-는 동안(에) Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

Before you start: you should know -(으)면서 ("while", for one person) and how to make polite present and past sentences. You should also know how to find a verb stem (the dictionary form without its final 다, such as 요리하 in 요리하다). Estimated time: 15 minutes.

What Does -는 동안(에) Grammar Mean?

-는 동안(에) grammar means "while" or "during": it names a stretch of time and says that something else happens inside it. In 제가 요리하는 동안 아이는 숙제를 했어요, the cooking is the time frame, and the homework fills it. It works as a connector, a form that links one clause to the next, but it is built from a modifier ending plus a noun rather than one connective ending (연결 어미, yeongyeol eomi).

The pattern has three parts. The first is the verb stem, such as 요리하. The second is -는, the present modifier ending, which turns the verb into a description of the noun that follows. The third is 동안, a noun that means "a period of time". Together they mean "the period in which I cook". A modifier ending is a verb ending that lets a verb describe a noun. The optional 에 marks the period as a time.

Notice that the first clause says 하는, 있는 and 기다리는 in every case, even though all three sentences describe the past. The next section shows how to build the form.

How Do You Form -는 동안(에)?

You form -는 동안 by adding -는 to a verb stem, then 동안. There is only one version of the ending, so you never choose between -는 and -은. Nouns take 동안 directly, with a space.

Revised Romanization (RR, the official Latin spelling) writes the sound change in these forms, so 먹는 is meongneun. It does not show tensing caused by a neighbouring sound.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

Add -는 동안 after the vowel and say it as written: 가는 동안, 자는 동안, 기다리는 동안, 요리하는 동안. There is no sound change.

Stems Ending in a Consonant

Add -는 동안 after the final consonant, with no linking 으. The final consonant then meets the ㄴ of -는, and it changes through nasalization (the final sound turns into a nasal such as ㅇ, ㄴ or ㅁ). The Standard Pronunciation Rules (표준 발음법, Articles 9, 10, 11 and 18) give the pattern:

• Final ㄱ becomes ㅇ: 먹는 [멍는].
• Final ㄺ is said as ㄱ and then becomes ㅇ: 읽는 [잉는].
• Final ㅅ and ㅆ are said as ㄷ and then become ㄴ: 있는 [인는].
• Final ㅄ is said as ㅂ and then becomes ㅁ: 없는 [엄는].
• Final ㄷ becomes ㄴ: 듣는 [든는].
• Final ㅂ becomes ㅁ: 돕는 [돔는].
• Final ㄵ becomes ㄴ: 앉는 [안는].

The two special stems are 있다 ("to exist") and 없다 ("not to exist"). Although grammar books often list them with adjectives, they take -는, not -ㄴ. Words built on them, such as 맛있다 and 재미없다, do the same. That is why 있는 동안 and 없는 동안 are very common.

Irregular Stems and Nouns

A ㄹ stem drops its ㄹ before -는. This is a regular rule: the ㄹ disappears before ㄴ, ㅂ and ㅅ. So 살다 becomes 사는 동안 (not 살는), 만들다 becomes 만드는 동안, and 놀다 becomes 노는 동안.

Other irregular stems do not change before -는, because -는 begins with a consonant: 듣다 stays 듣는 동안 and 돕다 stays 돕는 동안.

After a noun, use 동안 on its own. A length of time plus 동안 means "for that long": 세 시간 동안 is "for three hours", and 삼 일 동안 is "for three days" [사밀 동안]. An event or period noun plus 동안 means "during": 방학 동안 is "during the vacation". After 이다 ("to be"), use the ㄴ form: 학생인 동안 means "while one is a student" [학쌩인 동안].

Next, here is one full sentence built step by step.

Worked Example: Building a Sentence with -는 동안

You build it in five steps, working from the two actions that happen in the same period. This example makes "While Mom is sleeping, please be quiet".

1. Write both actions with their dictionary verbs. 엄마가 주무시다 and 조용히 하다. (주무시다 is the respectful verb for 자다.)
2. Decide which action sets the time frame. Mom's sleeping is the period, so it goes into the -는 동안 clause.
3. Find the stem of that verb. Remove 다 from 주무시다. The stem is 주무시.
4. Add -는 동안. 주무시 + 는 동안 = 주무시는 동안.
5. Give the last verb its politeness. 하다 becomes the polite request 하세요. Put the clause first: 엄마가 주무시는 동안 조용히 하세요.

