⚡

The moment after (Abrupt): -기가 바쁘게

Build Order
8
Keywords
바쁘게
Lesson #
S
Done
Section
Advanced Grammar
⚡
TL;DR 🦄
  • ⚡ -기가 바쁘게 [-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge] means as soon as / immediately after / no sooner than, with an abrupt, rushed feeling.
  • 🏃 It says that Action B happens so quickly after Action A that there is barely a breath between them: 도착하기가 바쁘게 다시 나갔어요. [do-cha-ka-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge da-si na-ga-sseo-yo] = They went out again immediately after arriving.
  • 🔍 Compared with -자마자, this pattern is more vivid and often suggests “A had barely happened before B already happened.”
🔊
🎧 Iru Helper Note — Use
Korean Helper Widgets
Korean Helper Widgets to hear 오기가 바쁘게, 끝나기가 바쁘게, 돌아서기 바쁘게, and 집에 오기가 바쁘게 잠자리에 들었어요. Listen for the compressed “no time wasted” rhythm. ⚡
 

🌈 The Big Picture

-기가 바쁘게 is advanced timing grammar for instant sequence.
 
It means:
 
As soon as A is completed, B happens immediately.
 
But unlike a plain “after,” it often feels rushed, abrupt, breathless, or almost too quick. The first action barely finishes before the next one starts.
 
  • 집에 오기가 바쁘게 잠자리에 들었어요.
      • [ji-be o-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge jam-ja-ri-e deu-reo-sseo-yo]
      As soon as I got home, I went to bed. 😴
  • 업무가 끝나기가 바쁘게 퇴근했어요.
      • [eom-mu-ga kkeut-na-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge toe-geun-hae-sseo-yo]
      I left work immediately after work ended. 💼
  • 아침을 먹고 돌아서기 바쁘게 점심 메뉴를 생각했어요.
      • [a-chi-meul meok-kko do-ra-seo-gi ba-ppeu-ge jeom-sim me-nyu-reul saeng-ga-kae-sseo-yo]
      No sooner had I finished breakfast than I started thinking about the lunch menu. 🍱
 
The word 바쁘다 means “busy,” so the grammar feels like the next action is busy rushing in before the first action can even settle down.

🎨 The Core 바쁘게 Family

1. V-기가 바쁘게

This is the main form. It attaches to an action verb stem.
  • 오다 → 오기가 바쁘게 [o-da → o-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge] — as soon as someone comes
  • 끝나다 → 끝나기가 바쁘게 [kkeut-na-da → kkeut-na-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge] — as soon as something ends
  • 도착하다 → 도착하기가 바쁘게 [do-cha-ka-da → do-cha-ka-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge] — as soon as someone arrives
  • 돌아서다 → 돌아서기가 바쁘게 [do-ra-seo-da → do-ra-seo-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge] — as soon as someone turns away
 

2. V-기 바쁘게

The subject marker 가 may be omitted in the shortened form -기 바쁘게. The meaning is the same.
  • 결혼하기 바쁘게 아이를 가졌어요.
      • [gyeol-ho-na-gi ba-ppeu-ge a-i-reul ga-jyeo-sseo-yo]
      They had a child right after getting married.
  • 도착하기 바쁘게 회의가 시작됐어요.
      • [do-cha-ka-gi ba-ppeu-ge hoe-ui-ga si-jak-dwae-sseo-yo]
      The meeting started as soon as I arrived.
 

3. Honorific -시- + 기가 바쁘게

When the first action is honorific, attach the grammar after -시-.
  • 도착하시기가 바쁘게 회의에 들어가셨어요.
      • [do-cha-ka-si-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge hoe-ui-e deu-reo-ga-syeo-sseo-yo]
      They entered the meeting immediately after arriving.
  • 말씀하시기가 바쁘게 모두 메모했어요.
      • [mal-sseum-ha-si-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge mo-du me-mo-hae-sseo-yo]
      Everyone took notes as soon as they spoke.

🛠️ How It Works in a Sentence

A happens → B immediately follows

  • 회의가 끝나기가 바쁘게 사람들이 밖으로 나갔어요.
      • [hoe-ui-ga kkeut-na-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge sa-ram-deu-ri ba-kkeu-ro na-ga-sseo-yo]
      As soon as the meeting ended, people went outside.
 

