A2 noun #300 رایج‌ترین 2 دقیقه مطالعه

~는 동안

It means the period of time when something is happening.

~neun dong-an
Practice it

Explanation at your level:

You use ~는 동안 to say 'while'. If you eat while watching TV, you say 'TV를 보는 동안 밥을 먹어요'. It is very easy to use! Just take your verb, add '는 동안', and you are ready to go. It helps you talk about two things happening at once.

At this level, you start using it with more complex verbs. You can say 'I waited while you were gone' (네가 없는 동안 기다렸어). It is great for telling short stories about your day or what you did on the weekend.

Now you can combine it with duration markers. You might say 'I studied for three hours' (세 시간 동안 공부했다). Notice how '동안' works with both verbs and nouns to describe how long something lasts or when it happens.

You can use it to contrast different states. For instance, 'While I was working, he was resting'. It adds nuance to your sentences, allowing you to build complex compound sentences that sound professional and precise.

In advanced writing, you use it to frame academic arguments. 'During the period of the Joseon Dynasty' (조선 시대 동안) shows how it acts as a temporal anchor. It is essential for historical or analytical discourse where timing is key to the argument.

Mastery involves understanding the subtle difference between '동안' and '사이'. While '동안' focuses on the duration of an action, '사이' often implies a gap or a specific moment within that duration. Using them correctly shows high-level fluency.

واژه در 30 ثانیه

  • Used for duration
  • Attaches to verbs or nouns
  • Means 'while' or 'during'
  • Very common in daily speech

Welcome! ~는 동안 is a super useful way to talk about time in Korean. It literally translates to 'during' or 'while'. You use it to show that one thing is happening inside the time frame of another.

Think of it like a container. The '동안' is the container, and the action you put before it is what happens inside that container. It is very common in daily life because we are always talking about what we do while waiting, eating, or traveling!

The word 동안 (dong-an) originates from Sino-Korean roots. '동' (同) refers to 'same' or 'together', and '안' (間) refers to 'space' or 'interval'. Historically, it described the interval of time that is shared with an event.

Over centuries, it evolved from a noun meaning 'interval' into a grammatical tool that helps speakers connect actions. It is a classic example of how Korean speakers turn simple nouns into functional grammar particles to make sentences flow more naturally.

You attach ~는 동안 directly to the verb stem. For example, 'study' becomes 'studying' (공부하는 동안). It is very versatile and fits into almost any register, from casual texts to formal business presentations.

Commonly, it is paired with verbs like 'wait' (기다리는 동안) or 'sleep' (자는 동안). It is neutral in tone, meaning you don't have to worry about sounding too stiff or too slangy. It is the 'goldilocks' of time words!

While it is a grammar structure, it appears in many set phrases. 1. 잠깐 동안 (for a short while). 2. 그 동안 (meanwhile/in the meantime). 3. 오랜 동안 (for a long time). 4. 어느 동안 (during some time). 5. 방학 동안 (during vacation).

These phrases help you sound like a native speaker by grouping time into logical chunks. Using these makes your speech feel much more fluid and less robotic.

Pronunciation is straightforward: neun dong-an. The 'n' sound at the end of 'neun' links smoothly into the 'd' of 'dong'. It is not a plural noun, so don't worry about adding markers like '들'.

The main rule is that it always follows a verb in the present tense form (using ~는). Even if the main sentence is in the past, the part before '동안' usually stays in the present tense form to show the action was ongoing at that time.

Fun Fact

It combines two characters that mean 'same' and 'space', literally 'the space of time that is the same'.

Pronunciation Guide

UK /neun dɒŋ-an/

Sounds like 'noon dong-ahn'

US /neun dɔŋ-ɑn/

Sounds like 'noon dong-ahn'

Common Errors

  • Mispronouncing the 'ng' sound
  • Adding a vowel between 'dong' and 'an'
  • Stress on the wrong syllable

Rhymes With

안 (an) 반 (ban) 간 (gan) 단 (dan) 산 (san)

Difficulty Rating

خواندن 2/5

Easy to read

Writing 2/5

Easy to write

Speaking 2/5

Easy to speak

شنیدن 2/5

Easy to hear

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

시간 하다 먹다

Learn Next

사이 중 이후

پیشرفته

기간 시점

Grammar to Know

Present tense modifier

가는 사람

Time particles

에, 에서

Noun particles

의

Examples by Level

1

영화를 보는 동안 팝콘을 먹어요.

Movie-watching during, popcorn eat.

Verb + 는 동안

2

잠자는 동안 꿈을 꿔요.

Sleeping during, dream have.

Present tense form

3

기다리는 동안 책을 읽었어요.

Waiting during, book read.

Past tense main verb

4

공부하는 동안 음악을 들어요.

Studying during, music listen.

Connecting two actions

5

밥 먹는 동안 말하지 마세요.

Meal eating during, talk do not.

Imperative sentence

6

운동하는 동안 물을 마셔요.

Exercising during, water drink.

Habitual action

7

노래하는 동안 춤을 춰요.

Singing during, dance do.

Simultaneous actions

8

쉬는 동안 커피를 마셨어요.

