toegeunhago naseo jeonyeogeul meogeoyo.

After leaving work, I eat dinner.

Breakdown of toegeunhago naseo jeonyeogeul meogeoyo.

• ~을: object particle
• 먹다: to eat
• 저녁: dinner
• 퇴근하고 나서: 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.