“How long have you been learning Korean” in Korean

한국어를 배운 지 얼마나 됐어요?

hangugeoreul baeun ji eolmana dwaesseoyo?

Situation: Introductions & meeting peopleLevel: Intermediate (TOPIK 3–4)

Meaning

How long have you been learning Korean?

-(으)ㄴ 지 ... 됐다 means “it has been ... since doing”. Note that 지 here is a dependent noun written with a space: 배운 지, not 배운지.

Romanization follows the Revised Romanization system and is a guide to pronunciation.

A polite question to classmates or new acquaintances about how long they have studied Korean. Answer with 6개월 됐어요 or 2년 됐어요.

With a teacher or elder make it honorific: 배우신 지 얼마나 되셨어요?. The 지 after 배운 is the same “since” pattern as in 온 지.

Syllables: 13 · Words: 5

In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.

Syllable	Letters (consonant + vowel + final)	Romanization
한국어를
한	ㅎ+ㅏ+ㄴ	han
국	ㄱ+ㅜ+ㄱ	[구] gu
어	ㅇ+ㅓ	[거] geo
를	ㄹ+ㅡ+ㄹ	reul
배운
배	ㅂ+ㅐ	bae
운	ㅇ+ㅜ+ㄴ	un
지	ㅈ+ㅣ	ji
얼마나
얼	ㅇ+ㅓ+ㄹ	eol
마	ㅁ+ㅏ	ma
나	ㄴ+ㅏ	na
됐어요
됐	ㄷ+ㅙ+ㅆ	[돼] dwae
어	ㅇ+ㅓ	[써] sseo
요	ㅇ+ㅛ	yo

A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.

Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 국어 → [구거]

Style: Polite (해요체)Sentence type: Question

Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.

덕분에 큰 힘이 됐어요Thanks to you, I had a great source of support. It meant a lot to me
팬이 된 지 오 년 됐어요It’s been 5 years since I became a fan
됐어요No, thanks. / I’m good
한국에 온 지 일주일 됐어요It’s been a week since I came to Korea

Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.

Question 1 What does “한국어를 배운 지 얼마나 됐어요?” mean?

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Answer: How long have you been learning Korean?

Question 2 How do you say “How long have you been learning Korean?” in Korean?

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Answer: 한국어를 배운 지 얼마나 됐어요? hangugeoreul baeun ji eolmana dwaesseoyo?

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