πŸ“˜ Grammar 56: How to Use ~γ„΄/은 지 – Talking About Time Passed in Korean

πŸ“˜ How to Use ~γ„΄/은 지 – Talking About Time Passed in Korean

Want to say “It’s been 2 years since I came to Korea,” “It’s been a long time,” or “How long has it been?” in Korean?

Then you need to learn ~γ„΄/은 지, a useful Korean grammar structure for talking about how much time has passed since an event happened.

This pattern is often used with time expressions like “~ λμ–΄μš”,” “~ μ§€λ‚¬μ–΄μš”,” or “μ–Όλ§ˆλ‚˜ λμ–΄μš”?”

πŸ“Œ What Does ~γ„΄/은 지 Mean?

~γ„΄/은 지 is attached to the past tense verb stem to mean:

  • ✔️ “since (doing something)”
  • ✔️ “how long it’s been since...”

It must be followed by time-related verbs or phrases like:

  • λ˜λ‹€ (to become) → λμ–΄μš”
  • μ§€λ‚˜λ‹€ (to pass) → μ§€λ‚¬μ–΄μš”
  • μ–Όλ§ˆλ‚˜ λμ–΄μš”? (How long has it been?)

Structure:

  • Verb past stem + ~γ„΄/은 지 + time + λμ–΄μš”/λμŠ΅λ‹ˆλ‹€

πŸ“˜ Example Sentences

  • ν•œκ΅­μ— 온 지 2λ…„ λμ–΄μš” – It’s been 2 years since I came to Korea
    han-guk-e on ji i-nyeon dwaet-seo-yo
  • λ°₯을 먹은 지 1μ‹œκ°„ λμ–΄μš” – It’s been 1 hour since I ate
    bap-eul meok-eun ji han-si-gan dwaet-seo-yo
  • μš΄μ „ 배운 지 μ–Όλ§ˆ μ•ˆ λμ–΄μš” – It hasn’t been long since I learned to drive
    un-jeon bae-un ji eol-ma an dwaet-seo-yo
  • 학ꡐ μ‘Έμ—…ν•œ 지 5λ…„ λμ–΄μš” – It’s been 5 years since I graduated
    hak-gyo jol-eop-han ji o-nyeon dwaet-seo-yo
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πŸ“Š Grammar Table – ~γ„΄/은 지 Forms

Verb Form Example Meaning
κ°€λ‹€ κ°„ 지 κ°„ 지 μ˜€λž˜λμ–΄μš” It's been a while since (he) went
λ¨Ήλ‹€ 먹은 지 먹은 지 3μ‹œκ°„ λμ–΄μš” 3 hours have passed since eating
보닀 λ³Έ 지 λ³Έ 지 μ–Όλ§ˆ μ•ˆ λμ–΄μš” It hasn't been long since I saw it
λ°°μš°λ‹€ 배운 지 배운 지 1달 λμ–΄μš” It’s been a month since I learned
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πŸ’‘ When to Use ~γ„΄/은 지

  • ✔️ To ask how long it has been since something happened
  • ✔️ To state how much time has passed
  • ✔️ To say “It’s been X since…”

Common Questions:

  • ν•œκ΅­μ–΄ κ³΅λΆ€ν•œ 지 μ–Όλ§ˆλ‚˜ λμ–΄μš”? – How long have you been studying Korean?
  • μš΄μ „ 배운 지 μ–Όλ§ˆλ‚˜ λμ–΄μš”? – How long has it been since you learned to drive?

❗ Common Mistakes

  • ❌ 온 지 이 λ…„μ΄μ˜ˆμš” → ✅ 온 지 2λ…„ λμ–΄μš”
  • ❌ κ³΅λΆ€ν•œ ν›„ 1λ…„ λμ–΄μš” → ✅ κ³΅λΆ€ν•œ 지 1λ…„ λμ–΄μš”
  • 지 must be followed by time-related verbs (λ˜λ‹€, μ§€λ‚˜λ‹€, etc.)

πŸ§ͺ Mini Quiz – Test Yourself!

  1. How do you say “It’s been a week since I came to Seoul”?
    a) μ„œμšΈμ— κ°„ 지 일주일 λμ–΄μš”
    b) μ„œμšΈμ— 온 지 일주일 λμ–΄μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ b) μ„œμšΈμ— 온 지 일주일 λμ–΄μš”

  2. Translate: “It hasn’t been long since I started working.”
    a) μΌν•œ 지 μ˜€λž˜λμ–΄μš”
    b) μΌν•œ 지 μ–Όλ§ˆ μ•ˆ λμ–΄μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ b) μΌν•œ 지 μ–Όλ§ˆ μ•ˆ λμ–΄μš”

  3. Which is correct for “It’s been 3 years since I graduated”?
    a) μ‘Έμ—…ν•œ 지 3λ…„ λμ–΄μš”
    b) μ‘Έμ—…ν•˜κ³  3λ…„ λμ–΄μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ a) μ‘Έμ—…ν•œ 지 3λ…„ λμ–΄μš”


✅ Conclusion

Now you can talk about how long it's been since something happened using ~γ„΄/은 지!

  • Use past verb stems + 지
  • Pair with time-related words like “λ˜λ‹€”, “μ§€λ‚˜λ‹€”, or “μ–Όλ§ˆλ‚˜ λμ–΄μš”?”
  • Essential for natural Korean conversations

Practice these:

  • “It’s been 6 months since I moved” → μ΄μ‚¬ν•œ 지 6κ°œμ›” λμ–΄μš”
  • “How long has it been since you met?” → λ§Œλ‚œ 지 μ–Όλ§ˆλ‚˜ λμ–΄μš”?


πŸ“˜ Coming Up Next

Next lesson: How to Use ~κ³  λ‚˜μ„œ – After Doing Something in Korean (Review)
Let’s connect actions and review sequences!

Related Keywords:
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