Learn Korean: Korean Grammar 122: V-은 지/ㄴ 지

In this lesson, we're going to learn 'V-은 지/ㄴ 지.'

'한국어를 배운 지 1년 밖에 안 됐어요?

If you want to watch the lesson in Korean with English subtitles, please click the link below.

🎬 Korean Grammar 122: https://youtu.be/FifJYOZd89g

1. A short Conversation (1)

- 미소: 나나 씨는 한국에 언제 왔어요?

(Nana, when did you come to Korea?)

- 나나: 2019년 여름에 왔어요.

(I came in the summer of 2019.)

- 미소: 그럼 이제 한국에 온 지 2년이 됐네요. 한국 생활 좀 익숙해졌어요?

(So it's been two years since you came to Korea.)

→ Two years have passed since Nana came to Korea. The grammar we're going to learn today is '온 지 2년이 됐네요.'

Let's find out today's grammar.

2. Usage

- '-(으)ㄴ 지' attaches after a verb stem.

- ㄴ/은 (ending) + 지 (bound noun) + Time Expression + 되다/지나다/넘다/흐르다/경과하다

- As one expression it is used to indicate that a certain time has passed since a certain act mentioned in the preceding statement is done.

→ '은/ㄴ' is an ending of a word that makes the preceding word function as an adnominal phrase and indicates an event or action that has occurred in the past.

→ '지' is a bound noun used to indicate the duration of time from the occurrence of an incident until the present moment.

→ It is followed by verbs indicating the passage of time, such as ‘되다 (become), 지나다 (pass), 넘다 (exceed), 흐르다 (pass), 경과하다 (pass).'

→ Those verbs are usually used 'past tense' as it is usually used to mean that time has already passed, 

- Example Sentences

✎ 나나: 한국에 온 지 2년이 됐어요. (오다 + ㄴ 지) 

(It has been two years since I came to Korea.)

→ '온 지' is a combination of the verb '오다' and '-ㄴ 지' and after that '2년 (two years)' which is time expression is followed.

→ And then '됐어요' which is the past tense of '되다 (become) is followed.

→ What does this sentence mean? It's now the summer of 2021. And Nana came to Korea in the summer of 2019. Two years have passed since then. Nana wants to talk about how much time has passed since she came to Korea.

→ In this case, you can use ‘ㄴ 지’ after the verb '오다.' And use 'time expression' and the verb '되다' after that.

→  ‘온 지 2년이 됐어요.’ (It's been two years since I came.)

✎ 나나: 점심을 먹은 지 1시간이 지났어요. (먹다 + 은 지)

(It's been an hour since I had lunch.)

→ Here,'먹은 지' is a combination of the verb '먹다' and '-은 지.’ After that '한 시간 (one hour)' which is time expression is followed.

→ And then '지났어요' which is the past tense of '지나다 (pass) is followed.

→ What does this sentence mean? It's 2 o'clock in the afternoon now. Nana had lunch at one o'clock in the afternoon. An hour has passed since then. Nana wants to talk about how much time has passed since she had lunch.

→ In this case, you can use ‘은 지’ after the verb '먹다.' And use 'time expression' and the verb '지나나다' after that.

→ ‘먹은 지 한 시간이 지났어요.’ (It's been an hour since I had.)

3. Negative Expression

(1) 안 negation: 안 V-은/ㄴ 지, V-지 않은 지

- 비가 안 온 지 1달이 됐어요.

- 비가 오지 않은 지 1달이 됐어요.

→ What does this sentence mean? It's June now. And a month ago, in May, it rained. 'And after that, the weather was clear for a month. It didn't rain.' It means.

→ In this case, you can use ‘안 Verb-(으)ㄴ 지', or 'Verb-지 않은 지.'

(2) 못 negation: 못 V-은/ㄴ 지, V-지 못한 지

- 여행을 못 간 지 2년이 넘었어요.

- 여행을 가지 못한 지 2년이 넘었어요.

→ What does this sentence mean? It is now June 2021. I went on a trip in February 2019. And after that, I haven't been able to travel for over two years.'  

→ In this case, you can use ‘못 Verb-(으)ㄴ 지', or 'Verb-지 못한 지.'

4. Positive Expression = Negative Expression (depending on the situation)

- And depending on the situation, 'positive expression' has the same meaning as 'negative expression'.

- 비가 온 지 1달이 됐어요.

→ This sentence can be interpreted in two ways.

1) It's June now. It rained in May. And then 'it's been raining since then.' 

2) It's June and it rained in May. But this time, it can also mean 'it hasn't rained since May.' 

= In this case, it has the same meaning as the negative expression '비가 안 온 지 1달이 됐어요. (It's been a month since it hasn't rained.)'

5. Time Expression + Particles(조사) (1) 이/가 (2) 이나 (3) 밖에

(1) ‘이/가’ 

- ‘이/가’ can be omitted.

- 한국에 온 지 10년(이) 됐어요. (It has been 10 years since I came to Korea.)’

(2) ‘이나’ 

- It is used to indicate that the amount of something is larger than expected

- 한국에 온 지 10년이나 됐어요. . (It's been 10 years since I came to Korea.)

→ '이나' is used after'10년' to say that the period is longer than you expect.

(3) ‘밖에’ + negative expression

- If the period is shorter than the speaker thinks then use '밖에.'

- Use negation expression after '밖에'.

- 한국에 온 지 1달밖에 안 됐어요. (It's been only a month since I came to Korea.)

→ '밖에' is used after'한 달' to say that the period is shorter than you think. And the negative expression ‘안 됐어요’ is followed.

→ If you say ‘한국에 온 지 한 달밖에 됐어요’.(X) This is wrong.

6. 결합정보:

- ‘은 지/ㄴ 지’ attaches after a verb stem.

(1) Final Consonant O: -은 지

- 먹다 + 은 지 → 먹은 지

- 읽다 + 은 지 → 읽은 지

(2) Final Consonant X: -ㄴ 지

- 오다 + ㄴ 지 → 온 지

- 가다 + ㄴ 지 → 간 지

(3) Final Consonant ㄹ: ㄹ drop + ㄴ 지

- 만들다 (ㄹ 탈락) + ㄴ 지 → 만든 지

- 놀다 (ㄹ 탈락) + ㄴ 지 → 논 지

7. Practice

✎ 미소 씨가 집으로 간 지 한 시간이 넘었는데요? (가다 + ㄴ 지)

(It's been over an hour since Miso went home?)

✎ 서울에 산 지 이제 두 달 됐어요. (살다 (ㄹdrop) + ㄴ 지)

(It has been now two months since I lived in Seoul.)

✎ 담배를 끊은 지 세 달이 지났어요. (끊다 + 은 지)

(It has been three months since I quit smoking.)

(A short conversation (2))

- 미소: 나나 씨는 언제부터 한국어를 배웠어요?

(Nana, since when did you learn Korean?)

- 나나: 작년부터 배웠어요.

(I learned from last year.)

- 미소: 한국어를 배운 지 1년밖에 안 됐어요? 한국어를 정말 잘하네요.

(You've only been learning Korean for a year? You are really good at Korean.)

→ 배운 지 (배우다 + ㄴ 지)

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