Let's learn how to use the V+았/었더니 Korean Grammar with some simple and easy-to-understand example sentences.
V + 았/었더니 - “I did (something) and then / After I did / Because I did”
USE:
The expression -았/었더니 connects two related events, where the first action or situation leads to the second one.
It can mean:
“I did (something) and then…”
“After I did…”
“Because I did…”
It’s often used when the speaker personally experienced the first action and then saw or felt the result.
English equivalents:
“I did ___ and then ___.”
“After I ___, (I found that) ___.”
“Because I ___, (something happened) ___.”
CONJUGATION RULE
Attach -았더니 / -었더니 / -했더니 to the verb stem depending on the vowel harmony.
Examples:
가다 → 갔더니 (I went and then…)
먹다 → 먹었더니 (I ate and then…)
보다 → 봤더니 (I saw and then…)
공부하다 → 공부했더니 (I studied and then…)
Note:
The subject of the first clause is usually the speaker, and the second clause shows what they observed or experienced as a result.
EXAMPLE SENTENCES:
- 운동했더니 몸이 아파요.
→ I worked out, and now my body hurts. - 밥을 많이 먹었더니 배가 불러요.
→ I ate a lot, and now I’m full. - 오랜만에 친구를 만났더니 너무 반가웠어요.
→ I met my friend after a long time, and I was really happy. - 밤을 샜더니 너무 피곤해요.
→ I stayed up all night, so I’m very tired. - 밖에 나갔더니 비가 오고 있었어요.
→ I went outside, and it was raining.
Additional Notes
The first action (before -았/었더니) must be something the speaker personally did or experienced.
You cannot use it to describe things others did.
친구가 왔더니 날씨가 좋았어요. (wrong)
내가 갔더니 친구가 와 있었어요. (When I went there, my friend was there.)
The second clause describes a result, realisation, or discovery that came after the first.
In some cases, it can express cause-and-effect or contrast:
많이 걸었더니 다리가 아파요. → Because I walked a lot, my legs hurt.
