-(으)러
In Order to
-(으)러 is used to say 'in order to (do something)' when you are going to or coming from a place.
How It Works
-(으)러 is a crucial pattern for expressing the purpose of one's movement. It clearly states why someone is going to or coming from a location.
Conjugation Rule:
The form changes based on the verb stem's ending:
- If the verb stem ends in a vowel or the consonant ㄹ, you add -러.
- 보다 (to see) → 보 + 러 → 보러
- 만나다 (to meet) → 만나 + 러 → 만나러
- 만들다 (to make) → 만들 + 러 → 만들러 (ㄹ does not drop) - If the verb stem ends in any consonant other than ㄹ, you add -으러.
- 먹다 (to eat) → 먹 + 으러 → 먹으러
- 찾다 (to find) → 찾 + 으러 → 찾으러
Key Usage Points:
1. Motion Verbs Only: The verb following -(으)러 must be a verb of movement, such as 가다 (to go), 오다 (to come), 다니다 (to attend), 올라가다 (to go up), 내려가다 (to go down), 들어가다 (to enter), 나오다 (to exit), etc.
2. Same Subject: The subject of the purpose clause (the verb with -(으)러) and the motion clause must be the same person.
3. No Tense in First Clause: Tense is never added to the verb with -(으)러. The overall tense of the sentence is determined by the final motion verb.
- Correct: 영화를 보러 갔어요. (I went to see a movie.)
- Incorrect: 영화를 봤으러 갔어요.
Comparison with -려고:
Both -(으)러 and -려고 can mean 'in order to'. However, -(으)러 is restricted to motion verbs, while -려고 can be used with any verb.
- 한국어를 배우러 한국에 왔어요. (Correct - 왔어요 is a motion verb)
- 한국어를 배우려고 한국에 왔어요. (Correct)
- 한국어를 배우려고 열심히 공부해요. (Correct - 공부해요 is not a motion verb)
- 한국어를 배우러 열심히 공부해요. (Incorrect)
Examples (5)
- 영화를 보러 극장에 갔어요.
I went to the theater to watch a movie.
Word by Word: movie watch-in-order-to theater-to went.
- 점심을 먹으러 식당에 갈 거예요.
I'm going to the restaurant to eat lunch.
Word by Word: lunch eat-in-order-to restaurant-to will go.
- 친구를 만나러 서울에 왔어요.
I came to Seoul to meet a friend.
Word by Word: friend meet-in-order-to Seoul-to came.
- 돈을 찾으러 은행에 다녀왔어요.
I went to the bank (and came back) to withdraw money.
찾다 ends in a consonant, so -으러 is used. 다녀오다 is a compound motion verb meaning 'to go and come back'.
- 케이크를 만들러 친구 집에 갔어요.
I went to a friend's house to make a cake.
The verb stem 만들다 ends in ㄹ, so -러 is attached directly without dropping the ㄹ.
Common Mistakes
Using -(으)러 with a non-motion verb.
Not Quite숙제를 하러 열심히 공부했어요.Better숙제를 하러 도서관에 갔어요.-(으)러 must be followed by a verb of movement like 가다 (to go) or 오다 (to come). To express purpose with a non-motion verb like 공부하다 (to study), you should use a different pattern like -려고 (e.g., 숙제를 하려고 열심히 공부했어요).
Adding tense markers to the verb before -(으)러.
Not Quite밥을 먹었으러 식당에 갔어요.Better밥을 먹으러 식당에 갔어요.The verb stem attaches directly to -(으)러 without any tense markers like -았/었-. The tense of the entire sentence is shown only on the final verb (갔어요).
Learn This First
To express 'in order to' with movement, you need verb conjugation.
Related Patterns
- -(으)러 가다/오다Go/come to Do
This is the most common structure using -러. It combines the purpose marker -러 with the two most basic motion verbs, forming a set phrase for 'go/come to do something'.
- -(으)려고In Order to, So That
Both mean 'in order to', but -려고 is more versatile. It can be followed by any verb, whereas -러 is restricted to motion verbs. They are interchangeable only when the final verb is one of motion.
- -고자In Order to, With Intention to
A more formal and written-style equivalent of -려고. Like -려고, it expresses intention but is not restricted to motion verbs, making it different from -러.
- -기 때문에Because
Contrasts purpose with reason. -러 explains 'why you move' (purpose), while -기 때문에 explains 'why something happened' (reason). For example, 'I went to the library to study (공부하러)' vs. 'I couldn't go because I was sick (아팠기 때문에)'.