Korean Particle 대로: As / According To

Means 'as' or 'according to.' Attached to nouns (약속대로 = as promised) or verb stems (하는 대로 = as one does).

The Rule

Means 'as' or 'according to.' Attached to nouns (약속대로 = as promised) or verb stems (하는 대로 = as one does). Particles are the backbone of Korean grammar. Unlike English, which relies on word order to show who does what, Korean uses small markers attached directly to nouns. 대로 is one of the most fundamental particles you'll encounter, and understanding it correctly will dramatically improve your Korean comprehension.

Why English Speakers Get It Wrong

English doesn't have particles like 대로. In English, word order and prepositions do the job — "I gave the book to him" uses position and "to" to clarify meaning. Korean particles attach directly to nouns and change the grammatical role, which feels alien at first. The biggest confusion comes from trying to translate particles one-to-one with English prepositions. 대로 doesn't map neatly to any single English word. Instead, think of it as a grammatical tag that tells you the noun's role in the sentence.

How It Works

Means 'as' or 'according to.' Attached to nouns (약속대로 = as promised) or verb stems (하는 대로 = as one does). 대로 attaches directly after a noun with no space. If the noun ends in a consonant (받침), the form may change — this is called "받침 sensitivity" and it's a pattern you'll see across Korean grammar. Pay attention to how native speakers use 대로 in real conversations. You'll start noticing patterns quickly.

Real Examples

• 약속대로 했어요. (yaksokdaero haeteoyo.) — "I did as promised." [Noun + 대로] • 보이는 대로 말해요. (boineun daero marhaeyo.) — "Say it as you see it." [Verb + 는 대로] • 너는 너대로, 나는 나대로. (neoneun neodaero, naneun nadaero.) — "You do your thing, I'll do mine." [Each in their own way]

Common Mistakes

❌ 약속에로 했어요. (yaksokero haeteoyo.) ✅ 약속대로 했어요. (yaksokdaero haeteoyo.) → 대로 attaches directly to the noun, no other particle in between.

Quick Tip

Practice by labeling objects around you with 대로. Say the noun + particle out loud until it feels natural. When reading Korean, circle every 대로 you see and ask yourself WHY it was used there — this active reading habit builds intuition faster than memorizing rules.

Remember: Means 'as' or 'according to.' Attached to nouns (약속대로 = as promised) or verb stems (하는 대로 = as one does).

Examples

약속대로 했어요. — yaksokdaero haeteoyo. — I did as promised.

보이는 대로 말해요. — boineun daero marhaeyo. — Say it as you see it.

너는 너대로, 나는 나대로. — neoneun neodaero, naneun nadaero. — You do your thing, I'll do mine.