KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -는 가운데
Korean Grammar “-는 가운데”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 6)
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 | 보는 가운데 | boneun gaunde |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽는 가운데 | ingneun gaunde |
| 하다 | to do | 하는 가운데 | haneun gaunde |
| 살다 | to live | 사는 가운데 | saneun gaunde |
What changes
- For verbs, -는 attaches directly to the stem (읽 → 읽는). A stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ first (살 → 사는).
Explanation
수많은 관객이 지켜보는 가운데 시상식이 성대하게 열렸다.
“-는 가운데” means “amid ~ / with ~ going on” and shows that an event takes place within a certain situation or atmosphere (common in news and other written style). The sentence means “With a great many spectators looking on, the awards ceremony was held in grand style.” “-는 대신” means “instead of ~ / in return for ~” and cannot describe a background situation.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 수많은 관객이 지켜보는 가운데 시상식이 성대하게 열렸다.
Said aloud, it sounds like [수마는 관개기 지켜보는 가운데 시상시기 성대하게 열렫따].
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 수많은 | ||
| 수 | ㅅ+ㅜ | su |
| 많 | ㅁ+ㅏ+ㄶ | [마] ma |
| 은 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄴ | [는] neun |
| 관객이 | ||
| 관 | ㄱ+ㅘ+ㄴ | gwan |
| 객 | ㄱ+ㅐ+ㄱ | [개] gae |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | [기] gi |
| 지켜보는 | ||
| 지 | ㅈ+ㅣ | ji |
| 켜 | ㅋ+ㅕ | kyeo |
| 보 | ㅂ+ㅗ | bo |
| 는 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄴ | neun |
| 가운데 | ||
| 가 | ㄱ+ㅏ | ga |
| 운 | ㅇ+ㅜ+ㄴ | un |
| 데 | ㄷ+ㅔ | de |
| 시상식이 | ||
| 시 | ㅅ+ㅣ | si |
| 상 | ㅅ+ㅏ+ㅇ | sang |
| 식 | ㅅ+ㅣ+ㄱ | [시] si |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | [기] gi |
| 성대하게 | ||
| 성 | ㅅ+ㅓ+ㅇ | seong |
| 대 | ㄷ+ㅐ | dae |
| 하 | ㅎ+ㅏ | ha |
| 게 | ㄱ+ㅔ | ge |
| 열렸다 | ||
| 열 | ㅇ+ㅕ+ㄹ | yeol |
| 렸 | ㄹ+ㅕ+ㅆ | [렫] lyeot |
| 다 | ㄷ+ㅏ | [따] da |
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
- Silent ㅎ: a final ㅎ (including the ㅎ inside ㄶ and ㅀ) is not pronounced before a vowel. 많은 → [마는]
- 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. 객이 → [개기]
- Tensing: after a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ sound, ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ and ㅈ become tense (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ). 렸다 → [렫따]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -다. Common in proverbs, writing and the news, but not how you normally speak to the person in front of 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 관객 | noun | audience | TOPIK level 5 |
| 지키다 | verb | to keep, to protect | TOPIK level 3 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 수많은 관객이 지켜보는 ____ 시상식이 성대하게 열렸다.
Show the answer
Answer: 수많은 관객이 지켜보는 가운데 시상식이 성대하게 열렸다.
More grammar at this level
Learn this phrase by playing: typing drills and quizzes help it stick.
Practice in the gameRead this page in: 日本語 简体中文 繁體中文 Tiếng Việt Bahasa Indonesia Oʻzbekcha Монгол Français Español (México) ไทย