(으)ㄹ 때 (eul ttae) means "when".
Indicates the time when an action or state occurs.
Checked against the official learner dictionary from the National Institute of Korean Language
- After a vowel or ㄹ: ㄹ 때 l ttae. After other consonants: 을 때 eul ttae.
Build it
The forms you need
When
갈 때gal ttaewhen (I) goWhen (past)
갔을 때gasseul ttaewhen (I) wentNoun
방학 때banghak ttaeduring vacationChildhood
어렸을 때eoryeosseul ttaewhen I was littleWhen to use it
At the time
When something happens or is true.
One past moment
았/었을 때 for something finished.
With nouns
Noun + 때 ttae, nothing in between.
Watch out
Always 을 eul, even for the present.
Stems ending in ㄹ take just 때 ttae.
Nouns take 때 ttae directly.
In context
8 examples- 1
밥을 먹을 때 조용히 하세요.
Babeul meogeul ttae joyonghi haseyo.
Please be quiet when eating.
- 2
시간이 있을 때 뭐 해요?
Sigani isseul ttae mwo haeyo?
What do you do when you have time?
- 3
심심할 때 보통 뭐 해?
Simsimhal ttae botong mwo hae?
What do you usually do when you're bored?
- 4
우리 처음 만났을 때 기억나요?
Uri cheoeum mannasseul ttae gieongnayo?
Do you remember when we first met?
- 5
비가 올 때는 집에서 영화를 봐요.
Biga ol ttaeneun jibeseo yeonghwareul bwayo.
When it rains, I watch movies at home.
- 6
집에 도착했을 때 아무도 없었어요.
Jibe dochakaesseul ttae amudo eopseosseoyo.
Nobody was home when I got there.
- 7
길을 건널 때 조심하세요.
Gireul geonneol ttae josimhaseyo.
Be careful when you cross the street.
- 8
고등학교 때 축구를 했어요.
Godeunghakgyo ttae chukgureul haesseoyo.
I played soccer in high school.
Practice
8 questions춥다 + (으)ㄹ 때
갈 때 vs 갔을 때
With moving verbs, the tense changes the picture. 갈 때 gal ttae is on the way there. 갔을 때 gasseul ttae is once you've arrived.
- 학교에 갈 때 버스를 타요. hakgyoe gal ttae beoseureul tayo "I take the bus when I go to school."
- 학교에 갔을 때 문이 닫혀 있었어요. hakgyoe gasseul ttae muni dachyeo isseosseoyo "When I got to school, the door was closed."
The same goes for 올 때 ol ttae and 왔을 때 wasseul ttae: "on your way here" vs "when you got here".
(으)ㄹ 때 vs (으)면
때 ttae points at a time. 면 myeon sets a condition. Sometimes both work, but only 면 myeon can mean "if":
- 시간이 있으면 도와줄게요. sigani isseumyeon dowajulgeyo "If I have time, I'll help you."
- 시간이 있을 때 도와줄게요. sigani isseul ttae dowajulgeyo "I'll help you when I have time."
More in the (으)면 lesson.
Hanja in this lesson
Words from the examples that are written with Chinese characters. Tap a character to see its page.
Look it up in the dictionary
The entry for 으ㄹ 때 in two trusted Korean dictionaries.
