…
Breakdown of toegeunhago naseo jeonyeogeul meogeoyo.
~을~eul
object particle
먹다meokda
to eat
저녁jeonyeok
dinner
퇴근하고 나서toegeunhago naseo
after leaving work
Questions & Answers about toegeunhago naseo jeonyeogeul meogeoyo.
What does 퇴근하고 나서 mean?
- 퇴근하다 means “to leave work.”
- Adding -고 나서 creates the phrase “after doing [X],” so 퇴근하고 나서 literally means “after leaving work.”
Why do we have both -고 and 나서? Can we just say 퇴근하고?
- -고 alone simply links two actions: “leave work and …”
- -고 나서 emphasizes sequence: you fully finish the first action, then start the next.
- You can say 퇴근하고 저녁을 먹어요, but that sounds more like two simultaneous actions; -고 나서 clearly marks “first this, then that.”
What is the function of 을 in 저녁을 먹어요?
- 을 is the object particle. It marks 저녁 (“dinner”) as the thing being eaten.
- Without it, the sentence would feel incomplete or too casual.
What level of politeness is 먹어요?
- 먹어요 is the polite non-formal style (해요체).
- It’s used in everyday polite conversation with friends, colleagues, or people you’re not extremely close to.
Why is the subject omitted? Who is doing these actions?
- Korean often drops the subject when it’s obvious from context.
- Here the implied subject is “I” (the speaker). You could add 저는 for clarity: 저는 퇴근하고 나서 저녁을 먹어요.
Can I replace 퇴근하고 나서 with 퇴근한 후에?
- Yes. 퇴근한 후에 also means “after leaving work.”
- -한 후에 is slightly more formal or literary, while -고 나서 is more conversational.
What happens if I switch the order to 저녁을 먹고 퇴근해요?
- That means “I eat dinner and then leave work,” which reverses the intended sequence.
- Word order with these connectors is crucial to maintain the correct timeline.
Could I use 먹습니다 instead of 먹어요?
- 먹습니다 is the formal polite style (하십시오체).
- It’s perfectly grammatical but sounds more formal—common in news, presentations, or when speaking to superiors.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do speech levels work in Korean?”
Korean has multiple speech levels that indicate formality and politeness. The most common are the formal polite (‑습니다/‑ㅂ니다), informal polite (‑아요/‑어요), and casual (‑아/‑어) forms. Which level you use depends on who you're speaking to and the social context.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning KoreanMaster Korean — from toegeunhago naseo jeonyeogeul meogeoyo to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions