Korean grammar · Level 5
V-고서 · V-고서야 · V-고서는
And then · only after … · without … you can't — -고서 and its two strong forms
Taught in Level 5, Unit 5: Anna's application
advice about studying and writing keeps making the same two points — you only see the problem after you do X, and without X you can't do Y. -고서야 and -고서는 make those conditions sharp; -고서 is their plain base.
Example
직접 가르쳐 보고서야 선생님이 얼마나 힘든지 알았어요.
Only after I'd actually tried teaching did I realise how hard a teacher's job is.
The full explanation is in the unit · part of the Level 5 Pass, opening soon · Level 5, Unit 5
Practise it in context · Level 5, Unit 5
Anna's application
The rule with a table, Sori’s tips, practice that checks itself, a review room and a one-page cheat sheet.
See the unit preview →