Part 16 - Time Expressions

In this lesson, we will learn how to express before, after, and during in Korean using common time-related grammar patterns. These patterns appear often in TOPIK I and in daily Korean conversations.

📌Part 16.1 - 전에 — Before

전에 means “before” and is used after a noun or a verb stem + 기.

Structure: Noun + 전에 / Verb stem + 기 전에

Examples:

• 학교 전에 커피를 마셔요. → I drink coffee before school.
• 자기 전에 책을 읽어요. → I read a book before sleeping.

📌Part 16.2 - 후에 / 다음에 — After

후에 and 다음에 both mean “after.” They are used after a noun or a verb stem + (으)ㄴ 후에 / (으)ㄴ 다음에.

Structure: Noun + 후에 / 다음에 OR Verb stem + (으)ㄴ 후에 / (으)ㄴ 다음에

Examples:

• 수업 후에 친구를 만나요. → I meet my friend after class.
• 운동 한 후에 샤워해요. → I take a shower after exercising.
• 점심 먹은 다음에 산책해요. → I take a walk after eating lunch.

📌Part 16.3 - 동안 — During, For (Duration of Time)

동안 is used to express a period of time or duration. It follows time expressions.

Structure: Time word + 동안

Examples:

• 2시간 동안 공부했어요. → I studied for 2 hours.
• 여행 동안 사진을 많이 찍었어요. → I took a lot of photos during the trip.

Summary

Use 전에 to say what happens before something.
Use 후에 / 다음에 to say what happens after something.
Use 동안 to express during or for a duration of time.

Common TOPIK I Patterns

• Verb stem + 기 전에 → Before (verb)ing
• Verb stem + (으)ㄴ 후에 / (으)ㄴ 다음에 → After (verb)ing
• Time + 동안 → For (duration of time)
• 수업 전에 / 후에 → Before / after class
• 2시간 동안 → For 2 hours

End of Lesson

Now you know how to use 전에, 후에 / 다음에, and 동안 to talk about time in Korean! These patterns are very useful in TOPIK I and everyday conversation. Practice making sentences with time expressions to improve your fluency and confidence.

Happy studying! 화이팅! ✨

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