems ending in a vowel: Add 러 (rŏreorŏle).

• 저는 빵을 사러 가요.

  jŏ·nŭn bbang·ŭl sa·rŏ ga·yo.jeo·neun bbang·eul sa·reo ga·yo.jŏ·nŭn ppang·ŭl sa·rŏ ga·yo.ce·nun ppang·ul sa·le ka·yo.

  I am going to buy bread.

• Stems ending in a consonant: Add 으러 (ŭ·rŏeu·reoŭ·rŏu·le).

• 점심을 먹으러 식당에 가요.

  jŏm·si·mŭl mŏ·gŭ·rŏ sik·dang·e ga·yo.jeom·si·meul meo·geu·reo sik·dang·e ga·yo.jŏm·si·mŭl mŏ·gŭ·rŏ sik·dang·e ga·yo.cem·si·mul me·ku·le sik·tang·ey ka·yo.

  I am going to the restaurant to eat lunch.

• Stems ending in ㄹ (l): This is an exception. Treat the ㄹ (l) as a vowel and add 러 (rŏreorŏle).

• 우리 집에 놀러 와요.

  u·ri ji·be nol·lŏ wa·yo.u·ri ji·be nol·leo wa·yo.u·ri ji·be nol·lŏ wa·yo.u·li ci·pey nol·le wa·yo.

  Come to my house to hang out.

02

Required Motion Verbs

This grammatical structure cannot stand alone; it must be followed by a verb of movement. The most common verbs used are:

• 가다 (ga·daga·daga·daka·ta) - to go
• 오다 (o·dao·dao·dao·ta) - to come
• 다니다 (da·ni·dada·ni·dada·ni·data·ni·ta) - to attend/commute

It also works with compound motion verbs such as 나가다 (na·ga·dana·ga·dana·ga·dana·ka·ta) - to go out, 들어오다 (dŭ·rŏ·o·dadeu·reo·o·dadŭ·rŏ·o·datu·le·o·ta) - to come in, or 올라가다 (ol·la·ga·daol·la·ga·daol·la·ga·daol·la·ka·ta) - to go up.

• 친구를 만나러 카페에 갔어요.

  chin·gu·rŭl man·na·rŏ ka·pʰe·e ga·ssŏ·yo.jin·gu·reul man·na·reo ga·pe·e ga·sseo·yo.chin·gu·rŭl man·na·rŏ ka·p'e·e ga·ssŏ·yo.cin·ku·lul man·na·le ka·phey·ey ka·sse·yo.

  I went to the cafe to meet a friend.

• 한국어를 배우러 학교에 다녀요.

  han·gu·gŏ·rŭl bæ·u·rŏ hak·gyo·e da·nyŏ·yo.han·gu·geo·reul bae·u·reo hak·gyo·e da·nyeo·yo.han·gu·gŏ·rŭl bae·u·rŏ hak·gyo·e da·nyŏ·yo.han·ku·ke·lul pay·u·le hak·kyo·ey ta·nye·yo.

  I attend school to learn Korean.

03

Tense Placement

When using this structure, do not mark the tense on the verb attached to (으)러 ((ŭ)·rŏ(ŭ)·reo(ŭ)·rŏ(ŭ)·le). The tense is always marked on the final motion verb at the end of the sentence.

• Correct: 공부하러 갔어요 (gong·bu·ha·rŏ ga·ssŏ·yogong·bu·ha·reo ga·sseo·yogong·bu·ha·rŏ ga·ssŏ·yokong·pu·ha·le ka·sse·yo) - went to study
• Incorrect: 공부했으러 가요 (gong·bu·hæ·ssŭ·rŏ ga·yogong·bu·hae·sseu·reo ga·yogong·bu·hae·ssŭ·rŏ ga·yokong·pu·hay·ssu·le ka·yo)

• 책을 읽으러 도서관에 갈 거예요.

  chʰæ·gŭl il·gŭ·rŏ do·sŏ·gwa·ne gal ggŏ·ye·yo.chae·geul il·geu·reo do·seo·gwa·ne gal ggeo·ye·yo.ch'ae·gŭl il·gŭ·rŏ do·sŏ·gwa·ne gal kkŏ·ye·yo.chay·kul il·ku·le to·se·kwa·ney kal kke·yey·yo.

  I will go to the library to read a book.

• 수영하러 갔어요.

  su·yŏng·ha·rŏ ga·ssŏ·yo.su·yeong·ha·reo ga·sseo·yo.su·yŏng·ha·rŏ ga·ssŏ·yo.su·yeng·ha·le ka·sse·yo.

  I went to swim.

04

Usage Constraints

This form is strictly for movement. If you want to express doing an action "in order to" do something else, but no physical travel is involved (e.g., "I study hard to pass the test"), you cannot use (으)러 ((ŭ)·rŏ(ŭ)·reo(ŭ)·rŏ(ŭ)·le). You must use different structures like (으)려고 ((ŭ)·ryŏ·go(ŭ)·ryeo·go(ŭ)·ryŏ·go(ŭ)·lye·ko).

Additionally, the verb preceding (으)러 ((ŭ)·rŏ(ŭ)·reo(ŭ)·rŏ(ŭ)·le) represents the purpose, while the final verb represents the movement required to achieve that purpose.

• 돈을 찾으러 은행에 가요.

  do·nŭl chʰa·jŭ·rŏ ŭn·hæng·e ga·yo.do·neul cha·jeu·reo eun·haeng·e ga·yo.do·nŭl ch'a·jŭ·rŏ ŭn·haeng·e ga·yo.to·nul cha·cu·le un·hayng·ey ka·yo.

  I am going to the bank to withdraw money.