Key Facts
- Word: 뒤 (dwi)
- Part of speech: noun (location word); origin: native Korean
- Meaning: behind, back (position), after
- Register: neutral; as a place noun it takes 에 for location or 로 for direction
Behind in Korean: Meaning and Register
뒤 is a location word, a noun for the space behind something. It has three senses: behind, the back position, and after. The last one is a time use, as in the third example. In a full location sentence, use 에 after 뒤; for direction, use 로. In short answers and casual speech, particles can be left out when the meaning is clear.
Pronunciation
RR dwi, one syllable. Start with the rounded w glide and end on a clear i: dwi, not "dee". With 에 it reads dwi-e, as in all three examples.
Example Sentences
은행은 우체국 뒤에 있어요.
Eunhaengeun ucheguk dwie isseoyo.
The bank is behind the post office.
The sentence fixes a building by naming a landmark. 우체국 뒤에 means behind the post office, and 있어요 says the bank is there.
제 뒤에 앉으세요.
Je dwie anjeuseyo.
Please sit behind me.
제 뒤에 means behind me, with the possessive 제. 앉으세요 is the polite request to sit.
수업 뒤에 도서관에 가요.
Sueop dwie doseogwane gayo.
I go to the library after class.
Here 뒤 is about time, not space: 수업 뒤에 is after class. The same noun and particle work in both worlds.
Reading the Examples Together
In all three examples the noun before 뒤 changes, a building, a person, an event, while 에 stays the same. To move toward the back instead of being there, switch to 로, as in 뒤로 가다.
Collocations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 뒤에 | behind / afterwards |
| 건물 뒤 | behind the building |
| 뒤로 가다 | to go backward |
뒤에 can mean behind or afterwards, depending on the noun before it. 건물 뒤 is behind the building, and 뒤로 가다 is to go backward, where 로 shows direction.
Common Mistake
Learners drop the particle after 뒤.
Wrong: 학교 뒤 있어요.
Correct: 학교 뒤에 있어요 (It is behind the school). Because 뒤 is a noun, 있어요 needs 에 to mark the location.
뒤 vs 등 and 앞
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 뒤 | behind, back (position), after | This page's word: a position, not a body part |
| 등 | back (of body) | 등 is the back of the body; 뒤 is the position behind something. |
| 앞 | front | 앞 is the opposite position. |
등 is the back of the body, while 뒤 is the position behind something. 앞 is the opposite position, the front. If you want to say behind someone, use 뒤; if you mean the back that hurts, use 등.
Finding the Parking Entrance
A visitor can see the front of a building but needs its parking lot. The staff member sends them around to the back.
Visitor
주차장이 어디에 있어요?
Juchajangi eodie isseoyo?
Where is the parking lot?
Staff member
건물 뒤에 있어요.
Geonmul dwie isseoyo.
It is behind the building.
Visitor
뒤로 돌아가면 돼요?
Dwiro doragamyeon dwaeyo?
Should I go around to the back?
Staff member
네. 입구도 뒤에 있어요.
Ne. Ipgudo dwie isseoyo.
Yes. The entrance is at the back too.
건물 뒤에 names a location. 뒤로 돌아가다 describes going around to the back, so 로 gives the direction of movement. 입구도 means “the entrance too”; 도 adds the entrance to the parking lot already mentioned. The reply confirms that both are at the back.
How Do You Keep the Reference Point Clear?
제 뒤에 means behind me; 건물 뒤에 means behind the building. These can point to different places even when you are standing beside that building. On a map, establish which side counts as the building's front before treating its rear as a direction. 뒤 does not mean north or south.
In a queue, 제 뒤 names the space behind the speaker. In a classroom, 제 뒤에 앉으세요 places a seat behind the speaker's seat. The reference point comes before 뒤, so changing that noun changes the position. A person turning around does not move the building's front entrance.
뒤쪽 means the rear area or back side. You may hear it when someone gives a less exact position, such as the back part of a room. 맨 뒤 means the very back or last position. In a row of seats, 맨 뒤 narrows the choice to the backmost row rather than simply somewhere behind another person.
When Does 뒤 Refer to Time?
잠시 뒤 means “a little later”. You will hear it in announcements or when someone says an event will begin shortly. There is no physical object to stand behind: the short interval makes the phrase about time. 식사 뒤 means “after a meal”, with 식사 supplying the event that comes first.
뒤에 봐요 can mean “see you later”. The time and setting establish that meaning; a speaker saying 뒤에 있어요 while looking for a bag is instead locating an object behind something. Read the phrase together with its verb and the surrounding situation.
뒤를 돌아보다 literally means looking back. In a story or reflection it can also mean thinking back over the past. A person can “look back” on an experience without physically turning. The action and the topic tell you whether the phrase is literal.
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 뒤쪽 | rear / back side | Points to the general area at the back. |
| 맨 뒤 | very back / last place | Useful for seats and queues. |
| 입구 | entrance | Often paired with a position when giving directions. |
| 주차장 | parking lot | A common destination behind a building. |
The directions and position lesson teaches 뒤 alongside 앞 and other reference positions. These words locate a place relative to something you can identify.
Quick Self-Test
- Which points toward the back: 뒤에 or 뒤로?
- Does 잠시 뒤 describe a physical location?
- Which means your body part: 등 or 뒤?
Show answers
- 뒤로. 뒤에 states a location or a time after something.
- No. It means a little later.
- 등. 제 뒤 means behind me.
FAQ
Why Do I Need 에 after 뒤?
뒤 is a place noun. Use 에 to mark its location in a full sentence. 우체국 뒤에 있어요 means it is behind the post office. You may hear 에 omitted in casual speech, but keeping it makes the location pattern clear.
Can 뒤 Mean After?
Yes. After an event, 뒤 refers to time: 수업 뒤에 도서관에 가요 means I go to the library after class. The particle 에 is the same as for location.
What Is the Difference between 뒤 and 등?
등 is the back of the body, the part that can hurt or itch. 뒤 is the position behind something, so 제 뒤에 means behind me, not on my back.
What Is the Opposite of 뒤?
The opposite is 앞, the front. Both words work the same way, so 건물 뒤 is behind the building and 건물 앞 is in front of it.
Keep Learning
- Theme list: Korean Directions Vocabulary, where 뒤 sits alongside related words.
- Index: Korean words A to Z
- Practice: vocabulary flashcard decks include 뒤.