目錄
The Korean expression 「-(으)ㄴ 지 N이/가 되다」 is used to explain how much time has passed since something happened. For example, 「한국어를 배운 지 1년이 됐어요」 does not mean that you studied Korean at some point one year ago. It means that exactly one year has passed from the day you started learning Korean up to now. This expression commonly appears in self-introductions and conversations about moving, length of employment, how long people have known each other, or how long someone has gone without doing something. What tends to cause confusion is that both 「-(으)ㄴ 지」 and 「전에」 seem related to past time, but one expresses how much time has elapsed, while the other expresses how long ago something happened.
When Do You Use Korean 「-(으)ㄴ 지」? From Study Periods to Length of Residence
「-(으)ㄴ 지 N이/가 되다」 expresses how much time has passed since an action occurred or an experience began. The sentence indicates both the starting point from which time is counted and the length of time between that point and the present.
Both 「전에」 and 「-(으)ㄴ 지」 can refer to the past, but their focus is different. 「전에」 answers how long ago something happened, while 「-(으)ㄴ 지」 answers how much time has passed since that event occurred. If you want to say “I started studying one year ago” rather than “I have been studying for one year now,” Korean uses different sentence patterns.
Korean 「-(으)ㄴ 지」 Conjugation Rules: No Batchim, Batchim, and ㄹ Deletion
「-(으)ㄴ 지」 follows a verb, after which a duration is added, followed by 「이/가 되다」. In conversation, it is commonly shortened to 「됐어요」.
| Verb Type | Form | Example | Meaning |
| No batchim | -ㄴ 지 | 오다 → 온 지 | how long it has been since coming |
| Batchim | -은 지 | 먹다 → 먹은 지 | how long it has been since eating |
| ㄹ batchim | Drop ㄹ + ㄴ 지 | 살다 → 산 지 | how long someone has lived somewhere |
| 하다 verb | 한 지 | 공부하다 → 공부한 지 | how long it has been since starting to study |
When the following time noun has a batchim, it takes 「이」; when it does not have a batchim, it takes 「가」. Examples include 「1년이 됐어요」 and 「2주가 됐어요」. In spoken Korean, 「이/가」 after the time expression is often omitted, so 「1년 됐어요」 and 「두 달 됐어요」 are also very common.
Usage ① of 「-(으)ㄴ 지 N이/가 되다」｜Expressing Time Accumulated from the Beginning Until Now
「-(으)ㄴ 지」 can count time from the point when an action was completed, or from the point when an experience began. For example, 「오다」 can describe how much time has passed since someone arrived, while verbs such as 「배우다」 and 「다니다」 are often used to describe how long an experience has continued from its beginning until now. The focus of the sentence is the amount of time that has passed since the starting point, not simply what happened in the past.
- Example: 한국어를 배운 지 1년이 됐어요.
Romanization: han-gu-geo-reul bae-un ji il nyeo-ni dwae-sseo-yo
Translation: I have been learning Korean for one year.
「배운 지」 expresses the length of time from when the person started learning Korean until now. - Example: 서울에 온 지 3개월이 됐어요.
Romanization: seo-u-re on ji sam gae-wo-ri dwae-sseo-yo
Translation: It has been three months since I came to Seoul.
「온 지」 treats the point of arrival in Seoul as the starting point and counts the time up to the present. - Example: 회사에 다닌 지 2년이 됐어요.
Romanization: hoe-sa-e da-nin ji i nyeo-ni dwae-sseo-yo
Translation: I have been working at the company for two years.
「다닌 지」 expresses the accumulated period from when the person started working at the company until now.
Usage ② of 「-(으)ㄴ 지 N이/가 되다」｜Expressing How Long Someone Has Not Done Something
To express that someone has not done something for a certain amount of time, you can use 「안＋verb」 or 「verb＋-지 않다」, as in 「안 만난 지」 or 「마시지 않은 지」. Another common pattern treats the last time an action occurred as the starting point and combines it with 「오래되다」. For example, 「제대로 쉰 지 오래됐어요」 uses the affirmative form 「쉰 지」 on the surface, but the sentence as a whole still means that it has been a long time since the person last rested properly.
- Example: 친구를 안 만난 지 한 달이 됐어요.
Romanization: chin-gu-reul an man-nan ji han da-ri dwae-sseo-yo
Translation: I haven’t seen my friend for a month.
