KoreanParticles

ㄴ 지: It's been … since

Target: (으)ㄴ 지 ((eu)n ji)

Theory
Practice

beginner

Says how long it's been since something happened: 온 지 한 달 됐어요 (on ji han dal dwaesseoyo), "it's been a month since I came".

Checked against the official learner dictionary from the National Institute of Korean Language

Verb stem+(으)ㄴ 지(eu)n ji+Time+됐어요dwaesseoyo it's been (time) since …
  • After a vowel or ㄹ (which drops): ㄴ 지. After other consonants: 은 지.
  • Write 지 with a space before it: 온 지 on ji.

Build it

오다oda온 지on jisince (I) came
먹다meokda먹은 지meogeun jisince (I) ate
살다salda산 지san jisince (I) started living here
시작하다sijakada시작한 지sijakan jisince (it) started

When to use it

How long

The time comes after.

서울에 산 지 삼 년 됐어요.seoure san ji sam nyeon dwaesseoyo.I've lived in Seoul for three years.

Asking how long

얼마나 됐어요? eolmana dwaesseoyo

결혼한 지 얼마나 됐어요?gyeolhonhan ji eolmana dwaesseoyo?How long have you been married?

Not long ago

얼마 안 됐어요 eolma an dwaesseoyo.

이사한 지 얼마 안 됐어요.isahan ji eolma an dwaesseoyo.I moved here not long ago.

Watch out

온지 한 달 됐어요.
온 지 한 달 됐어요.on ji han dal dwaesseoyo.It's been a month since I came.

Write 지 with a space before it.

살은 지
산 지san jisince I started living here

A final ㄹ drops: 산 san.

In context

9 examples
  1. 1

    한국어를 배운 지 두 달 됐어요.

    Hangugeoreul baeun ji du dal dwaesseoyo.

    I've been learning Korean for two months.

  2. 2

    밥 먹은 지 얼마 안 됐어요.

    Bap meogeun ji eolma an dwaesseoyo.

    I ate not long ago.

  3. 3

    친구를 만난 지 오래됐어요.

    Chingureul mannan ji oraedwaesseoyo.

    It's been a long time since I saw my friend.

  4. 4

    이 회사에서 일한 지 벌써 오 년이 넘었어요.

    I hoesaeseo ilhan ji beolsseo o nyeoni neomeosseoyo.

    I've been working at this company for over five years already.

  5. 5

    마지막으로 본 지 꽤 됐네요.

    Majimageuro bon ji kkwae dwaenneyo.

    It's been quite a while since we last saw each other.

  6. 6

    담배를 끊은 지 한 달 됐어요.

    Dambaereul kkeuneun ji han dal dwaesseoyo.

    It's been a month since I quit smoking.

  7. 7

    한국에 온 지 얼마나 됐어요?

    Hanguge on ji eolmana dwaesseoyo?

    How long have you been in Korea?

  8. 8

    그 영화를 본 지 오래돼서 잘 기억이 안 나요.

    Geu yeonghwareul bon ji oraedwaeseo jal gieogi an nayo.

    It's been so long since I saw that movie that I don't really remember it.

  9. 9

    이 책을 읽기 시작한 지 일주일 됐어요.

    I chaegeul ikgi sijakan ji iljuil dwaesseoyo.

    I started reading this book a week ago.

Practice

8 questions
Which form?1 / 8

오다 + (으)ㄴ 지

Space or no space?

The 지 in this lesson means "time since", and it's written with a space: 온 지 on ji. Without a space, -ㄴ지 is a different ending that means "whether" or "what":

  • 한국에 온 지 일주일 됐어요. hanguge on ji iljuil dwaesseoyo "It's been a week since I came to Korea."
  • 그 사람이 어디 사는지 몰라요. geu sarami eodi saneunji mollayo "I don't know where he lives."

(으)ㄴ 지 or (으)ㄴ 후에?

(으)ㄴ 후에 is "after", and says what happened next. (으)ㄴ 지 counts the time that has passed since then:

  • 밥을 먹은 후에 산책했어요. babeul meogeun hue sanchaekaesseoyo "I went for a walk after eating."
  • 밥을 먹은 지 한 시간 됐어요. babeul meogeun ji han sigan dwaesseoyo "It's been an hour since I ate."

Look it up in the dictionary

The entry for 으ㄴ 지 in two trusted Korean dictionaries.

으ㄴ 지 in the Naver Korean Dictionary (in Korean) 으ㄴ 지 in the Basic Korean Dictionary (NIKL) (with English)
Share: