Grammar
-을/를 따라
Meaning
Intermediate-eul/reul ttara
Attached to a noun, -을/를 따라 means 'along ~' or 'following ~' — used to describe movement along, or things arranged alongside, a river, road, coastline, or other line-shaped feature. It can also mean physically following a person (walking behind or trailing someone).
Form
Attach 을 따라 after a noun ending in a consonant, and 를 따라 after a noun ending in a vowel: 강을 따라 (along the river), 길을 따라 (along the road), 도로를 따라 (along the roadway). Commonly paired with movement verbs (가다, 걷다, 이어지다) or existence verbs (있다).
Examples
한강을 따라 여러 공원이 있습니다.
There are several parks along the Han River.
From: Hangang Park: Seoul's River Escape for Picnics and Ramen
선생님을 따라 교실로 들어갔다.
I followed the teacher into the classroom.
이 길을 따라 쭉 걸어가세요.
Walk straight along this road.
해안선을 따라 마을들이 있다.
Villages are located along the coastline.
Common mistakes & nuance
Don't confuse -을/를 따라 with -에 따라 (a completely different meaning). -을/를 따라 uses the object particle and describes a physical path or following someone; -에 따라 uses 에 and means 'according to/depending on' a rule, standard, or condition.
Similar grammar
- -에 따라
-을/를 따라 (physical: along a path, or following a person) and -에 따라 (abstract: according to/depending on a factor) look similar but are not interchangeable — the particle (을/를 vs 에) signals which meaning is intended.
- -에 따르면
-에 따르면 means 'according to (a stated source)' — used to introduce a quote, report, or survey (신문에 따르면 = 'according to the newspaper'). It shares the root verb 따르다 with -을/를 따라 but functions completely differently, as a way to cite information rather than describe movement.