-(으)ㄹ 때까지 Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

What you'll learn

• Attach -(으)ㄹ 때까지 to verbs and adjectives.
• Pick a main verb that fits: one that lasts, or one that is negated.
• Tell -(으)ㄹ 때까지 ("until") apart from -(으)ㄹ 때 ("when").
• Add 만 and 는, and ask 언제까지 ("until when").

Prerequisites: the polite ending -아요/어요 and the pattern -(으)ㄹ 때. Time: about 15 minutes.

Key facts

• -(으)ㄹ 때까지 means "until (the time when)".
• The form is stem + ㄹ 때까지 after a vowel (올 때까지) and stem + 을 때까지 after a final consonant (먹을 때까지).
• It is -(으)ㄹ 때 ("the time when") plus the particle 까지 ("until").
• The first clause keeps the -(으)ㄹ form. The main verb shows the tense.
• The main verb is usually an action that goes on, or a negative.

Listen to two model sentences.

The next section defines the pattern.

What Does -(으)ㄹ 때까지 Grammar Mean?

-(으)ㄹ 때까지 means "until (the time when)". It links an event to an action that continues up to that event. The pattern has three parts. The modifier ending -(으)ㄹ turns the verb into a describing word. The noun 때 means "time". The particle 까지 means "until" or "up to".

Think of a timeline. The main clause draws a line, and the first clause marks the point where the line ends. In 비가 그칠 때까지 기다릴게요, the waiting runs along the line, and the rain stopping is the end marker.

Here are two glossed examples.

Revised Romanization (RR) is the national system for writing Korean in the Latin alphabet. It is shown here only as a learning aid. RR writes tense consonants that appear in the spelling, so 때까지 is ttaekkaji. It does not show tensing caused by sound change, so it writes gidarilgeyo for [기다릴께요]. RR shows ㅎ aspiration in verbs, so 졸업할 is joreopal.

The next section shows how to build the form.

How Do You Form -(으)ㄹ 때까지?

Take the dictionary form, remove 다 to get the stem, and look at the last sound of the stem. The stem is the verb without its dictionary ending -다. For 먹다 the stem is 먹. Then add the same ending as for -(으)ㄹ 때, and finish with 까지.

The front half of the pattern is the same as -(으)ㄹ 때, so if you know that lesson, you only add 까지. The full set of modifier endings is on the Noun-Modifying Forms page.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

Vowel stems take ㄹ directly, and the ㄹ sits under the last syllable: 오 + ㄹ = 올, 기다리 + ㄹ = 기다릴. Verbs made with 하다 give 할: 도착하 + ㄹ = 도착할.

Stems Ending in a Consonant

Consonant stems take 을: 읽 + 을 = 읽을. The 을 is a helping syllable that keeps two consonants from piling up. After a stem that ends in ㄹ, you do not add it, because the ㄹ is already there.

Irregular Stems and Nouns

An irregular stem is one that changes its shape before an ending that begins with a vowel. -(으)ㄹ is built on 으, a vowel, so the usual changes appear.

A noun takes 까지 directly: 내일까지 ("until tomorrow"), 열 시까지 ("until ten o'clock"), 졸업까지 ("until graduation"). Use the verb pattern when the end point is an event: 졸업할 때까지.

The next section builds a full sentence.

Worked Example: Building 비가 그칠 때까지 기다릴게요

Say that you will wait until the rain stops. Follow five steps.

1. Write the end point. "The rain stops" is 비가 그쳐요 in the polite style.
2. Find the stem. The dictionary form is 그치다, so the stem is 그치.
3. Add ㄹ 때까지. The stem ends in a vowel, so 그치 + ㄹ 때까지 = 그칠 때까지. Take away the polite ending, because the ending belongs to the last verb only.
4. Write the main clause. "I will wait" is 기다릴게요. The ending -(으)ㄹ게요 is a promise or decision made now.
5. Join the two parts. 비가 그칠 때까지 기다릴게요.

You'll know it worked when the first verb ends in ㄹ 때까지 with nothing after it, and the polite ending appears only once, at the end. Try the same steps with "I'll study until class ends": 끝나다 gives 끝날 때까지, and 공부할게요 follows.

The next section covers tense and sentence types.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -(으)ㄹ 때까지?

The main verb shows the tense. The first clause stays in the -(으)ㄹ form, even when the whole sentence is about the past. This is the same logic as in -(으)ㄹ 때.