Arrival → immediate next action

  • 공항에 도착하기가 바쁘게 택시를 탔어요.
      • [gong-ha-nge do-cha-ka-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge taek-si-reul ta-sseo-yo]
      As soon as I arrived at the airport, I took a taxi.
 

Seeing/hearing → instant reaction

  • 그 소식을 듣기가 바쁘게 친구에게 전화했어요.
      • [geu so-si-geul deut-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge chin-gu-e-ge jeon-hwa-hae-sseo-yo]
      As soon as I heard the news, I called my friend.
 

A repeated “barely finished” feeling

  • 아이들은 숙제를 끝내기가 바쁘게 게임을 켰어요.
      • [a-i-deu-reun suk-je-reul kkeut-nae-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge ge-i-meul kyeo-sseo-yo]
      The children turned on the game immediately after finishing homework.
 
Notice: the first action is usually something that reaches a point of completion, then the second action follows right away.

🧩 General Formation Rule

Verb stem + 기가 바쁘게

No tense goes inside the first verb.
  • ✅ 집에 오기가 바쁘게 잤어요.
      • [ji-be o-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge ja-sseo-yo]
      I slept as soon as I got home.
  • ❌ 집에 왔기가 바쁘게 잤어요.
 

Verb stem + 기 바쁘게

The shorter form is also used.
  • ✅ 일이 끝나기 바쁘게 나갔어요.
      • [i-ri kkeut-na-gi ba-ppeu-ge na-ga-sseo-yo]
      I left immediately after work ended.
 

Good verbs for this pattern

Use verbs that can form a clear “right after” moment:
  • 오다 [o-da] — to come
  • 도착하다 [do-cha-ka-da] — to arrive
  • 끝나다 [kkeut-na-da] — to end
  • 끝내다 [kkeut-nae-da] — to finish
  • 돌아서다 [do-ra-seo-da] — to turn around / turn away
  • 듣다 [deut-tta] — to hear
  • 받다 [bat-tta] — to receive
  • 나오다 [na-o-da] — to come out
 

Less natural with adjectives

Because this pattern tracks actions/events in sequence, plain adjectives are usually not the best fit.
  • ❌ 예쁘기가 바쁘게 for “as soon as it is pretty”
  • ✅ 예뻐지기가 바쁘게 [ye-ppeo-ji-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge] — as soon as it became pretty (if the context truly needs a change event)

📚 Cross-check note

This pattern was cross-checked against the official learner dictionary connected to korean.go.kr. It explains -기가 바쁘게 as a pattern showing that the following event happens right away as soon as the preceding event finishes, and notes that it attaches after a verb or honorific -으시-. The same entry also lists -기 바쁘게 as an alternate form and points to -기가 무섭게 as a related expression. ✅
 
The advanced Korean grammar model also lists both 기가 바쁘게 and 기가 무섭게 as advanced expressions, which matches the nuance here: fast, compressed timing.

🪞 Synonym Alert

These patterns are close, but they do different jobs:
  • -자마자 — common neutral “as soon as / right after.”
      • 도착하자마자 전화했어요. [do-cha-ka-ja-ma-ja jeon-hwa-hae-sseo-yo] = I called as soon as I arrived.
  • -기가 바쁘게 — abrupt/rushed “as soon as A had barely happened.”
      • 도착하기가 바쁘게 다시 나갔어요. [do-cha-ka-gi-ga ba-ppeu-ge da-si na-ga-sseo-yo] = They went out again immediately after arriving.
  • -기가 무섭게 — vivid, almost startling “the moment / no sooner than.”
      • 문을 열기가 무섭게 고양이가 뛰어나왔어요. [mu-neul yeol-gi-ga mu-seop-kke go-yang-i-ga ttwi-eo-na-wa-sseo-yo] = The moment I opened the door, the cat ran out.
  • -(으)ㄴ/는 순간 — names the exact moment/instant.
      • 문을 여는 순간 알람이 울렸어요. [mu-neul yeo-neun sun-gan al-la-mi ul-lyeo-sseo-yo] = The moment I opened the door, the alarm rang.
  • -고 나서 — after doing; time gap may exist.
      • 숙제를 하고 나서 쉬었어요. [suk-je-reul ha-go na-seo swi-eo-sseo-yo] = I rested after doing homework.
  • -는 대로 — as soon as something happens, often with instructions/plans: “once/as soon as.”
      • 도착하는 대로 연락하세요. [do-cha-ka-neun dae-ro yeol-la-ka-se-yo] = Contact me as soon as you arrive.

⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge

  • ❌ 왔기가 바쁘게 → ✅ 오기가 바쁘게
      • No past tense inside the first verb.
  • ❌ 도착했기가 바쁘게 → ✅ 도착하기가 바쁘게
  • ❌ Treating it as “because I’m busy” → ✅ In this grammar, 바쁘게 marks fast sequence, not the reason “because busy.”
  • ❌ Using it for a long gap → ✅ Use it when B happens right after A.
  • ❌ Using it as a casual default for all “after” sentences → ✅ Use -고 나서 for general “after,” and -자마자 for neutral “as soon as.”
  • ⚠️ -기가 바쁘게 and -기가 무섭게 are close. 바쁘게 leans “rushed/abrupt,” while 무섭게 leans “vivid/startlingly immediate.”
 
⚡ Bottom line: -기가 바쁘게 is the “barely had time to finish A before B happened” pattern. Use it for quick exits, rushed next steps, instant reactions, and abrupt follow-up events.
 

Try this exercise

Instructions: Complete each sentence with the correct -기가 바쁘게 or -기 바쁘게 form. Read the sentence aloud, then check the Answer toggle.
1. 오다 → 집에 ＿＿＿＿ 잠자리에 들었어요.
[o-da → ji-be ＿＿＿＿ jam-ja-ri-e deu-reo-sseo-yo]
Answer
오기가 바쁘게 — As soon as I got home, I went to bed.
2. 끝나다 → 회의가 ＿＿＿＿ 사람들이 나갔어요.
[kkeut-na-da → hoe-ui-ga ＿＿＿＿ sa-ram-deu-ri na-ga-sseo-yo]
Answer
끝나기가 바쁘게.
3. 도착하다 → 회사에 ＿＿＿＿ 회의가 시작됐어요.
[do-cha-ka-da → hoe-sa-e ＿＿＿＿ hoe-ui-ga si-jak-dwae-sseo-yo]
Answer
도착하기가 바쁘게.
4. 듣다 → 그 소식을 ＿＿＿＿ 전화했어요.
[deut-tta → geu so-si-geul ＿＿＿＿ jeon-hwa-hae-sseo-yo]
Answer
듣기가 바쁘게.
5. Fix: ❌ 집에 왔기가 바쁘게 잤어요.
Answer
✅ 집에 오기가 바쁘게 잤어요.
6. Short form: 업무가 끝나＿＿＿＿ 퇴근했어요.
Answer
끝나기 바쁘게 — the 가 can be omitted.
7. Translate: “As soon as the movie ended, everyone stood up.”
Answer
영화가 끝나기가 바쁘게 모두 일어섰어요.
8. Choose the more neutral “as soon as”:
① -자마자 / ② -기가 바쁘게
Answer
① -자마자.
9. -기가 바쁘게 often feels:
Answer
Abrupt, rushed, and immediate.
10. Does 바쁘게 mean “because I am busy” here?
Answer
No. In this grammar, it marks fast sequence: “as soon as / immediately after.”
📚
Vocabulary Box
  • 잠자리에 들다 [jam-ja-ri-e deul-da] → to go to bed
  • 회의 [hoe-ui] → meeting
  • 도착하다 [do-cha-ka-da] → to arrive
  • 소식 [so-sik] → news
  • 퇴근하다 [toe-geun-ha-da] → to leave work
  • 영화 [yeong-hwa] → movie
  • 일어서다 [i-reo-seo-da] → to stand up
Tip 💡 If B rushes in right after A, -기가 바쁘게 may fit.
🚀
Want more reps? Keep going into the Practice Hub below for advanced fast-sequence training. ⚡
 
📦
🎯 Practice Hub — The moment after (Abrupt): -기가 바쁘게
 
Welcome to the fast-sequence sprint lane. ⚡ You’ll practice form building, abrupt follow-up actions, Korean-to-English timing nuance, and contrasts with -자마자, -기가 무섭게, 순간, and -고 나서.
 
🔊 Audio reminder: Use
Korean Helper Widgets
Korean Helper Widgets whenever you want to hear the rush from Action A into Action B.
 
