대신에, -는 대신에: Instead of

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안녕하세요 여러분!

Welcome to our new Korean grammar lesson, this time we’re going to explore the concept of “대신에, -는 대신에”. These expressions are used quite often in Korean language, and understanding them will allow you to express yourself more fluently and accurately.

In English, “대신에, -는 대신에” are roughly equivalent to “instead of” or “in place of”, allowing you to explain replacements or alternatives in actions or decisions. They are important tools in creating complex and meaningful sentences in Korean.

This lesson will walk you through the definitions, usages, and variations of “대신에, -는 대신에”. We will also practice constructing sentences with plenty of examples, which will help you get a feel for how these expressions are used in various contexts.

Let’s dive into the world of “대신에, -는 대신에” and add another dimension to your Korean language skills. Prepare to take notes, practice along, and let’s begin!

Conjugation

NOUN + 대신에

  1. Take a noun i.e. 사과
  2. Add 대신에 i.e. 사과 대신에

Understanding the meaning of “대신에”

The word “대신에” means “in return” or “instead” and constitutes of the word “대신” which is a “replacement” or “return”. We add the marking particle “에”.

It is often used to express the meaning of “instead of” or “in place of” in English. It’s used to show that one action, event, or thing is replaced by another.

Here are some examples of how “대신에” is used in sentences:

  1. 공부 대신에 게임을 했어요. – I played games instead of studying.
  2. 우리는 버스 대신에 지하철을 탔어요. – We took the subway instead of the bus.
  3. 치킨 대신에 피자를 주문했어요. – I ordered pizza instead of chicken.

You can see that in each case, “대신에” is used after the thing that is replaced. It’s a very handy expression to learn as it can help you describe situations where you want to talk about choosing one thing over another or doing one action in place of another.

Conjugation of 대신에 with verbs

VERB STEM + -는 대신에

  1. Take a verb i.e. 가다
  2. Drop “다” i.e. 가
  3. Add 는 대신에 i.e. 가는 대신에 (Instead of going)
  • 먹다 –> 먹 + 는 대신에 –> 먹는 대신에 (Instead of eating)
  • 오다 –> 오 + 는 대신에 –> 오ㅍ (Instead of coming)
  • 보다 –> 보 + 는 대신에 –> 보는 대신에 (Instead of looking)
  • 하다 –> 하 + 는 대신에–> 하는 대신에 (Instead of doing)

Understanding -는 대신에


The phrase “-는 대신에” is also a Korean conjunction, similar to “대신에”, and it’s used to mean “instead of” or “in place of” in English. However, there is a slight difference in the way we use “-는 대신에” and “대신에”. “대신에” is used with nouns, and “-는 대신에” is used with verbs.

“-는 대신에” is used when you want to indicate that one action is being done instead of another action.

Here are a few examples to illustrate the usage:

  1. 집에 있는 대신에 친구를 만나러 나갔어요. – Instead of staying at home, I went out to meet my friends.
  2. 택시를 타는 대신에 걸어갔어요. – Instead of taking a taxi, I walked.
  3. 케이크를 먹는 대신에 과일을 먹었어요. – Instead of eating cake, I ate fruit.

As seen in these examples, “-는 대신에” is used to contrast two actions and emphasize that one action was chosen over another. This grammatical structure is incredibly useful for expressing alternatives or preferences in actions.

“대신에” can also be used to imply the meaning of “in return for + Verb+ing”. In this usage, it’s used to express an exchange or a trade-off between two actions or situations.

It is important to note that in this case, it’s the context that really determines this meaning. You would typically find this usage of “대신에” in sentences where there is a clear sense of a favour or an action done for someone, and then a different action is performed in return.

Here are some examples:

  1. 저는 친구한테 한국어를 가르치기 대신에 친구가 저한테 스페인어를 가르쳐 줬어요. – I taught my friend Korean, and in return, he taught me Spanish.
  2. 여동생한테 숙제를 도와주는 대신에, 여동생이 저의 방을 청소했어요. – I helped my younger sister with her homework and in return she cleaned my room.

So, remember that while “대신에” often means “instead of” or “in place of”, in certain contexts, it can also mean “in return for“. As always, understanding the context is key when dealing with versatile conjunctions like “대신에”.

Examples

  • 이거 대신에 저거 주세요. – Please give me that instead of this.
  • 친구 대신에 남자친구랑 여행을 가요. – Instead of my friend I am going on a trip with my boyfriend.
  • 일을 하는 대신에 친구랑 놀러 갔어요. – Instead of working, I went to play with my friend.
  • 책을 읽는 대신에 드라마를 봤어요. – Instead of reading a book, I watched a drama.
  • 빵을 먹는 대신에 샐러드를 먹었어요. – Instead of eating bread, I ate a salad.

Activity 1

Fill in the blanks.

  1. ___________________ 차를 마셨어요. – Instead of drinking coffee, I drank tea.
  2. ___________________ 요가를 했어요. – Instead of swimming, I did yoga.
  3. ___________________ 공부했어요. – Instead of watching a movie, I studied.
  4. ___________________ 외식했어요. – Instead of cooking at home, I ate out.
  5. ___________________ 과일을 먹었어요. – Instead of eating dessert, I ate fruit.

Activity 1 Answers

  1. 커피를 마시는 대신에 차를 마셨어요. – Instead of drinking coffee, I drank tea.
  2. 수영을 하는 대신에 요가를 했어요. – Instead of swimming, I did yoga.
  3. 영화를 보는 대신에 공부했어요. – Instead of watching a movie, I studied.
  4. 집에서 요리하는 대신에 외식했어요. – Instead of cooking at home, I ate out.
  5. 디저트를 먹는 대신에 과일을 먹었어요. – Instead of eating dessert, I ate fruit.

Wrap up

And that wraps up our lesson on “대신에” and “-는 대신에”. We hope you now have a solid understanding of these two important Korean expressions, which can be used to express the concept of doing one thing instead of another, or in return for another.

Remember, “대신에” can be used with both verbs and nouns, while “-는 대신에” is generally used with verbs. Also, don’t forget that “대신에” can sometimes mean “in return for”, depending on the context.

As always, the key to truly mastering these structures is practice. Try making your own sentences using “대신에” and “-는 대신에” in different contexts, and don’t hesitate to experiment with various verb and noun combinations.

Please leave a comment below with a sentence you’ve created using “대신에” or “-는 대신에”. Sharing your sentences not only helps you practice, but also allows others to learn from your examples.

Keep practicing, and we’ll see you in the next lesson! 화이팅!

다음에 또 봐요!

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