「안 만난 지」 expresses that one month has passed since the last time they met. - Example: 커피를 안 마신 지 일주일이 됐어요.
Romanization: keo-pi-reul an ma-sin ji il-ju-i-ri dwae-sseo-yo
Translation: I haven’t had coffee for a week.
「안 마신 지」 treats the last time the person drank coffee as the starting point and counts the time from then until now. - Example: 제대로 쉰 지 오래됐어요.
Romanization: je-dae-ro swin ji o-rae-dwae-sseo-yo
Translation: It has been a long time since I properly rested.
「쉰 지 오래됐어요」 uses the last time the person properly rested as the starting point, so there is no need to add a separate negative expression. 「오래됐어요」 indicates that a long time has passed since then.
Usage ③ of 「-(으)ㄴ 지 N이/가 되다」｜Asking How Much Time Has Passed
This pattern is also commonly used to ask “How long has it been?” A typical form is 「-(으)ㄴ 지 얼마나 됐어요?」. 「언제 시작했어요?」 asks when something started, while 「얼마나 됐어요?」 asks how much time has passed from the beginning until now. This type of question is often used for experiences such as learning Korean, working, living somewhere, being in a relationship, or using a particular item.
- Example: 한국어를 배운 지 얼마나 됐어요?
Romanization: han-gu-geo-reul bae-un ji eol-ma-na dwae-sseo-yo
Translation: How long have you been learning Korean?
The focus of the question is the length of time from when the person started learning until now. - Example: 이 동네에 산 지 얼마나 됐어요?
Romanization: i dong-ne-e san ji eol-ma-na dwae-sseo-yo
Translation: How long have you lived in this neighborhood?
When 「살다」 takes 「-ㄴ 지」, the ㄹ is dropped, producing 「산 지」. - Example: 그 일을 시작한 지 얼마나 됐어요?
Romanization: geu i-reul si-ja-kan ji eol-ma-na dwae-sseo-yo
Translation: How long has it been since you started that job?
「시작하다」 becomes 「시작한 지」 and is used to ask about the amount of time accumulated since the activity began.
What Is the Difference Between Korean 「-(으)ㄴ 지」 and 「전에」? Comparing Duration and a Point in the Past
| Expression | Focus | Example | Nuance |
| 전에 | how long ago something happened | 1년 전에 한국어 공부를 시작했어요. | Started studying Korean one year ago |
| -(으)ㄴ 지 | how much time has passed from a starting point until now | 한국어를 배운 지 1년이 됐어요. | Have been learning Korean for one year |
▌How to Use 「전에」｜Indicating How Long Ago Something Happened
✅ Past point in time: 1년 전에 한국어 공부를 시작했어요.
Translation: I started studying Korean one year ago.
✅ Elapsed time: 한국어를 배운 지 1년이 됐어요.
Translation: I have been learning Korean for one year.
「전에」 indicates how long ago something happened, but the pattern itself does not state whether the experience has continued until the present. 「-(으)ㄴ 지」, by contrast, directly calculates the amount of time that has passed from the starting point until now.
▌How to Use 「-(으)ㄴ 지」｜Calculating Time from a Starting Point Until Now
✅ Past point in time: 서울에 3개월 전에 왔어요.
Translation: I came to Seoul three months ago.
✅ Elapsed time: 서울에 온 지 3개월이 됐어요.
Translation: It has been three months since I came to Seoul.
Both sentences can describe the same arrival. The first answers “When did you come?”, while the second answers “How long has it been since you came?”
Everyday Examples of Korean 「-(으)ㄴ 지」: Studying, Moving, and Not Seeing Someone for a Long Time
This pattern appears most often in situations such as “introducing yourself,” “asking how someone has been,” and “talking about changes in daily life.” It makes time-related information sound natural and more grounded in everyday conversation than simply stating a year or date.
▌Situation ①｜Introducing Yourself in a Language Class
A：한국어를 배운 지 얼마나 됐어요?
han-gu-geo-reul bae-un ji eol-ma-na dwae-sseo-yo
How long have you been learning Korean?
B：배운 지 6개월이 됐어요.
bae-un ji yuk gae-wo-ri dwae-sseo-yo
I’ve been learning for six months.
📌 Grammar Point: 「배운 지」 expresses the length of time from when the person started learning until now.