📝 Instructions: Fill each blank, choose the best option, or translate the sentence. Then open the Answer toggle. Aim for the feeling: A barely finished → B immediately happened.
 

Exercise 1 — Form Builder 🔧

A. 오다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
오기가 바쁘게 / 오기 바쁘게.
B. 끝나다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
끝나기가 바쁘게 / 끝나기 바쁘게.
C. 도착하다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
도착하기가 바쁘게 / 도착하기 바쁘게.
D. 돌아서다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
돌아서기가 바쁘게 / 돌아서기 바쁘게.
E. 듣다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
듣기가 바쁘게 / 듣기 바쁘게.
F. 받다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
받기가 바쁘게 / 받기 바쁘게.
G. 나오다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
나오기가 바쁘게 / 나오기 바쁘게.
H. 시작하다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
시작하기가 바쁘게 / 시작하기 바쁘게.
I. 끝내다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
끝내기가 바쁘게 / 끝내기 바쁘게.
J. 도착하시다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
도착하시기가 바쁘게 / 도착하시기 바쁘게.
🔧
Form Box
  • Verb stem + 기가 바쁘게
  • Verb stem + 기 바쁘게
  • Honorific: -시기(가) 바쁘게
 
No past tense inside the first verb:
  • ✅ 오기가 바쁘게
  • ❌ 왔기가 바쁘게
 

Exercise 2 — Abrupt Follow-up Sentences 🏃

A. 집에 ＿＿＿＿ 잠자리에 들었어요. (come)
Answer
오기가 바쁘게.
B. 회의가 ＿＿＿＿ 팀원들이 밖으로 나갔어요. (end)
Answer
끝나기가 바쁘게.
C. 공항에 ＿＿＿＿ 택시를 탔어요. (arrive)
Answer
도착하기가 바쁘게.
D. 문을 ＿＿＿＿ 강아지가 뛰어나왔어요. (open)
Answer
열기가 바쁘게.
E. 소식을 ＿＿＿＿ 부모님께 전화했어요. (hear)
Answer
듣기가 바쁘게.
F. 월급을 ＿＿＿＿ 카드값을 냈어요. (receive)
Answer
받기가 바쁘게.
G. 수업이 ＿＿＿＿ 학생들이 질문을 했어요. (end)
Answer
끝나기가 바쁘게.
H. 가게 문이 ＿＿＿＿ 손님들이 들어왔어요. (open)
Answer
열리기가 바쁘게.
I. 시험지를 ＿＿＿＿ 학생들이 쓰기 시작했어요. (receive)
Answer
받기가 바쁘게.
J. 일을 ＿＿＿＿ 바로 집에 갔어요. (finish)
Answer
끝내기가 바쁘게.
🏃
Vocabulary Box
  • 잠자리에 들다 → to go to bed
  • 팀원 → team member
  • 공항 → airport
  • 뛰어나오다 → to run out
  • 부모님 → parents
  • 월급 → salary
  • 카드값 → credit card bill
  • 시험지 → exam paper
  • 바로 → right away
Tip 💡 The second event should feel immediate, not leisurely.
 

Exercise 3 — Translate into Korean ✍️

A. “As soon as I got home, I fell asleep.”
Answer
집에 오기가 바쁘게 잠들었어요.
B. “As soon as work ended, I left work.”
Answer
업무가 끝나기가 바쁘게 퇴근했어요.
C. “As soon as I arrived at the hotel, I unpacked.”
Answer
호텔에 도착하기가 바쁘게 짐을 풀었어요.
D. “No sooner had the sale started than people rushed in.”
Answer
세일이 시작하기가 바쁘게 사람들이 몰려왔어요.
E. “As soon as they heard the result, they cheered.”
Answer
결과를 듣기가 바쁘게 사람들이 환호했어요.
F. “As soon as I received the message, I replied.”
Answer
메시지를 받기가 바쁘게 답장했어요.
G. “As soon as class ended, the students ran out.”
Answer
수업이 끝나기가 바쁘게 학생들이 뛰어나갔어요.
H. “As soon as the door opened, customers came in.”
Answer
문이 열리기가 바쁘게 손님들이 들어왔어요.
I. “As soon as I finished breakfast, I thought about lunch.”
Answer
아침을 먹고 돌아서기 바쁘게 점심을 생각했어요.
J. “As soon as the announcement ended, questions poured in.”
Answer
안내가 끝나기가 바쁘게 질문이 쏟아졌어요.
✍️
Writing Tip
Use -기가 바쁘게 when English “as soon as” has a feeling of rushing, abruptness, or barely any gap.
 
