If you are studying Korean grammar n ji, this lesson is the one to keep. You will learn how -(으)ㄴ 지 works in real conversation, when to use it, and the mistakes English speakers make first. This is a Korean intermediate grammar guide with examples, romanization, and a five-minute speaking drill.
By the end you should be able to hear -(으)ㄴ 지 in dramas and K-talk, then reuse it in your own sentences. Read once. Say the examples out loud. Then drill the same lines on Practice.
What -(으)ㄴ 지 means
-(으)ㄴ 지 measures elapsed time from a past starting point to now. 만난 지 3년 됐어요: it has been three years since we met. English “since” plus a duration is the job.
How to form it
- Verb stem + -(으)ㄴ 지 + duration + 되다 / 지나다 / 흐르다
- 되다 is the default: 된 지 일주일 됐어요
- Negative experience: 안 만난 지 오래됐어요
- Question: 시작한 지 얼마나 됐어요?
-(으)ㄴ 지 examples
Use these Korean grammar n ji example sentences as a speaking list. Korean first, then pronunciation, then English.
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 여자 친구하고 만난 지 곧 3년이 돼요. | yeoja chinguhago mannan ji got samnyeoni dwaeyo. | It’s almost been three years since I met my girlfriend. |
| 한국에 온 지 6개월 됐어요. | hanguge on ji yug gaewol dwaesseoyo. | It’s been six months since I came to Korea. |
| 운동을 안 한 지 오래됐어요. | undongeul an han ji oraedwaesseoyo. | It’s been a long time since I worked out. |
| 점심 먹은 지 아직 한 시간도 안 됐어요. | jeomsim meogeun ji ajik han sigando an dwaesseoyo. | It hasn’t even been an hour since lunch. |
| 한국어를 배우기 시작한 지 1년 됐어요. | hangugeoreul baeugi sijakhan ji illyeon dwaesseoyo. | It’s been a year since I started learning Korean. |
| 담배 끊은 지 두 달 됐어요. | dambae kkeuneun ji du dal dwaesseoyo. | It’s been two months since I quit smoking. |
When to use it
- Anniversaries, visas, jobs, habits.
- Answering 얼마나 됐어요?
- Complaining lightly: 기다린 지 40분 됐어요.
Common mistakes
These are the traps English speakers hit when they translate word-for-word. Fix the pattern, not just the vocabulary.
Watch-out
❌ 만난 지 3년 있어요
✅ 만난 지 3년 됐어요
The pair is ㄴ 지 + 되다, not 있다.
Watch-out
❌ 만나고 지 3년
✅ 만난 지 3년
Use the past modifier -(으)ㄴ, not -고.
Watch-out
❌ Using 부터 only
✅ 온 지 1년 됐어요 is more natural than 1년부터 왔어요
부터 marks a start point. ㄴ 지 measures the span.
Mini dialogue
Read it twice. Second time, cover the English.
| Speaker | Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 한국어 공부한 지 얼마나 됐어요? | hangugeo gongbuhan ji eolmana dwaesseoyo? | How long have you been studying Korean? |
| B | 시작한 지 10개월 됐어요. 아직 중급이에요. | sijakhan ji sip gaewol dwaesseoyo. ajik junggeubieyo. | It’s been ten months. I’m still intermediate. |
| A | 그 정도면 정말 잘하네요. | geu jeongdomyeon jeongmal jalhaneyo. | That’s really good for that amount of time. |
Don’t mix these up
을 때 is “when.” ㄴ 지 is “how long since.” 한국에 올 때 긴장했어요 vs 한국에 온 지 1년 됐어요.
Five-minute Korean speaking practice
Korean speaking practice beats extra grammar notes. Do this once today, then again tomorrow without looking.
- Read each example slowly, Korean only.
- Say it at natural speed. Record yourself if you can.
- Cover the Korean and rebuild the sentence from English.
- Swap in your own details: your job, your city, your weekend.
Starter lines for today:
- 여기 산 지 얼마나 됐어요?
- 마지막 여행 간 지 2년 됐어요.
- 커피 안 마신 지 일주일 됐어요.
Lesson summary
- Pattern: -(으)ㄴ 지
- Search topic: Korean grammar n ji
- -(으)ㄴ 지 + duration + 됐어요 tells the clock since a past event.
- Say it out loud on Practice, then come back to Guides if a particle still feels sticky.
Homework
- Write five ㄴ 지 sentences about your real timeline.
- Ask two people 얼마나 됐어요? about a hobby.
- Make one negative: 안 ○○한 지 오래됐어요.
Korean grammar n ji: quick answers
ㄴ 지 vs 동안?
동안 is a duration while something continues: 3년 동안 공부했어요. ㄴ 지 measures from then until now.
Can I use future?
The starting event is past. The duration reaches now.
Keep going
- Korean Intermediate Catching Up: How to Ask 어떻게 지냈어요?
- Korean Relative Clauses: -(으)ㄴ/는/(으)ㄹ Noun Modifiers
Want a path, not a single grammar point? Open Learn or browse the rest of this series in Korean intermediate.