KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -는 김에
Korean Grammar “-는 김에”: Meaning and Usage (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 | 보는 김에 | boneun gime |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽는 김에 | ingneun gime |
| 하다 | to do | 하는 김에 | haneun gime |
| 살다 | to live | 사는 김에 | saneun gime |
What changes
- For verbs, -는 attaches directly to the stem (읽 → 읽는). A stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ first (살 → 사는).
Explanation
시장에 가는 김에 과일도 좀 사 올게요.
“-는 김에” means “while I’m at it / taking the opportunity of doing …,” and is used when you do something extra along with the main action. It attaches to a verb stem and both clauses share a subject. The sentence means “Since I’m going to the market anyway, I’ll buy some fruit too.” “-는 바람에” gives a negative cause, so it does not fit here.
시장에 가는 김에 과일도 좀 사 오세요.
“-는 김에” means “while you’re at it / since you are ~ anyway” and is used when you take the chance of one action to do something else too. It attaches to a verb stem, and commands, suggestions, and statements of intent can follow. The sentence means “Since you’re going to the market anyway, please buy some fruit too.”
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 시장에 가는 김에 과일도 좀 사 올게요.
In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 시장에 | ||
| 시 | ㅅ+ㅣ | si |
| 장 | ㅈ+ㅏ+ㅇ | jang |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | e |
| 가는 | ||
| 가 | ㄱ+ㅏ | ga |
| 는 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄴ | neun |
| 김에 | ||
| 김 | ㄱ+ㅣ+ㅁ | [기] gi |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | [메] me |
| 과일도 | ||
| 과 | ㄱ+ㅘ | gwa |
| 일 | ㅇ+ㅣ+ㄹ | il |
| 도 | ㄷ+ㅗ | do |
| 좀 | ㅈ+ㅗ+ㅁ | jom |
| 사 | ㅅ+ㅏ | sa |
| 올게요 | ||
| 올 | ㅇ+ㅗ+ㄹ | ol |
| 게 | ㄱ+ㅔ | [께] ge |
| 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. 김에 → [기메]
- Tensing: after a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ sound, ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ and ㅈ become tense (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ). 올게 → [올께]
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.
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 시장에 가는 ____ 과일도 좀 사 올게요.
Show the answer
Answer: 시장에 가는 김에 과일도 좀 사 올게요.
Question 2 Choose the word that fits the blank: 시장에 가는 ____ 과일도 좀 사 오세요.
Show the answer
Answer: 시장에 가는 김에 과일도 좀 사 오세요.
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