Korean for Talking About Ongoing Hobbies: -고 있어요 and -(으)ㄴ 지
Learn to say how long you have been doing a hobby in Korean using -(으)ㄴ 지 + time + 되다, and describe what you are doing now with -고 있어요.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
In this lesson you will learn two connected patterns that let you talk about hobbies with history. First, -(으)ㄴ 지 + time expression + 되다 means 'it has been [time] since I started...'. Second, -고 있어요 means 'I am ...ing' right now. Together they let you say things like 'I have been painting for three years' and 'I am learning guitar these days.' Korean does not use a present perfect tense like English 'have been doing'; instead it uses these two patterns. You will also learn how to ask someone how long they have done something and how to answer naturally in conversation.
By the end, you can…
- say how long I have been doing a hobby using -(으)ㄴ 지 + time + 되다.
- describe what I am currently doing with -고 있어요.
- ask and answer questions about hobbies and their history in a short conversation.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
그림을 그린 지 삼 년 됐어요.
I have been painting for three years.
geurimeul geurin ji sam nyeon dwaesseoyo
Use -(으)ㄴ 지 + time + 됐어요 to state how long you have done something. The verb stem 그리- takes -ㄴ 지.
요즘 기타를 배우고 있어요.
I am learning guitar these days.
yojeum gitareul baeugo isseoyo
-고 있어요 shows an action in progress. 요즘 means 'these days' and fits naturally with this pattern.
취미가 뭐예요?
What is your hobby?
chwimiga mwoyeyo
A neutral, polite way to ask about hobbies. 취미 is a common Sino-Korean word for 'hobby'.
한국어를 배운 지 얼마나 됐어요?
How long have you been learning Korean?
hangugeoreul baeun ji eolmana dwaesseoyo
Use 얼마나 됐어요? to ask 'how long has it been?' with the -(으)ㄴ 지 pattern.
주말마다 사진을 찍고 있어요.
I am taking photos every weekend.
jumal mada sajineul jjigo isseoyo
-고 있어요 can describe a repeated ongoing activity, not only a single action happening now.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern -(으)ㄴ 지 + time + 되다 expresses how long it has been since an action or state began. Attach -(으)ㄴ 지 to the verb stem: 받침 verbs take -은 지, vowel-ending verbs take -ㄴ 지. Examples: 배우다 → 배운 지, 살다 → 산 지, 그리다 → 그린 지. Then add a time expression and a form of 되다: 삼 년 됐어요 ('it has been three years'). This is the natural Korean equivalent of English 'I have been doing X for Y years.'
When to use it
Use -(으)ㄴ 지 ... 됐어요 when you want to give the length of time you have done something, especially in answer to 얼마나 됐어요? Use -고 있어요 when you want to say what you are doing now or these days. They often appear together: 그림을 그린 지 삼 년 됐고 요즘은 유화를 배우고 있어요 ('It has been three years since I started painting, and these days I am learning oil painting'). Keep the time expression before 됐어요.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
취미가 뭐예요?
What is your hobby?chwimiga mwoyeyo그림을 그린 지 삼 년 됐어요. 요즘은 기타도 배우고 있어요.
I have been painting for three years. These days I am also learning guitar.geurimeul geurin ji sam nyeon dwaesseoyo. yojeumeun gitado baeugo isseoyo기타를 배운 지 얼마나 됐어요?
How long have you been learning guitar?gitareul baeun ji eolmana dwaesseoyo두 달 됐어요. 아직 잘 못 쳐요.
It has been two months. I still cannot play well.du dal dwaesseoyo. ajik jal mot chyeoyoA little context goes a long way
In Korean conversation, asking about hobbies with 취미가 뭐예요? is common and polite among people who have just met. When you answer, giving a length of time with -(으)ㄴ 지 ... 됐어요 sounds natural and specific, while simply saying 그림을 그려요 can sound like a general fact. Adding 요즘 ('these days') softens a statement about a new activity and signals that it is recent or temporary.
One thing to watch for
Using the present tense alone to translate 'I have been painting for three years': 그림을 삼 년 그려요.
Try this instead: Korean does not use a present perfect here. Use -(으)ㄴ 지 + time + 됐어요: 그림을 그린 지 삼 년 됐어요. Save -고 있어요 for actions in progress, as in 지금 그림을 그리고 있어요 ('I am painting right now').
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you say 'I have been learning Korean for one year'?
Show a sample answer
한국어를 배운 지 일 년 됐어요.
배우다 has a vowel-ending stem, so it takes -ㄴ 지: 배운 지. The time expression 일 년 comes before 됐어요. 배운 지 일 년이 됐어요 is also acceptable.
2What is the difference between 그림을 그려요 and 그림을 그리고 있어요?
Show a sample answer
그림을 그려요 is a general present statement ('I paint'), while 그림을 그리고 있어요 means 'I am painting' right now or these days.
-고 있어요 marks an action in progress. In context, 그리고 있어요 can also describe a current ongoing habit, so both can be valid depending on the situation.
3Ask a friend how long they have been playing guitar.
Show a sample answer
기타를 친 지 얼마나 됐어요?
치다 ('to play a string instrument') has a vowel-ending stem, so it takes -ㄴ 지. 얼마나 됐어요? asks 'how long has it been?' A more casual 반말 version would be 기타를 친 지 얼마나 됐어?
Use -(으)ㄴ 지 + time + 됐어요 for how long you have done something, and -고 있어요 for what you are doing now. Together they let you talk about hobbies with real history.
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