Checkpoint. You have it when you can switch the sentence to the past without touching 주무시는 동안. The answer is 엄마가 주무시는 동안 조용히 했어요 [엄마가 주무시는 동안 조용히 해써요]. Only the final verb changes.

The sentence built here is a request. The next section shows which tenses and sentence types can follow -는 동안.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -는 동안?

The main verb can have any tense or sentence type, and the first clause always keeps the -는 form. The ending is a present-tense modifier, but it does not mean "present time". The time is read from the final verb.

A question that uses a question word, such as 무슨 일 ("what happened"), puts the stress on that word and does not end with a sharp rise. The honorific -(으)시- is the ending that shows respect for the subject. See honorific -(으)시- for the ending itself.

Next comes the pattern that learners confuse with -는 동안 most often.

How Is -는 동안(에) Different from -(으)면서 and -(으)ㄹ 때?

-는 동안(에) names a stretch of time, -(으)면서 joins two actions by one person, and -(으)ㄹ 때 points to a moment. All three can be translated as "when" or "while", so the choice depends on the shape of the time. The lesson on -(으)면서 gives the full rules for the first comparison, and the lesson on -(으)ㄹ 때 covers the second.

Compare the pairs. 밥을 먹는 동안 TV를 봤어요 and 밥을 먹으면서 TV를 봤어요 both mean "I watched TV while I ate", and with one subject they overlap. But only 동안 works when the subjects differ: 제가 요리하는 동안 아이는 숙제를 했어요. The other neighbour, -(으)ㄹ 때, points to an occasion. 한국에 있는 동안 means "throughout my stay in Korea", while 한국에 있을 때 means "when I am in Korea", at some point during that time.

A quick test: if you can add "the whole time" to the English, -는 동안 fits. If the English says "when" for one moment, use -(으)ㄹ 때. Next are the useful variations of the pattern.

Variations and Edge Cases of -는 동안(에)

-는 동안(에) has four useful variations: 에, the one-word forms 오랫동안 and 한동안, and the set phrase 그동안.

• 동안 and 동안에. The particle 에 is optional with the "while" meaning: 요리하는 동안 and 요리하는 동안에 mean the same. With a plain length of time, such as 세 시간 동안, the form without 에 is the usual one.
• 오랫동안 (for a long time). This is one word. It is written with ㅅ and said [오래똥안]: 오랫동안 기다렸어요 means "I waited for a long time". RR writes it oraetdongan.
• 한동안 (for a while). This is also one word: 한동안 못 봤어요 means "I haven't seen him or her for a while" [한동안 몯뽜써요].
• 그동안 (in the meantime; all this time). 그동안 잘 지냈어요? means "Have you been well all this time?". It is a common greeting for someone you have not seen for a while.

For more neighbours of this pattern, see Time and Sequence. The related pattern -는 사이(에) points to a gap in which something happened without notice. Next are the errors that appear most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -는 동안(에)?

Learners make five common mistakes with -는 동안(에). Each one follows the pattern "learners often assume X; actually Y, because Z".

1. Using 동안 for a single moment. Learners write 어렸을 동안 to mean "when I was young". Actually 동안 needs a stretch of time, so say 어렸을 때.
2. Putting a past ending before 동안. Learners write 먹었는 동안 or 요리했는 동안. Actually the first clause keeps the -는 form, and the tense goes on the final verb.
3. Forgetting to drop the ㄹ. Learners write 놀는 동안 or 살는 동안. Actually a ㄹ stem drops its ㄹ before ㄴ: 노는 동안, 사는 동안.
4. Using 동안 with a point in time. Learners write 세 시 동안 for "at three o'clock". Actually 동안 needs a length, as in 세 시간 동안 ("for three hours").
5. Splitting one-word forms. Learners write 한 동안 or 오랫 동안. Actually 한동안 and 오랫동안 are single words.

Whenever you reach for "while", check whether the time has a start and an end. Now test yourself.