Resting during, coffee drank.

Past tense marker

1

8 examples

1

8 examples

1

8 examples

1

8 examples

1

8 examples

ترکیب‌های رایج

잠깐 동안
오랜 동안
방학 동안
휴가 동안
그 동안
수업 동안
점심 동안
여행 동안
회의 동안
일하는 동안

Idioms & Expressions

"그 동안 잘 지냈나요?"

How have you been in the meantime?

오랜만이에요, 그 동안 잘 지냈나요?

neutral

"잠깐 동안만"

Just for a moment

잠깐 동안만 기다려주세요.

neutral

"오랜 동안의 기다림"

A long wait

그것은 오랜 동안의 기다림이었다.

literary

"방학 동안에"

During the vacation

방학 동안에 무엇을 할 거예요?

neutral

"일하는 동안에"

While working

일하는 동안에 전화하지 마세요.

formal

"쉬는 동안에"

During the break

쉬는 동안에 간식을 먹자.

casual

Easily Confused

~는 동안 vs 중

Both mean time.

중 is 'in the middle of', 동안 is 'duration'.

공부 중 (in the middle of studying) vs 공부하는 동안 (during the time I study).

Sentence Patterns

A2

Subject + Verb + 는 동안 + Verb

내가 자는 동안 비가 왔다.

A1

Noun + 동안 + Verb

방학 동안 여행했다.

A2

Time + 동안 + Verb

3시간 동안 기다렸다.

B1

그 동안 + Verb

그 동안 잘 지냈다.

B1

Verb + 는 동안에 + Verb

영화를 보는 동안에 잤다.

خانواده کلمه

Nouns

동안 duration

مرتبط

중 similar meaning of 'in the middle of'

How to Use It

frequency

10

Formality Scale

Formal (Presentation) Neutral (Daily conversation) Casual (Friends) Slang (None)

اشتباهات رایج

Using past tense before 동안 → Present tense
Korean grammar requires the present tense form (~는) before 동안.
Using ~은 동안 → ~는 동안
The modifier must be present tense.
Confusing with ~중 → Contextual usage
~중 is more for 'in the middle of', 동안 is 'duration'.
Adding extra particles → 동안 or 동안에
Both are fine, but don't add unnecessary markers.
Ignoring the verb stem → Attach to stem
Must attach to the stem, not the conjugated verb.

Tips

💡

Memory Palace Trick

Visualize a hourglass.

💡

When Native Speakers Use It

In almost every sentence about time.

🌍

Cultural Insight

Essential for polite waiting.

💡

Grammar Shortcut

Always ~는 + 동안.

💡

Say It Right

Smooth out the 'n' sounds.

💡

Don't Make This Mistake

Don't use past tense before it.

💡

Did You Know?

It comes from Sino-Korean roots.

💡

Study Smart

Pair it with common nouns like 'vacation'.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Dong' as a bell ringing for the duration of the 'An' (interval).

Visual Association

A clock ticking while someone is waiting.

Word Web

시간 기다리다 동안 중

چالش

Write 5 sentences about your day using '동안'.

ریشه کلمه

Sino-Korean

Original meaning: Interval of time

بافت فرهنگی

None

Directly maps to 'during' or 'while'.

Used in almost every K-drama when characters talk about waiting for each other.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

At work

  • 회의 동안
  • 일하는 동안
  • 점심 동안

School

  • 수업 동안
  • 방학 동안
  • 시험 동안

Travel

  • 여행 동안
  • 비행 동안
  • 휴가 동안

Daily life

  • 잠자는 동안
  • 밥 먹는 동안
  • 기다리는 동안

Conversation Starters

"방학 동안 무엇을 했나요?"

"일하는 동안 집중을 잘 하나요?"

"기다리는 동안 보통 무엇을 하나요?"

"그 동안 어떻게 지냈어요?"

"영화를 보는 동안 간식을 먹나요?"

Journal Prompts

Write about what you did during your last vacation.

Describe your routine while you work.

What do you think about while sleeping?

How have you changed during the last year?

سوالات متداول

8 سوال

Both are correct and interchangeable.

No, always use the present modifier form.

Usually no, it prefers verbs or nouns.

It is a bound noun.

두 시간 동안.

Usually it is in the middle.

It is neutral.

Use ~중.

خودت رو بسنج

fill blank A1

나는 ___ 동안 책을 읽어요.

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: 공부하는

Needs present tense modifier.

multiple choice A2

What does 동안 mean?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: During

It indicates duration.

true false B1

Can you use 동안 with a noun?

درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: درست

Yes, like '방학 동안'.

match pairs B1

Word

معنی

All matched!

Vocabulary matching.

sentence order B2

کلمات زیر رو بزن تا جمله رو بسازی
درسته! نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:

Verb + modifier + noun + object + verb.

امتیاز: /5

Related Content

این کلمه در زبان‌های دیگر

〜中 ژاپنی
مفید بود؟

نظرات (0)

برای نظر دادن وارد شوید
هنوز نظری وجود ندارد. اولین نفری باشید که افکار خود را به اشتراک می‌گذارد!