N(으)로
1. - By Means of, By, With.
You may express “By,” “By means of,” or “With.” using (으)로 in Korean. You attach (으)로 to a tool, vehicle, instrument, or other item that you use.
나는 우리 집을 나무로 지었어요
(I built our house (by/using) out of woods
배로 제주에 갈 거예요
(I will go to Je-ju by boat)
저는 그것을 손으로 만들었어요
(I built that (using) my hands)
2. - attached to a noun, expresses a direction of locomotive verb that follows (으)로
저는 집으로 갈 거예요
(I will go in the direction of home)
Same as : 저는 집에 갈 거예요 (I will go home
(으)로 - is often added after ~쪽~ to make ~쪽으로~
~쪽~ can be added after some nouns and some direction words. Simply means " the direction of ______"
Ex.
저의 친구는 저 쪽으로 갔어요
( my friend went that way)
학생들은 교실 쪽으로 걸어요
(Students walk towards/in the direction of their class)
에 vs (으)로
에 also means “To” but 에 is to a specific destination while (으)로 is toward a general direction.
집에 가요? = Are you going home?
집으로 가요? = Are you going toward home?
You can often use sentences like these interchangeably. Other times the difference between “To a specific destination” and “Toward a location” matters.
(으)로 cannot be used with 있다 (“to exist”)
3. - it can also be used to indicate the language which something is spoken. The language act as a "tool" in which something was communicated
Ex.
저는 그 문장을 한국어로 말했어요
(I said that sentence (using) in Korea)
저는 그것을 영어로 할 거예요
(I will say that (using) in English)
4. - As, For
The particle (으)로 can also be used, similar to ‘as’ or ‘for’ in English, when expressing the function or capacity in which something is being used.
Ex.
저는 아침식사로 밥을 먹었어요
(I ate rice for breakfast)
저는 보통 점심식사로 과일만 먹었어요
(I usually only ate fruit for lunch)
이 방을 교실로 써요
They use this room as a classroom.
학생으로 한국에 있어요
He is in Korea as a student.
5. A Choice Among Many Options
You may express that something is chosen from many options with (으)로 in Korean. You attach (으)로 to the chosen option, noun.
Waiter: 무슨 맛으로 드릴까요? = What flavor would you like?
Guest 1: 딸기 맛으로 주세요. = Give me strawberry flavor please.
Guest 2: 오렌지 맛으로 주세요. = Give me orange flavor please.
6. Transformation or Change
You may express that something has transformed or changed with (으)로 in Korean. You attach (으)로 to the resultant noun.
비가 눈으로 변했어요.
The rain changed into snow.
탐이 부장님으로 고용됐어요.
Tom was hired as the manager.
혜란이가 예쁜 여자로 자랐어요.
Hyeran grew up to be a pretty woman.
어린 꼬마가 멋진 총각으로 성장했어요
The little boy grew up into a handsome man.
7. Cause or Reason for a Result
You may express a cause or reason for a result with (으)로 in Korean. You attach (으)로 to the cause or reason for the result.
김연아가 올림픽으로 유명해 졌어요.
Kim Yuna became famous because of the Olympics.
싸이가 Gangnam Style로 유명해 졌어요.
PSY became famous because of “Gangnam Style.”
8. Ordinals and Telling the Order
You may express the order in which something happened with (으)로 in Korean. You attach (으)로 to an ordinal.
저는 두 번째로 집에 갔어요.
I went home second.
저는 첫 번째로 먹을 거예요.
I will eat first.
저는 그것을 두 번째로 했어요
I did that second (I was the second person to do that)
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