러/으러 (purpose with motion) - In Order To (Go/Come)

Think of -(으)러 as a connector. It sits right in the middle of two actions. The first action is your objective—the thing you actually want to do. The second action is the movement—the literal act of going, coming, or attending. You can't just use this with any random verb at the end. It’s a very exclusive club! The final verb must be a motion verb like 가다 (to go), 오다 (to come), or 다니다 (to attend/frequent). If you aren't moving, you aren't using -(으)러. It’s like a grammar traffic light that only turns green when you’re in a vehicle or on foot. You use it to answer the question "Why are you going there?" and "What is the point of this trip?" It's simple, elegant, and incredibly common in daily life. Even native speakers use this hundreds of times a day without thinking twice.

1. 1Getting this right is all about the final letter of your verb stem. It’s a bit like matching your socks before you leave the house. Follow these three easy steps:
2. 2Identify the verb stem of your goal. (Remove 다 from the dictionary form).
3. 3Look at the last character of the stem.
4. 4Attach the correct ending based on these rules:
5. 5If the stem ends in a vowel, just add 러. For example, 사다 (to buy) becomes 사러. You're ready to hit the shops!
6. 6If the stem ends in a consonant (except ㄹ), add 으러. For example, 먹다 (to eat) becomes 먹으러. Time for lunch!
7. 7The ㄹ Exception: If the stem ends in ㄹ, you just add 러. For example, 만들다 (to make) becomes 만들러. Don't let that extra 으 sneak in there; it’s a common party crasher!
8. 8Here is a quick look at the logic:
9. 9가다 (go) -> 가 + 러 -> 가러 (Wait, this sounds weird because you'd say 가러 가다. Usually, we use a different verb for the goal! Let's try 보다 (see) -> 보러 가요.)
10. 10읽다 (read) -> 읽 + 으러 -> 읽으러 가요 (To the library!)
11. 11놀다 (play/hang out) -> 놀 + 러 -> 놀러 왔어요 (I came to hang out!)

You’ll reach for this pattern whenever you’re in transit. Imagine you’re at a busy subway station in Gangnam. Someone asks where you’re headed. You can say 친구 만나러 가요 (I'm going to meet a friend). It’s perfect for real-world scenarios!

• Ordering Food: 피자 먹으러 왔어요 (I came to eat pizza).
• Asking Directions: 우표 사러 어디로 가야 돼요? (Where should I go to buy stamps?).
• Job Interviews: 면접 보러 회사에 왔습니다 (I came to the company to have an interview).
• Daily Errands: 돈 찾으러 은행에 가요 (I'm going to the bank to get some money).

It’s conversational and friendly. It tells people you have a plan. It’s much better than just saying "I'm going to the bank. I will get money."

This is where things get a little tricky! Remember that exclusive club we mentioned? If your final verb isn't about movement, -(으)러 is a no-go. You can't say 커피 마시러 좋아해요. That’s like saying "To drink coffee I like it." It makes zero sense! If you want to say you like drinking coffee, use a different pattern. Also, you cannot use adjectives with this rule. You can't "go to be pretty" or "come to be tall" using -(으)러. It has to be an action you are performing. Another thing: don't put the past tense on the -(으)러 part. Always keep the purpose verb in its base form. Only the final motion verb gets the tense. So, 먹으러 갔어요 is perfect, but 먹었으러 가요 is a grammar disaster! Keep it simple and keep the tense at the very end.

One of the biggest face-palm moments for learners is forgetting the ㄹ exception. If you say 만들으러, a native speaker will understand you, but they’ll know you’re still wrestling with the basics. It's 만들러. Think of the ㄹ as being strong enough to carry the 러 on its own without needing the 으 helper. Another common slip-up is using -(으)러 when you aren't actually going anywhere. If you are sitting on your couch and want to say "I'm studying to pass the exam," you shouldn't use -(으)러 because there's no 가다 or 오다 involved. In that case, you’d use -(으)려고. Think of -(으)러 as a literal physical trip. If your feet (or a bus) aren't moving, leave this rule in your pocket for later. Yes, even native speakers mess this up when they are tired, but you've got this!

You might be thinking, "Wait, isn't there another way to say 'in order to'?" Yes, there is! The most common rival is -(으)려고. Here is the secret: -(으)려고 is the big boss. It can be used with almost *any* verb at the end. You can say 살 빼려고 운동해요 (I exercise to lose weight). But -(으)러 is the specialist. It *only* works with motion verbs.

• -(으)러: Specific to 가다/오다. Purpose of a trip.
• -(으)려고: General purpose. Can be used while sitting still.

Another difference is that -(으)러 is much more comfortable with commands and suggestions. You can say 밥 먹으러 가자! (Let's go eat!). While -(으)려고 is often restricted in those types of sentences in formal grammar. Think of -(으)러 as your go-to for social plans and quick trips.