Practice and Answers

These four exercises check the main skills: joining actions, repairing a mistake and choosing the right word. Try each one before you read the answers.

Exercise 1: Join the actions. Make one sentence with -는 동안: 아이가 자다 + 제가 청소하다. ("The child sleeps" and "I clean".) Use the polite past.

Exercise 2: Fix the error. A learner writes 제가 놀는 동안 친구는 일했어요. Correct it.

Exercise 3: Choose the right word. You want to say "when I was young". Is 동안 right, or 때?

Exercise 4: Translate. "I read a book while I was waiting." (wait = 기다리다, read = 읽다)

Answer Key

• Exercise 1: 아이가 자는 동안 제가 청소했어요. [아이가 자는 동안 제가 청소해써요] The first verb keeps 자는, and 청소했어요 carries the past.
• Exercise 2: 제가 노는 동안 친구는 일했어요. The ㄹ stem 놀 drops its ㄹ before -는.
• Exercise 3: 때. The phrase is 어렸을 때, which points to a moment in life, not to a measured stretch of time.
• Exercise 4: 기다리는 동안 책을 읽었어요. [기다리는 동안 채글 일거써요] The present form 기다리는 stays in the first clause.

If you missed Exercise 1 or 2, return to the five building steps. If you missed Exercise 3, reread the comparison with -(으)ㄹ 때. Next, plan where to go from here.

What Should You Learn Next after -는 동안(에) Grammar?

The best next lesson is -(으)ㄹ 때, the "when" pattern, because it covers the moments that 동안 cannot. Then review -(으)면서 to keep the one-person "while" apart from the period "while". The full set of timing patterns is on Time and Sequence. To see where -는 동안(에) sits in a study plan, use the Beginner Grammar list. The modifier endings behind this pattern are explained in Noun-Modifying Forms.

What this lesson does not cover. It does not cover the near-synonym -는 중에, the related pattern -는 사이(에) beyond the short note above, or long chains of 동안 clauses. The level given here, A2, is an editorial estimate based on common textbook order and TOPIK I, not an official grading.

In short, -는 동안(에) grammar attaches -는 to a verb stem, names a period in which the main action happens, allows two subjects, and puts the tense on the last verb.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does -는 동안(에) mean? -는 동안(에) means "while" or "during". It names a stretch of time and says that something else happens throughout it. 제가 요리하는 동안 아이는 숙제를 했어요 means "While I was cooking, the child did homework". 동안 is a noun for a length of time, so the pattern also works after a time noun, as in 세 시간 동안.

How do I attach -는 동안(에) to a verb or adjective? Remove 다 from a verb and add -는 동안: 가다 becomes 가는 동안, 먹다 becomes 먹는 동안. A ㄹ stem drops its ㄹ: 살다 becomes 사는 동안. Adjectives do not take it, except 있다 and 없다 (있는 동안, 없는 동안). After a noun, add 동안 with a space: 방학 동안, 세 시간 동안.

Can -는 동안(에) be used in the past tense? The main verb can be past, present or future, but the first clause keeps the present form -는, even for past events. Say 한국에 있는 동안 많이 배웠어요, "I learned a lot while I was in Korea". Do not write 있었는 동안. The final verb already shows that the whole period is in the past.

Is -는 동안(에) used in speech or only in writing? -는 동안(에) is used in both and is neutral in tone. The particle 에 is optional: 요리하는 동안 and 요리하는 동안에 mean the same. With a plain length of time, 동안 alone is the usual form, as in 세 시간 동안. The spoken sound to learn is nasalization: 먹는 is said [멍는].

What is the most common mistake with -는 동안(에)? Learners use 동안 for a single moment, where 때 is right. 어렸을 때 means "when I was young", at a point in life. 동안 needs a stretch of time with a start and an end. A second mistake is putting a past ending before 동안, as in 먹었는 동안, where the present 먹는 동안 is correct.

What is the difference between -는 동안(에) and -(으)면서? -는 동안(에) names a period, and the two clauses may have different subjects. -(으)면서 joins two actions by one person at the same moment. 제가 요리하는 동안 아이는 숙제를 했어요 needs 동안 because there are two people. Use -(으)면서 when one person does both things together.