-(으)로: Particle (Direction/Means/Method)

Example Sentences#

민준: 오케이, 그럼 이번 주말엔 한강에서 자전거 타고 치맥 먹는 걸로!¹
Minjun: Okay, then this weekend, let’s ride bikes at the Han River and have chicken and beer!
- 걸로 is a contraction of 것으로, where 것 (thing) is a bound noun used with a modifier to nominalize the preceding clause, and the particle -으로 indicates method or means, marking a decision in this context. The verb 하다 (to do) and the propositive ending -자 (let’s) are implied but omitted in this casual, shortened form.
- Together, the full expression -는 걸로 하자 means ‘Let’s do it this way’ or ‘Let’s decide on this’.
앨리스: “여기서 어느 쪽으로 가야 할지 말씀해 주시겠어요?”²
Alice: “Would you please tell me which way I should go from here?”
- 쪽 means ‘side’ or ‘direction’.
- (으)로 is a particle indicating direction, meaning ‘towards’ or ‘to’.
얼마 지나지 않아 전쟁이 일어났고, 젊은이들이 군대로 갔습니다.³
Not long after, war broke out, and the young men went to the army.
- 군대 means ‘army’.
- 로 is a particle indicating direction, meaning ‘to’.
우리만의 이야기로⁴
As our own story
- 이야기 means ‘story’.
- 로 is a particle indicating role, status, or transformation, meaning ‘as’ in this context.
지수: 그치, 그 두 사람 다 상처가 많았는데, 그냥 옆에 있어 주는 것만으로도 힘이 되는 게 보여서 좋았어.⁵
Jisoo: Right, both of those people had many wounds, but it was good to see that just being by their side was enough to give them strength.
- 것 is a bound noun meaning ‘thing’, often used with modifiers to nominalize the preceding clause or phrase.
- 만 is a particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’.
- 으로 is an instrumental particle meaning ‘with’ or ‘by’.
- 도 is a particle meaning ‘even’ or ‘also’.
- -는 것만으로도 indicates that simply doing the action in the preceding clause alone is enough to produce the result mentioned in the following clause.
아마 실제로 십자가형을 당해야 하는 상황이 온다면, 저는 그것을 이겨낼 수 있을 것입니다.⁶
Perhaps if a situation were to come where I had to actually be crucified, I would be able to overcome it.
- 실제로 means ‘actually’ or ‘in reality.’ It is composed of 실제, meaning ‘reality’ or ‘actuality’, and the particle 로, which functions as an adverbial particle indicating manner or method.
포도가 너무 잘 익어서 가방에 넣을 수 없었기에, 맹인은 그 자리에서 라사로와 함께 포도를 나누어 먹기로 결심했다.⁷
The grapes were so ripe that they couldn’t be put in the bag, so the blind man decided to share them on the spot with Lazaro.
- 먹다 means ‘to eat’.
- -기 is a nominalizing suffix, turning the verb into a noun form.
- -로 is a particle indicating method or means, marking a decision in this context.
과학은 각자 다른 방향으로 나아가고 있으며, 지금까지는 우리에게 큰 해를 끼치지 않았습니다.⁸
Each science is progressing in different directions and has not caused us great harm until now.
- 방향 means ‘direction’.
- (으)로 is a particle indicating direction, meaning ‘towards’.
그들은 여자를 만지지 않기로 다짐했기 때문이다.⁹
They had promised not to touch a woman.
- 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
- -기 is a nominalizing suffix, turning the verb into a noun form.
- -로 is a particle indicating method or means, marking a decision in this context.
어느 저녁, 그는 오래된 나무 아래에서 쉬고 있을 때, 나뭇잎 사이로 신비한 목소리가 들려왔습니다.¹⁰
One evening, while he was resting under an old tree, he heard a mysterious voice through the leaves.
- 사이 means ‘between’.
- 로 is a particle indicating direction.
체셔 고양이: “그건 네가 어디로 가고 싶은지에 달려 있어,” 고양이가 말했다.²
Cheshire Cat: “That depends on where you want to go,” said the cat.
- 어디 means ‘where’.
- 로 is a particle indicating direction or destination, meaning ‘to’ or ‘towards’.
노인의 아들은 다리가 부러져 군대로 가지 않았습니다.³
The old man’s son did not go to the army because he broke his leg.
- 군대 means ‘army’.
- 로 is a particle indicating direction, meaning ‘to’.
그래서 더 현실적으로 느껴졌어.⁵
So it felt more realistic.
- 현실적 is composed of 현실 (reality) and the suffix -적, which turns a noun into a descriptive term meaning ‘relating to’ or ‘having the properties of’, thus meaning ‘realistic’.
- 으로 is a versatile particle with multiple uses. In this context, it’s functioning as an adverbial marker, indicating the manner or way in which something is done, similar to the ‘-ly’ suffix in English.
라사로는 속으로 웃음을 지으며, 맹인이 얼마나 영리한지 깨달았다.⁷
Lazaro smiled to himself, realizing how clever the blind man was.
- 속 means ‘inside’ or ‘within’, often used metaphorically to refer to internal thoughts or feelings.
- (으)로 is a particle that can indicate direction or means, in this context meaning ‘to oneself’ or ‘inwardly’.
그러나 언젠가 이 떨어져 있는 지식들이 모이면, 현실의 무서운 모습을 드러내고, 그 속에서 우리의 무서운 위치를 알게 되어 우리는 그 사실로 인해 미쳐버리거나 그 빛을 피해 새로운 어두운 시대의 평화와 안전 속으로 도망칠 것입니다.⁸
However, someday, if these separate pieces of knowledge come together, they will reveal the fearful reality, and in that, we will come to know our terrifying position and either go mad or flee into the peace and safety of a new dark age, avoiding the light.
- 사실 means ‘fact’.
- 로 is a versatile particle used to indicate direction, means, role, or cause.
“스님, 우리는 여자를 만지지 않기로 했는데, 어떻게 그 여자를 들어 건너셨습니까?”⁹
“We promised not to touch a woman. How could you carry her across the river?”
- 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
- -기 is a nominalizing suffix, turning the verb into a noun form.
- -로 is a particle indicating method or means, marking a decision in this context.
태양으로 변한 타로는 그의 빛을 세상의 모든 곳에 비췄습니다.¹⁰
Taro turned into the sun and shined his light everywhere in the world.
- 태양 means ‘sun’.
- (으)로 is a versatile particle used to indicate direction, means, role, or cause. In this context, it indicates status or capacity.
체셔 고양이: “그럼 어느 쪽으로 가든 상관없어,” 고양이가 말했다.²
Cheshire Cat: “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the cat.
- 쪽 means ‘side’ or ‘direction’.
- (으)로 is a particle indicating direction, meaning ‘towards’ or ‘to’.
바람이 불어와 그를 하늘로 날려버렸습니다.¹⁰
The wind blew and carried him away to the sky.
- 하늘 means ‘sky’.
- 로 is a particle indicating direction.
네가 원하는 쪽으로 가 봐.²
Go whichever way you want.
- 쪽 means ‘side’ or ‘direction’.
- (으)로 is a particle indicating direction, meaning ‘towards’ or ‘to’.

Sentence from A Fun Weekend Ahead. ↩
Sentence from Alice And The Cheshire Cat Story. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Sentence from Bad Luck Good Luck Story. ↩ ↩²
Sentence from Blue Breeze Song. ↩
Sentence from Exploring K Drama Favorites. ↩ ↩²
Sentence from Father Zossima Counsel Story. ↩
Sentence from Lazaro And The Blind Man. ↩ ↩²
Sentence from The Call Of Cthulhu Opening Story. ↩ ↩²
Sentence from The Girl At The River Story. ↩ ↩²
Sentence from The Stonecutter Journey Story. ↩ ↩² ↩³

Example Sentences#

Footnotes#