4 · Linking clauses, further
So that, until: -도록
purpose and extent
-도록 says what an action is meant to make possible — or how far it goes.
The ending goes straight on the stem and never changes: 보이도록, 먹도록, 밤새도록. It is very often attached to a negative or to a form of “can”: 늦지 않도록, “so that … not be late”; 쉴 수 있도록, “so that … can rest”.
The first meaning is purpose: “so that”. Unlike -(으)려고, which states the subject's own intention, -도록 names the result an action is meant to bring about, and that result may concern somebody else: 아이가 잘 수 있도록 불을 껐어요, “I turned off the light so that the child could sleep”. And unlike -(으)려고, it is perfectly at home before a request: 감기에 걸리지 않도록 조심하세요.
The second meaning is extent: “until”, “to the point of”. 밤늦도록 일했어요 is “I worked until late at night”; 목이 쉬도록 응원했어요, “we cheered until we were hoarse”. It is the same idea seen from the other end — the action goes on until it reaches that point.
Finally, -도록 하다 turns into a polite instruction or a formal promise: 내일까지 제출하도록 하세요, “please make sure you hand it in by tomorrow”; 바로 확인하도록 하겠습니다, “I will look into it straight away”. English speakers mostly go wrong by using -(으)려고 where a request follows.
The form
| so that | 잘 보이도록 |
| so that … not | 늦지 않도록 |
| so that … can | 쉬실 수 있도록 |
| until, to the point of | 밤늦도록, 목이 아프도록 |
| make sure to (formal) | 제출하도록 하세요. |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
-도록 goes straight on the stem and names the result the action is meant to bring about.
뒤에 앉은 사람도 잘 보이도록 글씨를 크게 썼어요.I wrote in large letters so that the people at the back could see too.
With -지 않도록 it means “so that … not”, and the sentence may end in a request.
감기에 걸리지 않도록 따뜻하게 입으세요.Dress warmly so that you do not catch a cold.
Unlike -(으)려고, the clause before -도록 may have a different subject.
아이가 잘 수 있도록 불을 껐어요.I turned off the light so that the child could sleep.
With time or the body, it means “until” or “to the point of”.
어제는 밤늦도록 이야기를 했어요.Yesterday we talked until late at night.
-도록 하다 is a polite instruction or a formal promise.
내일까지 보고서를 내도록 하세요.Please make sure you hand in the report by tomorrow.
A closer look
-도록, -(으)려고 and -게
-(으)려고 looks from inside the subject's head: “I did it because I wanted to”. -도록 looks at the result: “I did it so that this would be the case”. That is why -도록 can have its own subject, can follow a negative easily and can stand before a request.
In relaxed speech, -게 often takes its place: 잘 보이게 크게 써 주세요 means the same as 잘 보이도록, a little less formally. In instructions, notices and anything written, -도록 is the normal choice.
How to spot it
- -도록
- -지 않도록
- -도록 하다
Example sentences
잊어버리지 않도록 메모해 두세요.Make a note so that you do not forget.
손님들이 편하게 쉬실 수 있도록 방을 준비했어요.We have prepared the room so that the guests can relax in comfort.
다음에는 이런 일이 없도록 조심하겠습니다.I will be careful so that this does not happen again.
목이 쉬도록 응원했어요.We cheered until we were hoarse.
사람들이 쉽게 찾도록 입구에 지도를 걸어 놓았어요.We hung a map at the entrance so that people could find their way easily.
밤새도록 게임을 했어요.I played games all night long.
7 more example sentences
아기가 깨지 않도록 조용히 말해 주세요.Please speak quietly so that the baby does not wake up.
누구나 이해할 수 있도록 쉽게 설명했어요.I explained it simply so that anyone could understand.
음식이 상하지 않도록 냉장고에 넣으세요.Put the food in the fridge so that it does not go off.
발표를 잘할 수 있도록 여러 번 연습했어요.I practised many times so that I could give a good presentation.
다리가 아프도록 걸었어요.We walked until our legs hurt.
손님이 기다리지 않도록 미리 준비해 놓았어요.I got everything ready in advance so that the guests would not have to wait.
수업에 늦지 않도록 하세요.Make sure you are not late for class.
Worth knowing (1)
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A formal promise
At work and in service, -도록 하겠습니다 is the standard way of promising an action: more modest than a plain “I will”, because it presents the action as something the speaker will see to.
바로 확인하도록 하겠습니다.I will look into it straight away.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
-(으)려고 reports somebody's own intention and cannot be followed by a request or a suggestion. When the sentence tells the listener what to do so that something will (or will not) happen, the ending is -도록.
Dorok aims at a result: so that it happens, or until it is reached.
Your turn
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