Learn Hardcore Korean: hoeuiga kkeutnago naseo baro jibe gayo. - I go home immediately after the meeting.

-고 나서 is a connective ending that explicitly marks “after doing something.” It links two actions in sequence, emphasizing that the first action has fully finished before the second begins.
• 회의가 끝나고 나서 바로 집에 가요. = “After the meeting ends, I go straight home.”
By contrast, -고 alone can simply join verbs without stressing completion:
• 회의가 끝고 집에 가요 is ungrammatical—if you want to link finish+go, you need -고 나서 or at least -고 with full completion implied.
• 회의가 끝고 집에 가요 would sound odd; always say 끝나고 집에 가요 if you’re just chaining events casually.

What is the function of 바로, and why is it placed before the verb?

바로 means “immediately” or “right away.” In Korean, adverbs like 바로 typically come just before the verb or adjective they modify:
• (…끝나고 나서) 바로 집에 가요. = “(…after that) I go home right away.”
This placement highlights that “going home” happens without delay.

Why isn’t the subject (e.g., “I”) explicitly stated in 회의가 끝나고 나서 바로 집에 가요?

Korean often drops the subject when it’s clear from context or conversation. If you’ve already established who is speaking or doing the action, you don’t need to repeat 저는 (“as for me”) or 나는. Omitting the subject makes speech more natural and concise.

Why do we use 가요 (present tense) here instead of 갈 거예요 (future tense) to talk about a future action?

In Korean, the simple present tense (-아요/어요) often describes scheduled or expected future actions—much like timetables in English (“The train leaves at 5”). Here, going home right after the meeting is a planned sequence, so 집에 가요 works perfectly. You could use 갈 거예요 for emphasis on intention, but it’s not required: • 회의가 끝나고 나서 바로 집에 갈 거예요.

What does 집에 가다 mean, and what is the role of 에 in 집에?

집에 가다 literally means “go to home.”
• 집 = home
• 에 = location/direction particle, marking the destination of movement
Putting them together: 집에 가요 = “(I) go to home.”

Could I say 회의가 끝나자마자 바로 집에 가요 instead, and what’s the difference?

Yes, -자마자 also means “as soon as.” It stresses that the second action happens the instant the first does:
• 회의가 끝나자마자 바로 집에 가요.
Nuance: 끝나자마자 is more immediate and can’t have any delay, whereas 끝나고 나서 바로 allows a very brief, possible moment between actions (though “바로” still implies little to no delay).