Time Elapsed Since... (-(으)ㄴ 지)
-ㄴ/은 지 + time + 되다 to talk about the duration since an action last happened.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use -(으)ㄴ 지 to express how much time has passed since a specific action occurred.
- Attach -(으)ㄴ 지 to the verb stem of the action.
- Follow with the time duration (e.g., 10분, 3년).
- End with '되다' (to become) or '넘다' (to exceed) to complete the thought.
Overview
Korean grammar employs -(으)ㄴ 지 to precisely articulate the duration of time that has elapsed since a particular action or event occurred. This construct is fundamental for expressing personal history, recounting experiences, and quantifying the passage of time relative to past occurrences. It directly translates to concepts such as "it has been [time] since [action]" or "[time] has passed since [action]." Mastery of this B1-level pattern is essential for progressing beyond simple declarative sentences, enabling nuanced communication about timelines and ongoing states resulting from past events.
Structurally, -(으)ㄴ 지 integrates a past-tense verbal modifier with a dependent noun specifying a time interval.
This pattern functions exclusively with verbs. Adjectives, which describe states rather than actions, do not typically combine with -(으)ㄴ 지 in its primary meaning of elapsed time since an event. Attempting to use it with adjectives like 예쁘다 (to be pretty) would be grammatically incongruous for expressing duration since a state began in this specific manner.
For states that have become true, the A/V-아/어지다 (to become A/V) construction is typically required before applying -(으)ㄴ 지.
How This Grammar Works
-(으)ㄴ 지 pattern is a combination of two distinct grammatical elements: the past adnominal ending -(으)ㄴ and the dependent noun 지 (hanja: 知). Understanding their individual roles is key to grasping the overall function.-(으)ㄴ component modifies the preceding verb, effectively transforming it into a descriptive phrase that indicates a completed action. It signifies that the action described by the verb took place in the past. For instance, 가다 (to go) becomes 간 (having gone), and 먹다 (to eat) becomes 먹은 (having eaten).지, a dependent noun (의존명사 의존명사) that specifically denotes a period of time elapsed since a particular point or event. Because 지 is a noun, it must always be preceded by a space when used in this grammatical construction. This critical spacing distinguishes it from the interrogative ending -(으)ㄴ지 (no space), which indicates uncertainty or an indirect question.[Verb]-(으)ㄴ 지 forms a clause that functions as the temporal starting point. This clause is then typically followed by an expression of time duration and a verb indicating the passage or completion of that time. The most common accompanying verbs are:되다(to become, to pass): The most frequent choice, indicating that a certain amount of time has become or has passed. Example:한국어를 배운 지 3년 됐어요.(It has been three years since I learned Korean.)넘다(to exceed, to pass over): Used when the elapsed time is more than a specified duration. Example:졸업한 지 10년이 넘었어요.(It has been over 10 years since I graduated.)지나다(to pass, to go by): Similar to되다but can sometimes emphasize the act of time passing itself. Example:헤어진 지 일주일 지났어요.(A week has passed since we broke up.)안 되다(to not yet be): Used to indicate that a specified duration has not yet passed. Example:회사에 들어온 지 한 달도 안 됐어요.(It hasn't even been a month since I joined the company.)
[Verb]-는/은 지 [Time Duration] [되다/넘다/지나다/안 되다]. This structure allows you to precisely quantify the interval from a past action to the present moment. For example, 이 책을 읽기 시작한 지 한 시간 정도 되었어요. (About an hour has passed since I started reading this book.)Formation Pattern
-(으)ㄴ 지 is consistently applied to verb stems. The choice between -ㄴ 지 and -은 지 depends on the presence or absence of a final consonant (batchim) in the verb stem, with specific considerations for irregular verbs.
다 ending from the dictionary form of the verb.
가다 → 가-, 먹다 → 먹-
-ㄴ 지.
가다 (가-) → 간 지 (since one went)
자다 (자-) → 잔 지 (since one slept)
-은 지.
먹다 (먹-) → 먹은 지 (since one ate)
읽다 (읽-) → 읽은 지 (since one read)
ㄹ Irregular Verbs (e.g., 살다, 만들다): If the verb stem ends in ㄹ, drop the ㄹ and then attach -ㄴ 지.
살다 (살-) → 산 지 (since one lived)
만들다 (만들-) → 만든 지 (since one made)
ㄷ Irregular Verbs (e.g., 듣다, 걷다): If the verb stem ends in ㄷ, change the ㄷ to ㄹ and then attach -은 지.
