-(으)ㄴ 지
How Long Since, Whether
This pattern has two main uses. The first is to talk about time: 'It's been one year since I came to Korea' (한국에 온 지 1년 됐어요). The second is to express uncertainty about a state: 'I don't know whether it's expensive' (비싼지 모르겠어요).
How It Works
This pattern has two primary meanings that are distinguished by context. It's important to identify which meaning is being used.
1. Time Elapsed ('since')
This usage measures the amount of time that has passed since an action was completed. It always refers to a past event.
Conjugation (Action Verbs):
- Verb stems ending in a vowel or ㄹ: Add -ㄴ 지
- 오다 → 온 지 (since coming)
- 살다 → 산 지 (since living) - Verb stems ending in a consonant: Add -은 지
- 먹다 → 먹은 지 (since eating)
The typical sentence structure is:
Verb-(으)ㄴ 지 + [Time Period] + 되다/넘다/지나다.
Example: 한국에 온 지 1년이 되었어요. (It's been one year since I came to Korea.)
2. Uncertainty ('whether')
This usage embeds a question about a state or quality into a larger sentence. This form is part of the broader -(으)ㄴ/는지 family of endings used for indirect questions. This specific -(으)ㄴ 지 form is used for descriptive verbs and 이다.
Conjugation (Descriptive Verbs & 이다):
- Important: the 'whether' ending is written with NO space — 큰지, 작은지, 학생인지 — while the spaced form -(으)ㄴ 지 means 'since'.
- Descriptive verb stems ending in a vowel or ㄹ: Add -ㄴ지
- 크다 → 큰지 (whether it's big)
- 멀다 → 먼지 (whether it's far) - Descriptive verb stems ending in a consonant: Add -은지
- 작다 → 작은지 (whether it's small) - Nouns (with 이다): Noun + -(이)ㄴ지
- 학생이다 → 학생인지 (whether someone is a student)
This clause is usually followed by verbs of knowing, asking, or wondering, such as 알다, 모르다, 궁금하다.
Example: 그 사람이 학생인지 모르겠어요. (I don't know whether that person is a student.)
How to tell them apart?
Look at what follows -(으)ㄴ 지. If you see a time period and verbs like 되다, 넘다, or 지나다, it means 'since'. If you see verbs like 알다, 모르다, or 궁금하다, it means 'whether'.
Examples (5)
- 한국에 온 지 1년이 되었어요.
It has been one year since I came to Korea.
Word by Word: To Korea came since 1 year became.
This example shows the 'time elapsed' meaning. '온 지' marks the point in time when the speaker came to Korea.
- 점심 먹은 지 얼마나 됐어요?
How long has it been since you ate lunch?
Word by Word: Lunch ate since how long became?
A common question using the 'time elapsed' pattern with a consonant-stem verb (먹다 → 먹은 지).
- 이 옷이 저한테 작은지 한번 입어 볼게요.
I'll try on these clothes to see if they are small for me.
Word by Word: These clothes to me small whether one time will try wearing.
Here, the descriptive verb 작다 (to be small) becomes 작은지 to express the uncertainty 'whether it is small'.
- 그 사람이 학생인지 아닌지 잘 모르겠어요.
I'm not sure whether that person is a student or not.
Word by Word: That person student whether not student whether well don't know.
This example shows the 'uncertainty' meaning with a noun. '학생인지' embeds the question 'Is that person a student?' into the sentence.
- 날씨가 좋은지 나쁜지 창밖을 보세요.
Look out the window to see whether the weather is good or bad.
Word by Word: Weather good whether bad whether window outside please look.
This uses the descriptive verb 좋다 (to be good) to form 좋은지, meaning 'whether it's good'.
Common Mistakes
Using the present tense form -는지 for the 'time elapsed' meaning.
Not Quite서울에 오는지 1년 됐어요.Better서울에 온 지 1년 됐어요.The 'time elapsed' meaning always refers to an action that was completed in the past. Therefore, you must use the past tense modifier form -(으)ㄴ, not the present tense action verb form -는.
Confusing -(으)ㄴ 지 (since) with -는 동안 (while/during).
Not Quite한국에 사는 지 재미있는 일이 많았어요.Better한국에 사는 동안 재미있는 일이 많았어요.-(으)ㄴ 지 marks the starting point of a duration ('since'). -는 동안 refers to the entire period during which an action takes place ('while' or 'during'). To talk about things that happened during your time in Korea, use -는 동안.
Learn This First
To express 'how long since/whether', you need modifier forms and conjugation.
Related Patterns
- -ㄴ지/는지Whether, If
This is the broader pattern for expressing uncertainty ('whether'). -(으)ㄴ 지 is the form used for descriptive verbs and 이다, while -는지 is used for action verbs in the present tense.
- -ㄴ/은Adjective Noun Modifier
The 'time elapsed' usage of -(으)ㄴ 지 comes from the past-tense noun modifier -(으)ㄴ combined with the noun 지, which in this context means 'the time/occasion of'.
- -는 동안While, During
Contrast: While -(으)ㄴ 지 marks the starting point of a duration ('since'), -는 동안 describes the entire period an action occurs ('while' or 'during').
- -ㄴ 다음에/후에After -ing
Contrast: -(으)ㄴ 지 focuses on the duration since an event (e.g., 'It's been 3 hours since I ate'). -(으)ㄴ 후에 focuses on the sequence after an event (e.g., 'I will wash the dishes after I eat').