Hello, wonderful language learners!
Today, we are diving headfirst into yet another fabulous Korean grammar point – the “는 김에” structure! Oh, the joys of Korean grammar, am I right? They’re like the secret ingredients in a delicious Bibimbap—maybe not the star of the show, but oh-so-important for the overall taste. And trust me, you do NOT want to skip this one!
“는 김에” might look like it’s doing a secret handshake with your brain, but fear not, dear learners! In English, it’s equivalent to “while,” “since,” or “as long as.” This structure is used when you want to express doing something else while you’re at a certain action or situation.
If you think about it, this grammar point is pretty much the Korean version of multi-tasking! And who doesn’t love being efficient? Plus, who knows when you’ll need to say, “Well, since I’m already out, I might as well buy some kimchi…” or “While I’m studying Korean, I could listen to some K-Pop!”
So buckle up everyone, as we embark on a delightful journey of efficiency and multi-tasking, Korean style! Are you ready to conquer “는 김에”? Let’s go!
Conjugation
VERB STEM + 는 김에
- Take a verb i.e. 가다
- Drop “다” i.e. 가
- Add 는 김에 i.e. 가는 김에 (While going)
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 는 김에 –> 먹는 김에
- 사다 –> 사 + 는 김에 –> 사는 김에
- 주다 –> 주 + 는 김에 –> 주는 김에
- 보다 –> 보 + 는 김에 –> 보는 김에
Understanding the meaning of -는 김에
The expression “-는 김에” is used to indicate that you might as well do something or take advantage of a situation because the circumstances allow for it. It can be translated into English as “while,” “since,” or “might as well,” depending on the context.
This pattern is attached to a verb stem, and it expresses the idea that while you’re doing something or in the situation expressed in the first clause, you will/should/might as well do something else (as expressed in the second clause).
For example:
- 상점에 가는 김에 우유도 사올게요. – Since I’m going to the store, I might as well buy some milk.
- 친구를 만나는 김에 선물을 줄 거에요. – Since I’m meeting my friend, I will give her a gift.
Keep in mind that “-는 김에” should be used in contexts where the two actions (in the first and the second clause) occur at roughly the same time and the second action is taking advantage of the situation or the occurrence of the first action. It implies that you were not originally planning to do the second action, but now that you are doing the first one, you might as well do the second one.
This is a handy grammar pattern to know, as it can make your Korean sound more fluid and natural. Practice using it in different contexts to get comfortable with it!
Past tense
The Korean grammatical expression “-는 김에” is generally used in the present or future tenses, expressing an intention to do something else while you’re doing something or since you’re in a certain situation.
However, if you want to express something that happened in the past using a similar structure, you would use “-ㄴ/은 김에” instead of “-는 김에”. This is used when the action in the second clause has already been completed, and it translates to “while I was at it”, “since I was already…”, or “since I did…”
VERB STEM + ㄴ/은 김에
- Take a verb i.e. 가다
- Drop “다” i.e. 가
- Add the appropriate ending based on the rules below i.e. 간 김에 (While I went)
- If the verb ends in a vowel, add ㄴ 김에
- If the verb ends in a consonant, add 은 김에
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 은 김에 –> 먹은 김에
- 사다 –> 사 + ㄴ 김에 –> 산 김에
- 주다 –> 주 + ㄴ 김에 –> 준 김에
- 보다 –> 보 + ㄴ 김에 –> 본 김에
- 밥을 먹은 김에 설거지도 했어요. – Since I ate, I did the dishes as well.
- 영화를 본 김에 팝콘도 먹었어요. – Since I watched a movie, I ate popcorn as well.
- 서점에 간 김에 책을 샀어요. – Since I went to the bookstore, I bought a book.
In each of these examples, the first action is something that was done in the past, and the second action is something else that was done because of or during the first action. This usage isn’t as common as the “-는 김에” structure, but it can be handy in some contexts. It can be used when recounting past actions or when talking about a habit or routine.
Please note that the subject of the first and second clause has to be the same when using this structure.
Examples
- 서울에 가는 김에 롯데 타워를 방문하려고 해요. – Since I’m going to Seoul, I plan to visit the Lotte Tower.
- 공원에 가는 김에 개를 산책 시킬거에요. – Since I’m going to the park, I will walk the dog.
- 도서관에 가는 김에 책을 반납하겠습니다. – Since I’m going to the library, I will return the books.
- 말이 나온 김에 다음에 거기 다시 갈까요? – Speaking of which, shall we go there next time?
Activity 1
- 슈퍼마켓에 ____________ 과일을 사올게요. – Since I’m going to the supermarket, I will buy some fruit.
- 서점에 ___________ 새 소설을 살 거에요. – Since I’m going to the bookstore, I will buy the new novel.
- 밖에 _________ 우유를 사요. – Since you went outside, buy some milk.
- 여기까지 __________ 밥을 먹을까요? – Since we came here, shall we eat food?
- 쇼핑 ____________ 새로운 신발 샀어요. – Since I was shopping I bought new shoes.
Activity 1 Answers
- 슈퍼마켓에 가는 김에 과일을 사올게요. – Since I’m going to the supermarket, I will buy some fruit.
- 서점에 가는 김에 새 소설을 살 거에요. – Since I’m going to the bookstore, I will buy the new novel.
- 밖에 나가있는 김에 우유를 사요. – Since you went outside, buy some milk.
- 여기까지 온 김에 밥을 먹을까요? – Since we came here, shall we eat food?
- 쇼핑 한 김에 새로운 신발 샀어요. – Since I was shopping I bought new shoes.
Wrap up
And that’s a wrap, folks! You’ve just taken a ride on the “는 김에” and “ㄴ/은 김에” rollercoaster, and guess what? You’ve survived!
I hope you enjoyed it and you’re now feeling confident with these handy structures. Don’t forget, even if you stumble a little now, practice will keep you steady. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day… and neither was Korean!
If you feel like you learned something new today, or if you’ve got questions, or if you just want to tell me about your favorite Korean dish (I’m partial to a good bibimbap myself), leave a comment below! Let’s make learning Korean a community affair!
Thank you for sticking around till the end of this lesson. Until next time, remember: if you ever find yourself in Korea with a grumbling stomach, you might as well say, “밥 먹는 김에 라면도 먹자!” (Since we’re eating rice, let’s eat ramen too!). See you next time, my awesome Korean learners! Keep shining!