KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -(으)ㄴ 지 ~ 되다
Korean Grammar “-(으)ㄴ 지 ~ 되다”: How to Use It (TOPIK 4)
How to attach it
Attach the pattern to the verb stem, which is the dictionary form without 다. Compare how each verb below changes depending on its last sound.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | With this pattern | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보다 | to see, to watch | 본 지 | bon ji |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽은 지 | ilgeun ji |
| 하다 | to do | 한 지 | han ji |
| 살다 | to live | 산 지 | san ji |
What changes
- After a stem ending in a vowel, ㄴ is added to the last syllable (보 → 본). After a stem ending in a consonant, 은 is added (읽 → 읽은). A stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ and takes ㄴ (살 → 산), and 하 becomes 한.
Explanation
한국에 온 지 벌써 3년이 되었어요.
“-(으)ㄴ 지 ~ 되다” tells how much time has passed since an event. Attach “-(으)ㄴ 지” to a verb stem and follow it with an expression of time. The sentence means “It’s already been 3 years since I came to Korea.” Do not confuse it with “-(으)ㄴ 적이 있다” (have done before), which expresses experience.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 한국에 온 지 벌써 3년이 되었어요.
Said aloud, it sounds like [한구게 온 지 벌써 녀니 되어써요].
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 한국에 | ||
| 한 | ㅎ+ㅏ+ㄴ | han |
| 국 | ㄱ+ㅜ+ㄱ | [구] gu |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | [게] ge |
| 온 | ㅇ+ㅗ+ㄴ | on |
| 지 | ㅈ+ㅣ | ji |
| 벌써 | ||
| 벌 | ㅂ+ㅓ+ㄹ | beol |
| 써 | ㅆ+ㅓ | sseo |
| 년이 | ||
| 년 | ㄴ+ㅕ+ㄴ | [녀] nyeo |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | [니] ni |
| 되었어요 | ||
| 되 | ㄷ+ㅚ | doe |
| 었 | ㅇ+ㅓ+ㅆ | [어] eo |
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | [써] sseo |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 국에 → [구게]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 벌써 | adverb | already, so soon | TOPIK level 3 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 한국에 온 ____ 벌써 3년이 되었어요.
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Answer: 한국에 온 지 벌써 3년이 되었어요.
Question 2 Which is the correct form of 보다 + -(으)ㄴ 지 ~ 되다?
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Answer: 본 지
Question 3 Which is the correct form of 읽다 + -(으)ㄴ 지 ~ 되다?
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Answer: 읽은 지
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