-(으)러 가다/오다

(eu)reo

Grammar · 1 sense

go/come in order to do something

Examples

친구를 만나러 시내에 갔어요.

I went into town to meet a friend.

점심 먹으러 나갈까요?

Shall we go out to have lunch?

When you'd hear it

This is common in everyday speech and neutral writing when describing going or coming somewhere for a purpose. Learners often hear it in plans, invitations, and dialogue such as 도서관에 책 빌리러 가요.

What learners get wrong

Purpose attached to a journey: -러 after a vowel or ㄹ, -으러 after a consonant. It only works with verbs of motion - 가다, 오다, 다니다 - so 밥을 먹으러 공부해요 is nonsense. Compare -(으)려고, which takes any main verb but cannot head a request.

You looked up -(으)러 가다/오다 — Ipsae makes sure you still know it in three weeks.

No account needed to try.