Korean word

동안

Pronunciation

Romanizationtongan

Meaning

  • nounduring

Example

그 동안 나는 혼자였어요.keu tong an na neun hon ja yeo sseo yo

During that time, I was alone.

Illustration for 동안 (during)

More examples

회의 동안 휴대폰을 꺼 주세요.hoe ui tong an hyu dae po neul kkeo chu se yo

Please turn off your cell phone during the meeting.

Core concept

A stretch of time serves as the setting in which an event happens or a state continues.

Common phrases

  • 수업 동안su eop tong an

    during class

  • 회의 동안hoe ui tong an

    during the meeting

  • 하루 동안ha ru tong an

    during the day

Similar words

사이sai: The space between two things or places.
때ttae: A particular time or stage when something happens.
중chung: A point in an activity before it is finished.
기간kigan: A defined length of time from start to finish.

Definition in Korean

특정한 시간 범위 안에서 어떤 일이 진행되거나 상태가 유지되는 그 기간을 뜻하는 말로, 일상에서는 시간의 길이를 가리킬 때 자주 쓰인다.teuk jjeong han si gan peo mwi a ne seo eo tteon i ri chin haeng doe geo na sang tae ga yu ji doe neun keu ki ga neul tteu ta neun mal lo il sang e seo neun si ga nui ki ri reul ka ri kil ttae cha ju sseu in da

Word origin

The origin of 동안 (dongan, "during; period") is uncertain, but its everyday use clearly centers on a period or stretch of time.

Usage tips

  • A useful contrast is that 동안 (dongan, "during; period") can name a stretch of time, while English often uses for when focusing on its length.

Other meanings

  • periodnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word