Korean word

곧장

Pronunciation

Romanizationkotjjang

Meaning

  • adverbright away

Example

회의가 끝나면 곧장 전화할게요.hoe ui ga kkeun na myeon kot jjang cheon hwa hal kke yo

I'll call you right away when the meeting ends.

Illustration for 곧장 (right away)

More examples

문이 열리자 손님들이 곧장 자리에 앉았다.mu ni yeol li ja son nim deu ri kot jjang cha ri e an jat tta

As soon as the door opened, the guests sat down right away.

Core concept

Something happens directly after a trigger, as though the path from one action to the next is unbroken.

Common phrases

  • 곧장 가다kot jjang ka da

    go right away

  • 곧장 시작하다kot jjang si ja ka da

    start right away

  • 곧장 돌아가다kot jjang to ra ga da

    go back right away

Similar words

바로paro: An action starts at once when a situation calls for it.
당장tangjang: An action must begin now because waiting is not acceptable.
곧kot: An event will happen soon, after only a short wait.
곧바로kotpparo: A new action or state begins as soon as an event occurs.

Definition in Korean

어떤 일이 끝난 직후나 계기가 생긴 뒤 망설임 없이 바로 이어서 행동함을 뜻하는 부사.eo tteon i ri kkeun nan chi ku na kye gi ga saeng gin twi mang seo rim eop ssi pa ro i eo seo haeng dong ha meul tteu ta neun pu sa

Word origin

No reliable decomposition or historical story is established for this adverb, and its modern meaning is learned from its use for acting without delay.

Usage tips

  • In plans and promises, this adverb highlights that the next action follows without an extra pause, which makes the speaker's intended sequence clear.

Other meanings

  • straightadverb
  • directlyadverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word