… 동안
… dong'an
The English phrase "during" is translated into Korean as … 동안 (… dong'an).
The term is used to express that something occurs for the full duration of a specific time interval.
Meaning: for all of a given time interval (prep)
Which one should you use?
While … 동안 refers to the entire duration of a period, the particle 중 (or 중에서) is used to mean "among" or to indicate being "midway through" a process.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 동안 is a noun that functions as a postposition, which means it must be placed after a noun or a time expression. You can also use the form 동안에. Adding the particle 에 to 동안 creates 동안에, which is often used to emphasize that an action occurred within that specific time interval.
How do you pronounce it?
… dong'an
Did you know?
- The word 동안 is a native Korean word, meaning it does not rely on Chinese characters (Hanja) to convey its meaning, unlike many other Korean time-related terms.
- Unlike English where 'during' is a single word, Korean speakers may use the particle 내내 to emphasize that something happened continuously throughout the entire period.
- In Korean, you can express 'for a long time' by saying 오랫동안, where the root is the adjective 오래다 meaning 'to be old' or 'to take a long time'.
Examples in context
- 회의 동안, 휴식을 취할 수 없습니다.While the meeting is ongoing, we cannot take a break.
- 방학 동안에는 많은 공부를 할 것입니다.During the vacation, I will study a lot.
- 축제 동안에는 많은 관광객이 그 곳을 찾습니다.Throughout the festival, many tourists visit that place.
- 회사 출장 동안에는 어느 도시에 계십니까?Throughout your business trip, which city are you staying in?
- 여행 동안에 맛있는 음식을 먹고 싶어요!During the trip, I want to eat delicious food!
- 방학 동안During the vacation
Sources
- Wiktionary, “during” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 동안, CC BY-SA 4.0.
