haru Korean › Grammar › Level 1B › V-(으)면서
V-(으)면서 — doing two things at the same time — 'while …'
Doing two things at the same time — 'while …'. Korean grammar for beginner learners — Level 1B, lesson 7: 음악을 들으면서 밥을 먹어요 (Eating while listening to music — my daily routine).
What it means
-(으)면서 joins two actions that happen at the same time — 'while …'. One person does both, so the two verbs have the same subject: 저는 음악을 들으면서 밥을 먹어요 (I eat while I listen to music). After a consonant add 으면서 (먹으면서, 읽으면서); after a vowel add 면서 (보면서, 마시면서). A stem ending in ㄹ just adds 면서: 살면서, 놀면서. 듣다 changes its ㄷ to ㄹ, as in 들어요: 들으면서. Compare -고: 밥을 먹고 음악을 들어요 is one thing after the other. -(으)면서 itself never changes for time — the verb at the end carries it: 어제 텔레비전을 보면서 저녁을 먹었어요.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -으면서 | 받침 O | 먹다 + 으면서 → 먹으면서 |
| -면서 | 받침 X · ㄹ 받침 | 보다 + 면서 → 보면서 |
Key points
- V-(으)면서 — one person does two things at the same time, 'while …': 음악을 들으면서 밥을 먹어요
- 으면서 after a consonant, 면서 after a vowel or ㄹ: 먹으면서 · 보면서 · 살면서 — and 듣다 → 들으면서
Examples
- 먹다 → 먹으면서. 보다 → 보면서. 살다 → 살면서. 듣다 → 들으면서.
- 저는 음악을 들으면서 밥을 먹어요.
- 마크 씨는 커피를 마시면서 신문을 읽어요.
- 어제 텔레비전을 보면서 저녁을 먹었어요.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 1B, lesson 16; Yonsei University Korean 1-2, lesson 18; Sogang University Korean 3A, lesson 4; Ewha Womans University Korean 2-2, lesson 9; Hongik University Korean 1B, lesson 11; Hanyang University Korean 1-1, lesson 5.
Also in this lesson
- V-기 전에 — before doing something — 'before …ing'
- N 전에 · N 후에 — before and after — and telling the order of your day
- V-(으)ㄴ 후에 — after doing something — 'after …ing'