The past form is spoken [채글 일거써요]. You do not write 왔을 때까지 in a normal sentence. The -(으)ㄹ form is used even for something that already happened, because it names the end point, not the finished event.

The main verb can be positive or negative, and the meaning changes with it.

With a negative, the sentence says the action did not start until that point. That is why 안 잤어요 often means "I stayed up". The spoken form of the second row is [엄마가 도라올 때까지 안 자써요].

After -(으)ㄹ 때까지, every sentence type is possible.

Yes/no questions usually end with a rise. A wh-question puts the stress on the question word and often ends with a fall or a rise-fall, rather than a sharp final rise.

The next section compares -(으)ㄹ 때까지 with similar patterns.

How Is -(으)ㄹ 때까지 Different from -(으)ㄹ 때?

The two patterns look almost the same, but the extra 까지 changes the job. -(으)ㄹ 때 names one moment. -(으)ㄹ 때까지 names the end of a stretch.

The 후에 pattern says what happens after the event. The 때까지 pattern says what goes on before it. Together they give a full timeline: 비가 그칠 때까지 기다렸고, 그친 후에 나갔어요 ("I waited until the rain stopped, and I went out after it stopped").

Until or By?

The particle 까지 covers both "until" and "by". The meaning depends on the main verb. With a verb that lasts, such as 기다리다 or 일하다, it means "until": 올 때까지 기다려요. With a verb that happens in a moment, such as 끝내다 or 보내다, it means "by the time": 도착할 때까지 숙제를 끝내세요 means "Finish your homework by the time you arrive."

The next section covers add-ons and edge cases.

Variations and Edge Cases of -(으)ㄹ 때까지

때까지만: Only Until

Add 만 for "only until" or "just until". 비가 그칠 때까지만 기다릴게요 means "I will wait only until the rain stops." It sets a limit.

때까지는: as for the Period Until

Add 는 to contrast the period with other times. 졸업할 때까지는 괜찮아요 means "Until I graduate, it is fine (but after that, I'm not sure)."

때까지 계속: Continuously Until

Put 계속 ("continuously") in the main clause to stress that the action never stops until that point: 졸업할 때까지 계속 일할 거예요.

언제까지: until When

The question word 언제 ("when") plus 까지 asks for an end point: 언제까지 기다려요? The answer can be a noun (내일까지) or a verb phrase (비가 그칠 때까지). In the question, 언제까지 takes the stress, and the sentence often ends with a fall or a rise-fall.

때까지 vs 까지 with a Noun

Use 까지 alone after a noun of time: 열 시까지, 금요일까지. Use 때까지 after a verb or an adjective: 끝날 때까지, 졸릴 때까지.

The next section lists the mistakes that appear most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -(으)ㄹ 때까지?

Learners make six predictable mistakes. Each has a reason and a fix.

Learners often use the past modifier. Wrong: 비가 그친 때까지 기다렸어요. Right: 비가 그칠 때까지 기다렸어요. Fix: use the -(으)ㄹ form even for a past sentence. The tense is on 기다렸어요.

Learners often drop the space. Wrong: 올때까지, 먹을때까지. Right: 올 때까지, 먹을 때까지. Fix: 때 is a noun and stands alone.

Learners often attach 까지 straight to a verb. Wrong: 기다리까지, 먹까지. Right: 기다릴 때까지, 먹을 때까지. Fix: the particle 까지 follows a noun. A verb must first become a noun phrase with 때.

Learners often use "when" where "until" is needed. Wrong: 졸릴 때 안 잤어요 when you mean "I didn't sleep until I got sleepy". Right: 졸릴 때까지 안 잤어요. Fix: 때 gives the moment; 때까지 gives the limit.

Learners often misread the negative. Wrong: 엄마가 올 때까지 안 잤어요 understood as "I slept until Mom came". Right: it means "I did not sleep until Mom came". Fix: 안 applies to the main verb, so it flips the meaning.

Learners often use a verb for a single moment and expect "until". Odd: 비가 그칠 때까지 나갔어요 (understood as "I went out by the time it stopped"). Better: 비가 그칠 때까지 안 나갔어요 ("I didn't go out until the rain stopped") or 비가 그칠 때까지 기다렸어요. Fix: for "until", choose a verb that lasts, or negate the one-time verb.

The next section gives you practice.

Practice and Answers

Do the four tasks, then compare with the key.

Task 1: add -(으)ㄹ 때까지. Write the "until" form of each verb.

