目錄
Korean 「-자마자」 and 「-는 대로」 can both be translated into Chinese as “as soon as…,” but what they actually focus on is slightly different. 「-자마자」 places two actions extremely close together in time: the first event happens, and the next follows immediately. 「-는 대로」, by contrast, treats the moment when the first event occurs as the starting point for the next action, and it often carries a sense of arrangement, notification, or promise.
For example, 「집에 도착하자마자 잠들었어요」 describes someone falling asleep immediately after arriving home, while 「집에 도착하는 대로 연락할게요」 means that they will contact someone as soon as they arrive home. The two sentences look very similar in Chinese translation, but one focuses on an event happening immediately, while the other focuses on what will be done next.
Why can’t 「-자마자」 and 「-는 대로」 simply be used interchangeably if both mean “as soon as…”?
The Chinese pattern 「一……就……」 covers a broad range of situations, but Korean distinguishes temporal nuance more precisely. If 「-자마자」 and 「-는 대로」 are treated as completely interchangeable, the sentence may sound unnatural, especially in promises, notifications, or workplace arrangements.
「-자마자」 emphasizes that there is almost no gap between two actions: the first event happens, and the next follows immediately. 「-는 대로」 treats the occurrence of the first event as the point when the second action begins, and it is often used to explain what will happen next.
How do 「-자마자／-는 대로」 attach in Korean? Verb forms and tense rules
「-자마자」 attaches directly to the verb stem. The temporal use of 「-는 대로」 takes the form “verb stem＋는 대로.” Neither form is affected by whether the stem has a final consonant, and the first clause usually does not take a separate past-tense marker. Whether the sentence as a whole refers to the past, present, or future is generally determined by the tense of the second clause and the surrounding context.
| Comparison: 「-자마자」「-는 대로」 | ||
| Attachment | Verb stem＋자마자 | Verb stem＋는 대로 |
| Tense in the first clause | Usually does not take 「-았／었-」 | Temporal usage normally uses 「-는 대로」 |
| Time of the sentence as a whole | Usually determined by the second clause | Usually determined by the second clause |
| Example | 끝나자마자 나갔어요 | 끝나는 대로 연락할게요 |
In actual usage, 「-자마자」 often appears when recounting events that have already happened. 「-는 대로」 is frequently used for future notifications, requests, or arrangements, as in 「도착하는 대로」「확인하는 대로」「끝나는 대로」. However, this is only a common tendency. Neither pattern is restricted to one particular tense.
Usage of 「-자마자」｜Two actions occur with almost no interval
The strongest nuance of 「-자마자」 is immediate succession. The first action happens, and the second action follows right away, with almost no pause in between. It is often used when recounting something that already happened.
- Example: 집에 도착하자마자 잠들었어요.
Romanization: ji-be do-cha-ka-ja-ma-ja jam-deu-reo-sseo-yo
Translation: I fell asleep as soon as I got home.
「도착하자마자」 emphasizes that the person fell asleep almost immediately after arriving home. - Example: 문을 열자마자 고양이가 나왔어요.
Romanization: mu-neul yeol-ja-ma-ja go-yang-i-ga na-wa-sseo-yo
Translation: As soon as I opened the door, the cat came out.
The cat came out immediately after the door was opened, with almost no gap between the two events. - Example: 소식을 듣자마자 눈물이 났어요.
Romanization: so-si-geul deut-ja-ma-ja nun-mu-ri na-sseo-yo
Translation: I started crying as soon as I heard the news.
This sentence describes an emotional reaction that appeared immediately.
Usage of 「-는 대로」｜Carry out the next step as soon as the first action is completed
In its temporal use, 「-는 대로」 means that as soon as the first action or situation occurs, the action in the second clause follows. It often carries a sense of arrangement, promise, or procedural order, and is especially common in phone calls, messages, and workplace responses.
- Example: 도착하는 대로 연락드릴게요.
Romanization: do-cha-ka-neun dae-ro yeol-lak-deu-ril-ge-yo
Translation: I’ll contact you as soon as I arrive.
