Learn Korean: Verb + 지 / Time + 됐다

Let’s take a look at the Korean sentence pattern Verb + 지 / Time + 됐다. We use this to express how long it has been since an action started. For example, we say It has been five years / since I lived in Japan. We say the action first before time. The main verb is 일본에 살다 (to live in Japan). We take the verb stem and attach ㄴ 지 if it ends in a vowel and 은 지 if it ends in a consonant. The verb 살다 is a special case like other verb stems that end in ㄹ. The ㄹ is removed and automatically replaced with ㄴ. We say 산지 (O) instead of 살은 지 (X). 일본에 산 지 means since I lived in Japan. The time part is easy. Just state the time (day, week, month, etc.) and add 됐다. Subject particles (이/가) may be added but they are often dropped in conversations. The time in the above sentence is 오년 (five years). When combined, the actual sentence is 일본에 산 지 5년(이) 됐어(요).

우리 알고 지낸 지 오래 됐어.

We have known each other for so long.

일본에 산 지 5년이 됐어.

I have been living in Japan for 5 years.

한국말 배우기 시작한 지 5달이 됐어.

I have started learning Korean since five months ago.