듣다 (듣-) → 들은 지 (since one listened)
걷다 (걷-) → 걸은 지 (since one walked)
ㅂ Irregular Verbs (e.g., 춥다, 돕다): If the verb stem ends in ㅂ, change ㅂ to 우 (or 오 for 돕다) and then attach -ㄴ 지 (since the resulting form ends in a vowel).
춥다 (춥-) → 추운 지 (since it was cold)
돕다 (돕-) → 도운 지 (since one helped)
ㅅ irregulars (낫다 → 나은 지) and ㅎ irregulars (빨갛다 → 빨개진 지) follow their standard conjugation rules for -(으)ㄴ before 지.
다 form) | Stem | Formed Phrase | Romanization | Meaning |
Stem + ㄴ 지 | 가다 (to go) | 가- | 간 지 | gan ji | since one went |
Stem + 은 지 | 먹다 (to eat) | 먹- | 먹은 지 | meogeun ji | since one ate |
ㄹ Irregular | Stem - ㄹ + ㄴ 지 | 살다 (to live) | 살- | 산 지 | san ji | since one lived |
ㄷ Irregular | Stem - ㄷ → ㄹ + 은 지 | 듣다 (to listen) | 듣- | 들은 지 | deureun ji | since one listened|
ㅂ Irregular | Stem - ㅂ → 우/오 + ㄴ 지 | 춥다 (to be cold) | 춥- | 추운 지 | chuun ji | since it was cold |
When To Use It
-(으)ㄴ 지 is an indispensable grammatical tool for specifying the duration from a past event to the present. You'll employ it in countless daily scenarios, ranging from casual conversations to more formal discussions. Its utility lies in providing a temporal reference point for how long something has been true or how much time has passed since an action.한국어를 배운 지 3년 됐어요.(It has been three years since I started learning Korean.) —합니다체(formal polite)서울에 산 지 5년 됐어.(It's been five years since I lived in Seoul.) —해체(intimate casual)
그 친구를 만난 지 꽤 오래됐어요.(It's been quite a long time since I met that friend.)영화 본 지 얼마 안 됐어요.(It hasn't been long since I saw a movie.)
얼마나 됐어요? (How long has it been?) is frequently paired with -(으)ㄴ 지:결혼한 지 얼마나 됐어요?(How long has it been since you got married?)이 회사에 다닌 지 얼마나 됐어?(How long have you been working at this company?)
-(으)ㄴ 지 can be combined with other time-related expressions or clauses to provide more context. For example, to state a duration and then the current consequence:밤샘 작업한 지 며칠 되었는데, 아직 끝나지 않았어요.(It's been several days since I worked all night, but it's not finished yet.)
차 산 지 얼마나 됐어?(How long has it been since you bought your car?)차 산 지 일 년도 안 됐는데 벌써 수리해야 해.(It hasn't even been a year since I bought my car, but I already have to get it repaired.)
Common Mistakes
-(으)ㄴ 지. Awareness of these common errors is crucial for accurate and natural usage.- 1Omitting the Space Before
지: This is perhaps the most critical and frequently made error. As explained,지is a dependent noun, requiring a space before it. Writing-(으)ㄴ지(without a space) transforms the meaning entirely into an indirect question or an expression of uncertainty. For example,밥을 먹었는지 모르겠어요.(I don't know if I ate.) is distinctly different from밥을 먹은 지 오래됐어요.(It's been a long time since I ate.). The presence or absence of this single space alters the grammatical function from a temporal indicator to a complementizer for indirect speech.
- 1Incorrect Tense for the Modifier: The
-(으)ㄴpart explicitly marks the verb as a past action. Using present tense-(으)는 지or future tense-(으)ㄹ 지for expressing elapsed time is incorrect.-(으)는 지is used for current actions in indirect questions (지금 뭐하는지 알아?- Do you know what I'm doing now?).-(으)ㄹ 지is for future actions in indirect questions (언제 갈지 결정했어?- Have you decided when you'll go?). When talking about time elapsed since an action, that action must be completed.
- Incorrect:
공부하는 지 세 시간 됐어요.(Implies
Formation Table
| Verb Stem | Ending | Result |
|---|---|---|
|
가다
|
-ㄴ 지
|
간 지
|
|
먹다
|
-은 지
|
먹은 지
|
|
읽다
|
-은 지
|
읽은 지
|
|
오다
|
-ㄴ 지
|
온 지
|
|
하다
|
-ㄴ 지
|
한 지
|
|
만나다
|
-ㄴ 지
|
만난 지
|
Meanings
This pattern indicates the duration of time that has elapsed since a specific event or action took place.