This is a promise to make contact immediately after arriving. - Example: 확인하는 대로 알려드리겠습니다.
Romanization: hwa-gi-na-neun dae-ro al-lyeo-deu-ri-ge-sseum-ni-da
Translation: I’ll let you know as soon as I confirm it.
This expression is very common in workplace or customer-service responses. - Example: 회의가 끝나는 대로 보내 주세요.
Romanization: hoe-ui-ga kkeun-na-neun dae-ro bo-nae ju-se-yo
Translation: Please send it as soon as the meeting ends.
「끝나는 대로」 carries the nuance of taking the next step immediately after one stage in a process is finished.
Usage of 「-자마자」 and 「-는 대로」｜Different roles in emotional reactions and workplace arrangements
When describing a natural reaction or a sudden event, 「-자마자」 is often used. When describing a promise, request, or notification, 「-는 대로」 is often more natural. Both can express immediacy, but they serve different pragmatic functions.
- Example: 얼굴을 보자마자 웃음이 났어요.
Romanization: eol-gu-reul bo-ja-ma-ja u-seu-mi na-sseo-yo
Translation: I started laughing as soon as I saw the face.
This is an immediate reaction, so 「-자마자」 is natural. - Example: 자료를 받는 대로 검토하겠습니다.
Romanization: ja-ryo-reul ban-neun dae-ro geom-to-ha-ge-sseum-ni-da
Translation: I’ll review the materials as soon as I receive them.
This is a workplace commitment involving a process, so 「-는 대로」 is natural. - Example: 수업이 끝나자마자 학생들이 나갔어요.
Romanization: su-eo-bi kkeun-na-ja-ma-ja hak-saeng-deu-ri na-ga-sseo-yo
Translation: As soon as class ended, the students left.
This sentence describes an immediate sequence of events that actually happened.
What is the difference between 「-자마자」 and 「-는 대로」? Comparing temporal focus and usage
| Comparison: 「-자마자」「-는 대로」 | ||
| Temporal focus | Almost no interval between the two actions | The second action follows once the first occurs |
| Communicative function | Describes immediate succession | Expresses an arrangement, promise, notification, or request |
| Common situations | Experiences, reactions, event narration | Contacting, replying, sending, procedural handling |
| Tense tendency | Very common in past narration, but can also be used for future situations or commands | Very common for future arrangements, but can also describe past events |
| Example | 문을 열자마자 나왔어요 | 도착하는 대로 연락할게요 |
▌When describing an immediate event that already happened, 「-자마자」 is very common
✅ 집에 오자마자 잤어요.
Translation: I went to sleep as soon as I got home.
The focus is on going home and going to sleep happening almost back to back.
▌When announcing what will happen next, 「-는 대로」 is more common
✅ 집에 도착하는 대로 연락할게요.
Translation: I’ll contact you as soon as I get home.
The focus is on using “arriving home” as the point when the next action—making contact—begins, meaning the speaker will contact the other person immediately after arriving.
Everyday examples of 「-자마자／-는 대로」 in Korean: Going home, contacting someone, and workplace replies
Both patterns are very common in everyday conversation. When describing an event or reaction that happens immediately after something else, 「-자마자」 is usually used. When explaining what will be done immediately after arriving, confirming something, or receiving materials, 「-는 대로」 is often used.
▌Situation ①｜Falling asleep as soon as you get home
A：어제 많이 피곤했어요?
eo-je ma-ni pi-gon-hae-sseo-yo
Were you very tired yesterday?
B：네, 집에 도착하자마자 잠들었어요.
ne, ji-be do-cha-ka-ja-ma-ja jam-deu-reo-sseo-yo
Yes, I fell asleep as soon as I got home.
📌 Grammar Point: 「도착하자마자」 emphasizes immediate succession.
▌Situation ②｜Contacting someone after arriving
A：도착하면 연락 주세요.
do-cha-ka-myeon yeol-lak ju-se-yo
Please contact me when you arrive.
