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때 / -(으)ㄹ 때
Used to express the time or duration during which an action or state occurs. It corresponds to 'when' in English.
Summary
Equivalent
When / At the time of
Example
I don't drink water when I eat.
밥을 먹을 때 물을 안 마셔요.
Grammar rules
- Attach directly to nouns representing a period/event (방학 때 = during vacation).
- For verbs/adjectives ending in a vowel, use 'ㄹ 때'.
- For those ending in a consonant, use '을 때'.
- Do not attach '때' to specific time indicators like 오전 (morning), 오후 (afternoon), hours, days of the week, or dates. Use '에' instead.
오전 때 (X) -> 오전에 (O)
Patterns
1
Nouns
N/A · Noun + 때
2
Verbs/Adjectives (Consonant)
N/A · Stem + 을 때
3
Verbs/Adjectives (Vowel/ㄹ)
N/A · Stem (drop ㄹ) + ㄹ 때
Example sentences
I don't drink water when I eat.
밥을 먹을 때 물을 안 마셔요.
When I was a student, I had many friends.
학생 때 친구가 많았어요.
When the weather is hot, I eat ice cream.
날씨가 더울 때 아이스크림을 먹습니다.
Conversation
A: When do you feel good?
언제 기분이 좋아요?
B: I feel good when I listen to music.
저는 음악을 들을 때 기분이 좋아요.
Practice
Fill in the blank
Complete the sentence using the 'when' pattern.
Mood.
Childhood.