Duration since action
Expressing the time elapsed since an event.
“영화를 본 지 오래됐어요.”
“밥을 먹은 지 5시간이 지났어요.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Verb + (으)ㄴ 지 + Time + 되다
|
간 지 3일 됐어요
|
|
Negative
|
Verb + (으)ㄴ 지 + Time + 안 되다
|
간 지 1일 안 됐어요
|
|
Interrogative
|
Verb + (으)ㄴ 지 + Time + 얼마나 됐나요?
|
간 지 얼마나 됐나요?
|
|
Long time
|
Verb + (으)ㄴ 지 + 오래되다
|
간 지 오래됐어요
|
|
Short time
|
Verb + (으)ㄴ 지 + 얼마 안 되다
|
간 지 얼마 안 됐어요
|
|
Past event
|
Verb + (으)ㄴ 지 + Time + 지났다
|
간 지 3일 지났어요
|
Formality Spectrum
만난 지 오래되었습니다. (Social reunion)
만난 지 오래됐어요. (Social reunion)
만난 지 오래됐어. (Social reunion)
만난 지 꽤 됐네. (Social reunion)
Time Flow Concept
Past Action
- 먹다 Eat
Duration
- 3시간 3 hours
Result
- 먹은 지 3시간 3 hours since eating
Examples by Level
한국에 온 지 1년이에요.
It has been 1 year since I came to Korea.
밥 먹은 지 2시간 됐어요.
It has been 2 hours since I ate.
운동한 지 3일 됐어요.
It has been 3 days since I exercised.
잠잔 지 5시간 됐어요.
It has been 5 hours since I slept.
친구를 만난 지 오래됐어요.
It has been a long time since I met my friend.
영어를 공부한 지 1년이 지났어요.
1 year has passed since I studied English.
이 책을 읽은 지 꽤 됐어요.
It has been quite a while since I read this book.
집에 간 지 얼마 안 됐어요.
It hasn't been long since I went home.
졸업한 지 벌써 5년이네요.
It's already been 5 years since I graduated.
결혼한 지 10주년이 되었어요.
It has been 10 years since we got married.
회사를 그만둔 지 한 달이 넘었어요.
It has been over a month since I quit the company.
비가 온 지 며칠 되었나요?
How many days has it been since it rained?
그 사건이 일어난 지 10년이 흘렀습니다.
10 years have passed since that incident occurred.
이 프로젝트를 시작한 지 반년이 지났습니다.
Half a year has passed since we started this project.
그가 떠난 지 한참이 지났는데도 소식이 없네요.
A long time has passed since he left, but there is no news.
이 건물을 지은 지 50년이 넘었습니다.
It has been over 50 years since this building was built.
민주화가 이루어진 지 수십 년이 지났음에도 과제는 남아있다.
Even though decades have passed since democratization, tasks remain.
그를 마지막으로 본 지가 엊그제 같은데 벌써 세월이 이렇게 흘렀다.
It feels like yesterday since I last saw him, yet time has flown.
이 법안이 통과된 지 1년이 경과하여 시행에 들어갔다.
One year has elapsed since this bill passed, and it has gone into effect.
우리가 이 프로젝트에 착수한 지가 꽤 되었는데 아직도 갈 길이 멀다.
It has been quite a while since we embarked on this project, but we still have a long way to go.
그가 고향을 등진 지가 반세기가 넘었으니, 이제는 낯선 땅이 되었을 것이다.
It has been over half a century since he turned his back on his hometown, so it must be a strange land now.
이 고전이 집필된 지 수백 년이 지났음에도 그 가치는 여전히 퇴색되지 않았다.
Even though centuries have passed since this classic was written, its value has not faded.
우리가 이 문제에 대해 논의한 지가 꽤 되었음에도 불구하고 결론은 도출되지 않았다.
Even though it has been quite a while since we discussed this issue, no conclusion has been reached.
이 전통이 계승된 지 천 년이 넘었다는 사실은 경이롭기까지 하다.
The fact that it has been over a thousand years since this tradition was inherited is even marvelous.
Easily Confused
Both relate to time.
Both connect actions.
Both relate to past actions.