1. 오다 (come)
2. 먹다 (eat)
3. 끝나다 (end)
4. 듣다 (listen)
5. 만들다 (make)

Task 2: join the sentences with -(으)ㄹ 때까지. Write one sentence for each pair.

1. 친구가 와요. / 기다려요.
2. 수업이 끝나요. / 조용히 해요.
3. 졸업해요. / 이 카페에서 일해요.

Task 3: fix the error. Each sentence has one mistake. Rewrite it correctly.

1. 올때까지 기다릴게요.
2. 비가 그친 때까지 기다렸어요.
3. 친구가 오까지 기다릴게요.

Task 4: write your own. Write one sentence about what you do until class ends, and one about what you won't do until you finish your homework.

Answer key

1. (1) 올 때까지 (2) 먹을 때까지 (3) 끝날 때까지 (4) 들을 때까지 (5) 만들 때까지
2. (1) 친구가 올 때까지 기다려요. (2) 수업이 끝날 때까지 조용히 해요. (3) 졸업할 때까지 이 카페에서 일해요.
3. (1) 올 때까지 기다릴게요. (2) 비가 그칠 때까지 기다렸어요. (3) 친구가 올 때까지 기다릴게요.
4. Sample answers: 수업이 끝날 때까지 메모를 해요. 숙제를 끝낼 때까지 게임을 안 할 거예요. Any pair is correct if each end point ends in ㄹ 때까지 or 을 때까지 with a space before 때.

If task 1 was correct, you have the formation rule. If task 3 was hard, check the space before 때 and whether you left a bare verb in front of 까지. The next section points you to what comes after this lesson.

What Should You Learn after -(으)ㄹ 때까지 Grammar?

After -(으)ㄹ 때까지, review -(으)ㄹ 때 to compare "when" and "until". Then learn -(으)ㄴ 후에 for "after", and -(으)ㄴ 지 to say how long it has been since something happened.

For a wider view, the parent page Time and Sequence lists every time connector in this group. To plan by level, use Beginner Grammar.

This lesson shows -(으)ㄹ 때까지 with polite-style endings; the pattern itself is the same in every speech style, because the style comes from the last verb. It does not cover every written variation. About this page. Last updated 2026-10-09. Revised Romanization follows the national rules and is shown only as a learning aid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does -(으)ㄹ 때까지 Mean?

-(으)ㄹ 때까지 means "until (the time when)". It links an event to an action that goes on up to that event. 비가 그칠 때까지 기다릴게요 means "I will wait until the rain stops." It is built from -(으)ㄹ 때, "the time when", plus the particle 까지, "until".

How Do I Attach -(으)ㄹ 때까지 to a Verb or Adjective?

Remove 다 to get the stem. After a vowel, add ㄹ 때까지: 오다 becomes 올 때까지. After a final consonant, add 을 때까지: 먹다 becomes 먹을 때까지. An ㄹ stem keeps its ㄹ: 살 때까지. Use verbs for most sentences. A noun takes 까지 directly: 내일까지.

Can -(으)ㄹ 때까지 Be Used in the past Tense?

Yes, through the main verb. 비가 그칠 때까지 기다렸어요 means "I waited until the rain stopped." The first clause keeps the same -(으)ㄹ form, so you do not write 그쳤을 때까지 in a normal sentence. The final verb carries the past tense, and it is the only place where tense is shown.

Is -(으)ㄹ 때까지 Used in Speech or Only in Writing?

It is used in both and is very common in everyday talk, signs and instructions. You will hear it in requests such as 제가 올 때까지 기다리세요. Adding 만 gives "only until", and adding 는 contrasts the period with other times. It works with every speech style, since the final verb sets the style.

What Is the Most Common Mistake with -(으)ㄹ 때까지?

Learners use the past form -(으)ㄴ 때까지 or attach 까지 straight to a verb, as in 기다리까지. Write 기다릴 때까지, with the -(으)ㄹ form and a space before 때. Another slip is using a main verb that happens in one moment, when the sentence needs an action that lasts.

What Is the Difference between -(으)ㄹ 때까지 and -(으)ㄹ 때?

-(으)ㄹ 때 means "when" and names a moment. -(으)ㄹ 때까지 means "until" and names an end point for a stretch of time. 졸릴 때 자요 is "I sleep when I am sleepy". 졸릴 때까지 안 자요 is "I don't sleep until I get sleepy". The extra 까지 turns a moment into a limit.