Middle School - Grade 7
Lesson 7: "During..."
-는 동안
Talking About Duration
This grammar point, **-는 동안**, is used to talk about the entire *period of time* during which an action happens.
It's different from `-(으)면서` (multitasking). `-는 동안` focuses on the *timeframe* itself. It can also be used with nouns by attaching **동안** directly.
• -는 동안 = "during the time..." (used with verbs)
• Noun + 동안 = "during..." (e.g., "during vacation")
The Conjugation Rules
This grammar attaches to action verbs and nouns.
Action Verb Stems
... + 는 동안
가다 가는 동안
"During the time (I) go..."
먹다 먹는 동안
"During the time (I) eat..."
Nouns
... + 동안
방학 방학 동안
"During vacation..."
수업 수업 동안
"During class..."
Examples in Action
WITH A VERB
여행하는 동안 사진을 많이 찍었어요.
I took a lot of pictures while I was traveling.
WITH A NOUN
방학 동안 뭐 했어요?
What did you do during vacation?
DIFFERENCE FROM -면서
수업 동안 잤어요. (X)
This is awkward. It means you slept for the *entire duration* of the class.
수업하는 동안 잤어요. (O)
I slept while class was happening. (More natural)
공부하면서 잤어요. (X)
Impossible! You can't study *and* sleep at the same time.
Coming Up Next...
You're mastering time-related grammar! Next, you'll learn how to express how much time has passed *since* you did something (e.g., "It has been one year *since* I came to Korea.").