Common Mistakes
먹다 지 3시간 됐어요
먹은 지 3시간 됐어요
먹은 지 3시간 있어요
먹은 지 3시간 됐어요
먹는 지 3시간 됐어요
먹은 지 3시간 됐어요
먹은 지 3시간 지났다
먹은 지 3시간이 지났다
공부한 지 오래다
공부한 지 오래됐어요
가기 지 3일 됐어요
간 지 3일 됐어요
온 지 3일 지났어요
온 지 3일이 지났어요
만난 지 1년 넘었다
만난 지 1년이 넘었다
졸업한 지 5년이 지났습니다
졸업한 지 5년이 되었습니다
비가 온 지 3일이 다 됐다
비가 온 지 3일이 다 되었다
그가 떠난 지가 10년이 지났다
그가 떠난 지 10년이 지났다
이 법안이 통과된 지 1년이 경과했다
이 법안이 통과된 지 1년이 경과했다
그를 본 지가 오래다
그를 본 지 오래다
착수한 지가 꽤 되었는데
착수한 지 꽤 되었는데
Sentence Patterns
___(으)ㄴ 지 ___ 됐어요.
___(으)ㄴ 지 오래됐어요.
___(으)ㄴ 지 얼마 안 됐어요.
___(으)ㄴ 지 ___이/가 지났습니다.
Real World Usage
만난 지 꽤 됐네!
졸업한 지 2년 되었습니다.
운동한 지 100일째!
한국에 온 지 3일 됐어요.
주문한 지 1시간 지났는데 아직인가요?
연구를 시작한 지 5년이 지났다.
Use '오래되다'
Watch the tense
Use '지나다' for formal
Icebreaker
Smart Tips
Use '벌써' (already) to emphasize the length.
Use '방금' (just now) with this pattern.
Use '지나다' instead of '되다'.
Use the subject particle '이/가'.
Pronunciation
Linking
The 'ㄴ' in '지' is pronounced clearly.
Statement
온 지 3일 됐어요 ↘
Neutral information sharing.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of '지' as '지나다' (to pass). The time has 'passed' since the action.
Visual Association
Imagine a clock ticking backwards from the current moment to the moment you started an action.
Rhyme
Action done, time has run, add -은 지, now you're done!
Story
Min-su ate lunch at 12:00. Now it is 3:00. He says, '밥을 먹은 지 3시간이 됐어요.' He is happy because he is hungry again.
Word Web
Challenge
Write 3 sentences about things you have done today using this pattern.
Cultural Notes
Koreans often use this to gauge how long someone has been in Korea, which is a common icebreaker.
Derived from the verb '지나다' (to pass).
Conversation Starters
한국에 온 지 얼마나 됐어요?
마지막으로 여행 간 지 얼마나 됐어요?
한국어를 공부한 지 얼마나 되셨나요?
이 프로젝트를 시작한 지 얼마나 지났습니까?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
한국에 ___ 지 2년 됐어요.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
공부한 지 1년 지났다.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
It has been 5 years since I graduated.
Answer starts with: 모두 ...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Use '만나다' and '1달'.
그가 떠난 지 ___ 지났다.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises한국에 ___ 지 2년 됐어요.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
공부한 지 1년 지났다.
지 / 3일 / 됐어요 / 온 / 한국에
It has been 5 years since I graduated.
Match the phrase.
Use '만나다' and '1달'.
그가 떠난 지 ___ 지났다.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercises친구를 ____ 지 오래됐어요.
Translate: 'It's been 30 minutes since I ordered the food.'
책을 ____ 지 일주일 됐어요.
1년 / 공부한 / 한국어 / 지 / 됐어요
이 노래 듣은 지 10분 됐어요.
Match the pairs:
헤어진 지 벌써 한 달이 ____.
How long has it been since you started work?
날씨가 추운 지 3일 됐어요.
Translate: 'It's been over two hours since I arrived.'
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
No, it is strictly for past events.
They are interchangeable, but '되다' is more common in speech.
It is optional but often sounds more natural with '이/가'.
No, it must be a verb.
Because '오다' ends in a vowel, so we add '-ㄴ 지'.
Yes, it is very common in reports and essays.
Yes, e.g., '안 먹은 지 3일 됐어요'.
Use '얼마 안 됐어요'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
It has been X since Y
Korean uses a noun clause structure.
Hace X tiempo que...
Spanish uses a specific verb 'hacer'.
Ça fait X temps que...
Korean is more compact.
Seit X...
German uses a preposition.
～てから～たつ
Korean uses a noun modifier.
已经...了
Chinese lacks the specific nominalization.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Videos
Related Grammar Rules
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