Meaning and Usage
"다음" means "next" or "following" and is used to indicate something that comes after the current one in time, order, or sequence. It is a very common word in everyday Korean.
Common Contexts
You will often see "다음" used with time expressions (like "다음 주" for "next week"), in queues or sequences ("다음 사람" for "next person"), or when referring to the next item or event.
Collocations and Patterns
- 다음 + noun: to indicate the next item or time (e.g., 다음 버스, 다음 날)
- 다음에: meaning "afterwards" or "next time" (e.g., 다음에 만나요 - "See you next time")
- 다음 주/달/년: next week/month/year
Register and Politeness
"다음" is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. It is often combined with polite verbs to form polite sentences.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "다음" with "다음에". "다음" is a noun meaning "next", while "다음에" is an adverbial phrase meaning "next time" or "afterwards". Make sure to use "다음에" when you want to say "next time" in a temporal sense.