-자마자
jamaja
Grammar · 1 sense
as soon as
Examples
비가 그치자마자 날씨가 추워졌다.
The weather got cold as soon as the rain stopped.
벨이 울리자마자 아이들은 방을 뛰쳐나갔다.
The children ran out of the room as soon as the bell rang.
When you'd hear it
-자마자 is neutral and common in both conversation and writing, including everyday speech, news, instructions, and workplace descriptions. It often appears when the second event follows immediately after the first.
What learners get wrong
Unlike -(으)면, -자마자 stresses that almost no time passes between the two events. Attach it directly to the verb stem, as in 도착하자마자, rather than adding a tense marker to the first clause.
Ask Ipsae about -자마자
You looked up -자마자 — Ipsae makes sure you still know it in three weeks.
No account needed to try.