LEARN + KOREAN / 52 of 125 TOPIK I

While -면서

You listen to music while washing the dishes: 음악을 들으면서 설거지해요. Attach -(으)면서 to show two actions overlap in time. The same subject usually does both.

A useful way to read it is “while doing [the -면서 action], [the main action].” -면서 attaches to a verb, not to an object. In 커피를 마시면서 음악을 들어요, 마시다 becomes 마시면서, giving “While drinking coffee, I listen to music.” The object particles stay with their nouns: 커피를 goes with 마시다, and 음악을 goes with 듣다. The two actions overlap; -면서 does not by itself mean one starts before the other.

keopireul masimyeonseo eumageul deureoyo.

While drinking coffee, I listen to music.

Hint · 힌트

-고 just lists two actions, with no relationship implied. -아서/어서 can connect actions in sequence, where the first leads into the second. -면서 presents overlapping actions: read the -면서 clause as “while doing X,” followed by the main action.

papkoneul meogeumyeonseo kollareul masigo yeonghwareul bwayo.

While eating popcorn, I drink cola and watch a movie.

eumageul deureumyeonseo sanchaekhaeyo.

While listening to music, I take a walk.

eumsigeul mandeulmyeonseo tibeureul bwayo.

While preparing food, I watch TV.

daehakgyoe danimyeonseo areubaiteureul haeyo.

While attending university, I work part-time.

Hint · 힌트

-면서 requires the same subject doing both actions. 제가 커피를 마시면서 친구가 이야기해요 (“I drink coffee while my friend talks”) doesn’t work, the two halves need one shared subject doing both things.

chingureul gidarimyeonseo chaegeul ilgeoyo.

While waiting for a friend, I read a book.

yeohaengeul danimyeonseo oegugeoreul gongbuhaeyo.

While traveling, I study foreign languages.

Vocabulary

Korean	English
팝콘 papkon	popcorn
콜라 kolla	cola
다니다 danida	to attend, to commute to regularly
외국어 oegugeo	foreign language
설거지 seolgeoji	dishwashing
청소 cheongso	cleaning
빨래 ppallae	laundry
동시에 dongsie	at the same time
잠깐 jamkkan	for a moment, briefly
계속 gyesok	continuously, keep on (doing)
틈틈이 teumteumi	whenever there's a spare moment
딴생각하다 ttansaenggakhada	to let your mind wander, to think of something else
한꺼번에 hankkeobeone	all at once
여유 yeoyu	free time, leisure
집중하다 jipjunghada	to concentrate
산만하다 sanmanhada	to be distracted, scattered
틈 teum	a gap, spare moment
순간 sungan	moment, instant
동안 dongan	during, for the duration of
잠시 jamsi	briefly, for a moment

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