-(으)러
in order to — with verbs of movement
Gives the purpose of going somewhere. Its defining limit is what may follow: only a verb of movement, never anything else.
Build it
Pick a verb
When to use it
The pattern is purpose + -(으)러 + 가다/오다: 밥을 먹으러 식당에 갔어요. The clause before -(으)러 is why you are travelling; the verb after it is the travelling.
The list of verbs that may follow is short: 가다, 오다, 다니다, 나가다, 들어가다, 올라가다, 내려가다 — movement, in other words. 공부하러 열심히 해요 is ungrammatical because 하다 is not movement. For purposes attached to any other verb, use -(으)려고.
Attachment is the plain consonant rule, with ㄹ staying put: 만들다 gives 만들러. Nothing else goes in front of the ending — no tense, no negation. The past belongs on 가다: 먹으러 갔어요.
How to attach it
| Stem type | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ends in a vowel | -러 | 보다 → 보러 가요 |
| Ends in a consonant | -으러 | 먹다 → 먹으러 가요 |
| Ends in ㄹ | -러 | 만들다 → 만들러 가요 |
| 하다 verbs | -러 | 공부하다 → 공부하러 가요 |
| Must be followed by | 가다, 오다, 다니다 | 나가다, 들어가다 also work |
| Tense goes on | the movement verb | 먹으러 갔어요 |
In use
점심을 먹으러 식당에 갔어요.
I went to a restaurant to have lunch.
친구를 만나러 카페에 가요.
I’m going to a cafe to meet a friend.
한국어를 배우러 한국에 왔어요.
I came to Korea to learn Korean.
책을 빌리러 도서관에 다녀요.
I go to the library to borrow books.
저녁을 만들러 집에 일찍 갔어요.
I went home early to cook dinner.
잠깐 바람 쐬러 나갈까요?
Shall we step out for some air?
Compared with
-(으)려고
-(으)러 needs a movement verb after it; -(으)려고 accepts any verb. When you are going somewhere, both work and -(으)러 is the more natural choice.
사러 갔어요. (went to buy) / 사려고 돈을 모았어요. (saved money in order to buy)
-기 위해서
The formal, written way of stating a purpose. It works with any verb and often takes an abstract goal rather than a physical errand.
밥을 먹으러 갔어요. (everyday) / 건강을 지키기 위해서 운동합니다. (formal)
-(으)로
A common pairing rather than a rival: -(으)러 gives the purpose and 에 or (으)로 gives the destination. Both can appear in the same sentence.
밥을 먹으러 식당에 갔어요. / 밥을 먹으러 그쪽으로 갔어요.
Watch out
한국어를 배우러 열심히 공부해요.
한국어를 배우려고 열심히 공부해요.
공부하다 is not a movement verb, so -(으)러 cannot introduce it. Switch to -(으)려고 whenever nobody is going anywhere.
저녁을 만들으러 집에 갔어요.
저녁을 만들러 집에 갔어요.
A stem ending in ㄹ takes the short form. The same applies to 팔러, 놀러, 살러.
밥을 먹었으러 갔어요.
밥을 먹으러 갔어요.
Tense never sits before -(으)러. The past goes on the movement verb at the end of the sentence.
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