Lesson 23
The structure -(으)면서 can be translated into English as “while”, and similar to the way “while” is used in English, -(으)면서 has a few different usages in Korean depending on the context.
Usages of -(으)면서
1. You can use -(으)면서 to describe how you are engaging in two actions at the same time, or how you do one thing while also doing another thing, such as “studying Korean while cleaning the house” or “exercising while listening to music”.
Conjugation
Verb stem + -(으)면서
Ex)
공부하다 + -(으)면서 + 운동하다 = 공부하면서 운동해요. (= I exercise while studying.)
Sample Sentences
저는 샤워하면서 노래를 들어요.
= I listen to music while taking a shower.
저는 샤워하면서 노래를 불러요.
= I sing while taking a shower.
저는 잠을 자면서 많이 움직여요.
= I move my body a lot while sleeping.
저는 학교에 다니면서 아르바이트를 많이 했어요.
= I did a lot of part-time work while going to school.
* This example refers to attending school, rather than literally traveling to school.
저는 노래를 들으면서 일을 할 수가 없어요.
= I cannot work while listening to music.
운전하면서 전화 통화 하지 마세요.
= Do not talk on the phone while driving.
2. You can also contrast two actions or states by linking them with -(으)면서. When one state or action betrays or is the opposite of the other action, you can use -(으)면서 between the two verbs.
Ex)
알면서 모르는 척했어요?
= You knew but pretended you did not know?
Sample Sentences
좋으면서 관심 없는 척하지 마세요.
= Do not pretend you are uninterested when you are excited.
알지도 못하면서 쉽게 말하지 마세요.
= You do not know (it/him/them/me) well, so do not speak about it so casually.
준비는 하면서도* 걱정이 됐어요.
= Even as I was preparing for it and everything, I was worried.
* -도 here is adding more emphasis to the fact that you were worried.
3. You can use the -(으)면서 structure with action verbs, as well as with nouns and the -이다 verb, in which case the structure changes to “noun + -(이)면서”. To express the future tense, you use -(으)ㄹ 것 + -이면서, which is shortened to -(으)ㄹ 거면서. This is because the future tense in Korean is basically “verb stem + -(으)ㄹ 것이다”, which uses the -이다 verb already.
Ex)
학생이면서 동시에 모델이에요.
= She is a student and model at the same time.
* This can also be expressed by saying “학생이기도 하면서 동시에 모델이에요.”
결국에 올 거면서 어제는 왜 그렇게 말했어요?
= You were going to come here anyway, so why did you say that (you would not) yesterday?
Sample Sentences
그 사람은 제 친구이면서 동시에 선생님이에요.
= She is both my friend and my teacher.
시간 없다고 할 거면서...
= I know you are going to say you do not have time (and yet you are not saying so).
하지도 못할 거면서 큰소리치지 마세요.
= Do not bluff about it while (it is obvious that) you are not going to be able to do it anyway.