Overview
The particle (으)로 is one of the most versatile particles in Korean. It expresses direction, method/means, material/ingredient, language/medium, and more. English requires different prepositions for each meaning -- "to," "by," "with," "in," "into" -- but Korean uses a single particle for all of them.
Understanding (으)로 and its various functions will significantly expand your ability to express yourself in Korean.
Form: Choosing 으로 vs 로
The choice depends on the final consonant (받침) of the preceding noun:
| Condition | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| After a vowel (no 받침) | 로 | 버스 → 버스로 |
| After ㄹ 받침 | 로 | 서울 → 서울로 |
| After any other consonant | 으로 | 왼쪽 → 왼쪽으로 |
Key exception: Nouns ending in ㄹ take 로, not 으로. This is because ㄹ and 으로 would create an awkward double consonant cluster.
Form examples:
| Noun | Ends in | Particle | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 버스 (bus) | vowel ㅡ | 로 | 버스로 |
| 택시 (taxi) | vowel ㅣ | 로 | 택시로 |
| 서울 (Seoul) | ㄹ | 로 | 서울로 |
| 연필 (pencil) | ㄹ | 로 | 연필로 |
| 왼쪽 (left) | ㄱ | 으로 | 왼쪽으로 |
| 비행기 (airplane) | vowel ㅣ | 로 | 비행기로 |
| 나무 (wood) | vowel ㅜ | 로 | 나무로 |
| 숟가락 (spoon) | ㄱ | 으로 | 숟가락으로 |
Function 1: Direction
(으)로 marks the direction of movement. It answers "which way?" or "toward where?" rather than pinpointing a final destination.
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 오른쪽으로 가세요. | oreunjjogeuro gaseyo. | Go to the right. |
| 왼쪽으로 도세요. | oenjjogeuro doseyo. | Turn to the left. |
| 이쪽으로 오세요. | ijjogeuro oseyo. | Come this way. |
| 서울로 이사했어요. | seoullro isahhaesseoyo. | I moved to Seoul. |
| 출구로 나가세요. | chulguro nagaseyo. | Please exit through the exit. |
(으)로 vs 에 for direction
Both can indicate destination, but with a nuance difference:
| Particle | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 에 | Specific final destination | 학교에 가요. (I go to school -- the endpoint.) |
| (으)로 | Direction / general heading | 학교로 가요. (I head toward school -- the direction.) |
In daily speech, they are often interchangeable for destinations. However, (으)로 is preferred for directions (left, right, this way) and when the emphasis is on the path rather than the arrival point.
Function 2: Means of Transportation
(으)로 expresses how you travel -- "by" in English:
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 버스로 가요. | beoseuro gayo. | I go by bus. |
| 지하철로 출근해요. | jihacheollo chulgeunhaeyo. | I commute by subway. |
| 비행기로 여행해요. | bihaenggiro yeohaenghaeyo. | I travel by airplane. |
| 택시로 왔어요. | taeksiro wasseoyo. | I came by taxi. |
| 자전거로 학교에 가요. | jajeongeoero hakgyoe gayo. | I go to school by bicycle. |
| 걸어서 가요. | georeoeseo gayo. | I go on foot. |
Note: "On foot" uses a different construction: 걸어서 (by walking), not 발로.
Function 3: Tool or Instrument
(으)로 marks the tool or instrument used to perform an action:
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 젓가락으로 먹어요. | jeotgarageuro meogeoyo. | I eat with chopsticks. |
| 연필로 써요. | yeonpilro sseoyo. | I write with a pencil. |
| 칼로 잘라요. | kallo jallayo. | I cut with a knife. |
| 손으로 만들었어요. | soneuro mandeureosseoyo. | I made it by hand. |
| 눈으로 직접 봤어요. | nuneuro jikjeop bwasseoyo. | I saw it with my own eyes. |
This usage overlaps with the instrumental particle function. See the dedicated instrumental particle lesson for more detail.
Function 4: Material or Ingredient
(으)로 indicates what something is made of or made from:
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 나무로 만들었어요. | namuro mandeureosseoyo. | It was made of wood. |
| 쌀로 떡을 만들어요. | ssallo tteogeul mandeureoyo. | I make rice cakes from rice. |
| 밀가루로 빵을 만들어요. | milgaruro ppangeul mandeureoyo. | I make bread from flour. |
| 종이로 접었어요. | jongiro jeobeosseoyo. | I folded it with paper. |
| 금으로 만든 반지예요. | geumeuro mandeun banjiyeyo. | It's a ring made of gold. |
Function 5: Language or Medium
(으)로 specifies the language or medium used:
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 한국어로 말해 주세요. | hangugeoero malhae juseyo. | Please speak in Korean. |
| 영어로 번역했어요. | yeongeoro beonyeokhaesseoyo. | I translated it into English. |
| 한국어로 이메일을 썼어요. | hangugeoero imeilreul sseosseoyo. | I wrote the email in Korean. |
Function 6: Reason or Cause
(으)로 can express a reason or cause, often translated as "because of" or "due to":
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 감기로 회사에 못 갔어요. | gamgiro hoesae mot gasseoyo. | I couldn't go to work due to a cold. |
| 사고로 길이 막혀요. | sagoro giri makyeoyo. | The road is blocked due to an accident. |
| 비로 경기가 취소됐어요. | biro gyeonggiga chwisoedwaesseoyo. | The game was canceled because of rain. |
Function 7: Change or Transformation
(으)로 marks what something changes into or is selected as:
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 의사로 일해요. | uisaro ilhaeyo. | I work as a doctor. |
| 회장으로 선출됐어요. | hoejangeuro seonchuldwaesseoyo. | I was elected as president. |
| 커피로 바꿔 주세요. | keopiro bakkwo juseyo. | Please change it to coffee. |
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Correction | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 서울으로 갔어요. | 서울로 갔어요. | 서울 ends in ㄹ, use 로 not 으로 |
| 발로 걸어가요. | 걸어서 가요. | "On foot" uses 걸어서, not 발로 |
| 버스에 가요. (by bus) | 버스로 가요. | Means of transport uses (으)로 |
| 한국어에 말해요. | 한국어로 말해요. | Language medium uses (으)로 |
Summary
- (으)로 is a multi-purpose particle covering direction, means, material, language, reason, and transformation.
- Use 로 after vowels and ㄹ; use 으로 after all other consonants.
- For direction, (으)로 emphasizes the path or heading, while 에 emphasizes the destination.
- For transportation, always use (으)로: 버스로, 지하철로, 비행기로.
- For materials, (으)로 means "made of/from": 나무로 만들었어요.
- For language, (으)로 means "in (a language)": 한국어로 말해요.