-더니 in Korean: “and then (I saw), but now”

-더니 (-deoni) links something you saw or experienced in the past to what came after it, like "and then" or "but now". It is used when you are reporting what you noticed, often a change, a contrast or a result.

How to form it

How to use it

Plain -더니 describes something you watched happen, usually to someone else or to the weather, and then what followed: a change ("it was cold, but now it's warm"), the next thing they did, or a result ("she practiced hard, and she won").

Because it is based on what you observed, plain -더니 is not usually used for your own actions. For yourself, use -았/었더니: "I did A, and I found B". 약을 먹었더니 나았어요 (I took the medicine and got better).

The second part tells what happened or what you discovered, so it is not followed by commands or suggestions. You can use it in casual or polite speech; the final ending sets the politeness.

Examples

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Don’t mix it up with

-다가: Means you stopped or switched in the middle of doing something, and the person is the same. -더니 reports a change or result you noticed afterward.

-더라(고요): Ends a sentence to share something you noticed. -더니 does the same kind of noticing but links it to what came next.

Common mistakes

Using plain -더니 for your own action: 제가 공부하더니 합격했어요 sounds odd. Say 제가 열심히 공부했더니 합격했어요.