Don’t use 동안 to say how long you have been learning or studying Korean. In this lesson I'll show you a better way you can say this.
To clarify, both ways are okay - but the method I will teach can be seen as more natural than using 동안.
When you want to talk about the amount of time It has been that you have been studying Korean don’t use 동안 & 배우고 있다. There’s a specific grammar that you’re supposed to use hear to illustrate the amount of time you have been studying.
(으)ㄴ지 Indicates how much time has passed since some situation or action occured and can be translated as “Since”. You’ll see a few different verbs attached to this, It can be said in a variety of ways.
(으)ㄴ지 ~되다 , (으)ㄴ지 ~넘다, (으)ㄴ지 ~안 되다
You will hear this when Koreans ask you “how long have you been studying Korean?” or “How long have been here?”.
Ends in Vowel or ㄹ = ㄴ지
Ends in Consonant = 은지
Questions You May Get Asked:
한국어를 공부한 지 얼마나 됐어요?
How long have you been studying Korean?
언제부터 한국어를 공부했어요?
When did you start studying Korean?
Examples Of How To Respond:
한국어를 공부한 지 1년 됐어요.
I have been studying Korean for 1 year.
한국어를 공부한 지 6개월이 되었어요.
It’s been 6 months since I began studying Korean.
More Examples Of This Grammar:
이 회사에서 일한 지 세 달 됐습니다.
I've been working for this company for three months.
점심을 먹은 지 한 시간이 지났어요.
It’s been an hour since I had lunch.
이 휴대폰은 산 지 하루 만에 고장이 났어.
This cell phone broke down a day after I bought it.
민조 씨가 집으로 간 지 한 시간이 넘었는데요?
It’s been over an hour since Minjo went home?
우리는 만난 지 이 년 되는 날에 결혼하기로 했어요.
We decided to get married two years after we met.
민준이는 담배를 끊은 지 이제 한 달이 되었어요.
It's been a month since Minjun quit smoking.
그 책을 읽은 지 오래돼서 내용이 잘 기억나지 않아요.
It's been a long time since I read the book, so I don't remember the contents well.
밥 먹은 지 얼마 안 돼서 배가 안 고파요.
I'm not hungry because I just ate not long ago.
I made an Instagram post about this - Here.
It’s your turn now, I’ll ask you: 여러분 한국어를 공부한 지 얼마나 됐어요? (Comment below in Korean how long you’ve been studying)