▌Situation ②｜Moving to a New City
A：부산에 온 지 오래됐어요?
bu-sa-ne on ji o-rae-dwae-sseo-yo
Have you been in Busan for a long time?
B：아니요. 온 지 두 달밖에 안 됐어요.
a-ni-yo. on ji du dal-ba-kke an dwae-sseo-yo
No. It’s only been two months since I came.
📌 Grammar Point: 「밖에 안 됐어요」 indicates that the amount of time is shorter than expected and is often translated as “only” or “just.”
▌Situation ③｜Not Having Seen Each Other for a Long Time
A：두 분은 마지막으로 만난 지 얼마나 됐어요?
du bu-neun ma-ji-ma-geu-ro man-nan ji eol-ma-na dwae-sseo-yo
How long has it been since you two last met?
B：거의 1년이 됐어요.
geo-ui il-nyeo-ni dwae-sseo-yo
It’s been almost a year.
📌 Grammar Point: The first sentence uses 「만난 지」 to establish the last meeting as the starting point, and the second sentence gives the amount of elapsed time.
Cultural Notes:
- 「얼마나 됐어요?」 asks how much time has passed, while 「언제 시작했어요?」 asks when something started. The two questions seek different information.
- 「밖에 안 됐어요」 indicates that only a certain amount of time has passed and carries the sense that the period is still not very long. For example, 「두 달밖에 안 됐어요」 means “It has only been two months.”
- If you do not remember the exact amount of time, or there is no need to give a specific number, expressions such as 「오래됐어요」「꽤 됐어요」「얼마 안 됐어요」 can be used.
How Does Korean 「-(으)ㄴ 지 N이/가 되다」 Compare with Japanese 「Vて＋期間＋になる」?
◆ Similar Grammar: Japanese 「Vて＋期間＋になる」
Japanese can use 「verb in て-form＋duration＋になる」 to express how much time has passed since something happened or began. For example, 「日本に来て1年になります」 means that one year has passed from the point when the person came to Japan until now.
- Example: 韓国語の勉強を始めて一年になります。
Kana: かんこくごのべんきょうをはじめていちねんになります。
Translation: It has been one year since I started studying Korean.
「勉強を始めて」 explicitly establishes the point when the person started studying Korean as the starting point, making its meaning close to 「한국어를 배운 지 1년이 됐어요」. - Example: 東京に来て三か月になります。
Kana: とうきょうにきてさんかげつになります。
Translation: It has been three months since I came to Tokyo.
Japanese uses 「東京に来て」 to establish the starting point, while Korean uses 「서울에 온 지」 to express the time that has passed since arrival.
◆ Core Difference from 「-(으)ㄴ 지 N이/가 되다」:
In Korean, the past adnominal form 「-ㄴ／-은」 and the dependent noun 「지」 follow the verb, and you also need to pay attention to batchim and ㄹ deletion. Japanese instead uses the verb’s て-form, followed by a duration and 「になります」. When it is necessary to emphasize “since doing something,” Japanese can also use 「Vてから」.
「-(으)ㄴ 지 N이/가 되다」 describes the amount of time that has passed from a particular starting point until now. It can be used to say how long someone has studied Korean, how long someone has lived somewhere, how long someone has known another person, or how long it has been since they last met. 「전에」, on the other hand, places an event at a particular point in the past. 「얼마나 됐어요?」 asks how much time has passed, not for a specific date. Both expressions are related to the past, but they answer different questions.
Common FAQs
It can be used with most verbs, but the form changes depending on whether the verb has a batchim. Verbs without a batchim take 「-ㄴ 지」, verbs with a batchim take 「-은 지」, and verbs ending in ㄹ drop the ㄹ before taking 「-ㄴ 지」.
It is usually understood to mean that one year has passed since the person started learning Korean. Whether they are still studying depends on the context, although this sentence is commonly used to describe an experience that remains relevant to the present.
Yes. If you do not want to give an exact number, you can say 「한 지 오래됐어요」, meaning that it has been a long time since doing something.
The former asks how much time has passed, while the latter asks when something started. If the focus is the length of time, 「얼마나 됐어요?」 is more natural.
The most common form is 「N이/가 됐어요」, but depending on the context, expressions such as 「넘었어요」 and 「밖에 안 됐어요」 can also be used to indicate that a period has exceeded a certain point or has not yet been very long.