B：네, 도착하는 대로 연락드릴게요.
ne, do-cha-ka-neun dae-ro yeol-lak-deu-ril-ge-yo
Yes, I’ll contact you as soon as I arrive.
📌 Grammar Point: 「도착하는 대로」 treats arrival as the starting point for making contact, meaning the speaker will contact the other person immediately after arriving.
▌Situation ③｜Workplace reply
A：결과는 언제 받을 수 있을까요?
gyeol-gwa-neun eon-je ba-deul su i-sseul-kka-yo?
When will I be able to receive the results?
B：최종 내용을 확인하는 대로 보내드리겠습니다.
choe-jong nae-yong-eul hwa-gi-na-neun dae-ro bo-nae-deu-ri-ge-sseum-ni-da
I’ll send them as soon as I’ve confirmed the final details.
📌 Grammar Point: 「확인하는 대로」 means that the results will be sent immediately once the confirmation process is complete.
Cultural Notes:
- In Korean workplace messages, 「확인하는 대로」 and 「도착하는 대로」 are extremely common and sound professional and natural.
- 「-자마자」 is often used to highlight that two actions happened in immediate succession, so it is common when recounting events or describing an immediate reaction. However, it can also be used in commands, requests, and future situations.
- When expressing follow-up arrangements such as “I’ll reply after I confirm it” or “I’ll contact you after I arrive,” 「-는 대로」 generally matches the function of the sentence better. If the intention is simply to emphasize that something happens very quickly, 「-자마자」 can still be used.
How do Korean 「-자마자／-는 대로」 compare with Japanese 「〜とすぐに／〜次第」?
◆ Similar grammar: Japanese 「〜とすぐに／〜次第」
Korean 「-자마자」 and Japanese 「〜とすぐに」 can both emphasize that two events happen in immediate succession. The temporal use of Korean 「-는 대로」 is similar to Japanese 「〜次第」 in that it is often used to indicate that an action will be taken immediately after the first condition is fulfilled or the first action is completed. However, the usage ranges in the two languages are not completely identical, so these should only be treated as approximate equivalents in nuance.
- Example: 家に着くとすぐに寝ました。
Kana: いえにつくとすぐねました。
Translation: I went to sleep as soon as I got home.
Japanese 「着くとすぐに」 can correspond to Korean 「도착하자마자」. - Example: 確認次第、ご連絡します。
Kana: かくにんしだい、ごれんらくします。
Translation: I’ll contact you as soon as I’ve confirmed it.
Japanese 「確認次第」 can correspond to Korean 「확인하는 대로」.
◆ Core difference from 「-자마자／-는 대로」:
Korean uses two separate forms to distinguish immediate events from procedural commitments. Japanese also uses 「〜とすぐ」 and 「〜次第」 to divide these nuances. In both languages, it is not enough to mechanically apply the Chinese pattern 「一……就……」.
The real difference between Korean 「-자마자」 and 「-는 대로」 is not simply whether the sentence refers to the past or the future. If you want to emphasize that two actions are almost glued together in time, use 「-자마자」. If you want to treat the first event as the point when the next step begins, especially in notifications, promises, or workplace arrangements, 「-는 대로」 usually matches the intended nuance better.
When you encounter a sentence that would be translated into Chinese as 「一……就……」, first ask whether the speaker is describing an immediate event or explaining the order of what will happen next. This makes it easier to distinguish expressions that look very similar, such as 「도착하자마자」 and 「도착하는 대로」.
Common FAQs
Yes, but their nuances are different. 「-자마자」 emphasizes an immediate event, while 「-는 대로」 focuses on taking the next step immediately after something is completed.
In most cases, 「-는 대로」 is more natural, as in 「도착하는 대로 연락할게요」.
Yes. However, if you are simply recounting an immediate event, 「-자마자」 usually gives a more vivid sense of the scene.
Not necessarily, but for a promise, 「도착하는 대로 연락할게요」 is more natural and more common.
Normally, the first clause does not directly take a past-tense marker. The tense of the whole sentence is determined by the second clause. For example: 「도착하자마자 연락했어요」.