Template:
A하기가 바쁘게 B했어요.
 

Exercise 4 — Choose the Best Timing Grammar 🧭

A. Neutral “as soon as I arrived”:
① 도착하자마자 / ② 도착하기가 바쁘게
Answer
① is more neutral. ② is more abrupt/rushed.
B. Abrupt: “I barely got home before I fell asleep.”
① 집에 오기가 바쁘게 잠들었어요.
② 집에 오고 나서 나중에 잤어요.
Answer
①.
C. Exact instant:
① 문을 여는 순간 알람이 울렸어요.
② 문을 열기 바쁘게 한 시간 동안 기다렸어요.
Answer
①.
D. General after with possible time gap:
① 식사하고 나서 산책했어요.
② 식사하기가 바쁘게 산책했어요.
Answer
①. Use -고 나서 for simple “after.”
E. Vivid, startling immediate sequence:
① -기가 무섭게 / ② 동안
Answer
① -기가 무섭게.
F. Rushed, abrupt immediate sequence:
① -기가 바쁘게 / ② -는 동안
Answer
① -기가 바쁘게.
G. “Once you arrive, contact me” instruction:
① 도착하는 대로 연락하세요.
② 도착하기가 바쁘게 연락하세요.
Answer
①. -는 대로 is natural for planned instructions.
H. “The moment class ended, students rushed out”:
① 수업이 끝나기가 바쁘게 학생들이 뛰어나갔어요.
② 수업이 끝났기가 바쁘게 학생들이 뛰어나갔어요.
Answer
①. No past tense inside the first verb.
I. Choose duration:
① 두 시간 동안 공부했어요.
② 두 시간 바쁘게 공부했어요.
Answer
① for “for/during two hours.”
J. -기가 바쁘게 emphasizes:
Answer
Immediate follow-up with a rushed or abrupt feeling.
🧭
Decision Box
  • neutral as soon as → -자마자
  • abrupt/rushed right after → -기가 바쁘게
  • vivid/startling right after → -기가 무섭게
  • exact instant → 순간
  • general after → -고 나서
  • instruction “once/as soon as” → -는 대로
 

Exercise 5 — Mixed Mastery + Pitfall Patrol 🛡️

A. Fix: ❌ 왔기가 바쁘게
Answer
✅ 오기가 바쁘게.
B. Fix: ❌ 도착했기가 바쁘게
Answer
✅ 도착하기가 바쁘게.
C. Fix: ❌ 끝났기가 바쁘게
Answer
✅ 끝나기가 바쁘게.
D. Does -기가 바쁘게 mean “because I’m busy”?
Answer
No. It means the next event happens immediately after the first.
E. Translate: “As soon as I heard the news, I left.”
Answer
소식을 듣기가 바쁘게 나갔어요.
F. Translate: “As soon as the meeting started, complaints came out.”
Answer
회의가 시작하기가 바쁘게 불만이 나왔어요.
G. Shorten 끝나기가 바쁘게.
Answer
끝나기 바쁘게.
H. Honorific: 오시다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
오시기가 바쁘게 / 오시기 바쁘게.
I. Choose better for a long time gap: -기가 바쁘게 / -고 나서
Answer
-고 나서.
J. Final tone check: -기가 바쁘게 usually feels:
Answer
Fast, abrupt, rushed, and immediate — A barely finishes before B happens.
🛡️
Final Check
  • 오다 → 오기가 바쁘게
  • 도착하다 → 도착하기가 바쁘게
  • 끝나다 → 끝나기가 바쁘게
  • 듣다 → 듣기가 바쁘게
  • 받다 → 받기가 바쁘게
  • optional short form → -기 바쁘게
Final Boss Rule 💡 No past tense inside the first verb. Put tense in the second clause: 집에 오기가 바쁘게 잤어요.
 
🎉 You finished the abrupt timing sprint. Now you can describe “no sooner than / as soon as” situations with 오기가 바쁘게, 끝나기가 바쁘게, 도착하기가 바쁘게, and 돌아서기 바쁘게. Fast-sequence Korean unlocked. ⚡✨