-(으)ㄴ 지
Used to express how much time has passed since an action occurred. The structure is usually '[Verb]-(으)ㄴ 지 [Time duration]이/가 되다 (to pass/to become)'.
Summary
Equivalent
Since (doing something) ...
Example
It has been over 10 years since we got married.
결혼한 지 10년이 넘었어요.
Grammar rules
- Use 'ㄴ 지' for vowel-ending stems and '은 지' for consonant-ending stems.
- It is followed by a time duration (e.g., 1년, 한 달) and verbs like 되다 (has been), 넘다 (has passed), 안 되다 (has not been).
- Note the space between '-(으)ㄴ' and '지'. It serves as a bound noun here. Do not confuse with the '-는지' used for indirect questions.
한국에 온 지 1년이 되었어요. (It has been 1 year since I came to Korea.)
Patterns
Verbs (Consonant)
Past Event · Verb Stem + 은 지 [Time] 되다/넘다
Verbs (Vowel/ㄹ)
Past Event · Verb Stem (drop ㄹ) + ㄴ 지 [Time] 되다/넘다
Example sentences
It has been over 10 years since we got married.
결혼한 지 10년이 넘었어요.
It hasn't been long since I ate. (I just ate recently.)
밥을 먹은 지 얼마 안 됐어요.
It has been 6 months since I learned (started learning) Korean.
한국어를 배운 지 6개월이 됐습니다.
Conversation
A: How long has it been since you quit smoking?
담배를 끊은 지 얼마나 됐어요?
B: It has already been over 3 years since I quit.
끊은 지 벌써 3년이 넘었어요.
Practice
Fill in the blank
Complete the sentence to show how much time has passed.
Duration of learning.
Starting work.