Conjunctions - While

Conjunctions - While [~며/~(으)면서]

~며 form is more frequently used in written Korean while ~면서 is more frequently used in spoken Korean.

Rules

1. Take 다 off a plain form of verbs with no final consonant and add 며/면서 to it.

• 하다 → 하며/하면서 = while doing
  
• 가다 → 가며/가면서 = while going
  
• 주다 → 주며/주면서 = while giving
  
• 사다 → 사며/사면서 = while buying
  
• 보다 → 보며/보면서 = while watching
  
• 말하다 → 말하며/말하면서 = while speaking
• 마시다 → 마시며/마시면서 = while drinking
• 자다 → 자며/자면서 = while sleeping
  

2. Take 다 off a plain form of verbs with a final consonant and add 으며/으면서 to it.

• 먹다 → 먹으며/먹으면서 = while eating
• 받다 → 받으며/받으면서 = while receiving
• 찾다 → 찾으며/찾으면서 = while looking for
  
• 읽다 → 읽으며/읽으면서 = while reading

Exceptions

• 걷다 → 걸으며/걸으면서 = while walking
• 듣다 → 들으며/들으면서 = while listening

Example sentences

Written Korean

• 나는 운동을 하며/하면서 매트릭스를 봤다. = While doing exercise, I watched Matrix.
  
• 나는 노래를 들으며/들으면서 지리 공부를 했다. = While listening to music, I studied geography.
  
• 호머는 자며/자면서 코를 골았다. = While sleeping, Homer snored.
• 민지는 스타벅스에서 잡지를 읽으며/읽으면서 커피를 마셨다. = At Starbucks, while reading a magazine, Minji drank coffee.
  
• 준호는 차를 타고 회사를 가며/가면서 라디오를 들었다.  = While going to work by car, Junho listened to radio.

Spoken Korean

• 운동 하면서 매트릭스 봤어. = While doing exercise, I watched Matrix
• 노래 들으면서 지리 공부 했어. = While listening to music, I studied geography.
• (호머는) 자면서 코 골았어. = While sleeping, Homer snored.
• (민지는) 스타벅스에서 잡지 읽으면서 커피 마셨어. = At Starbucks, while reading a magazine, Minji drank coffee.
• (준호는) 차 타고 회사 가면서 라디오 들었어. = While going to work by car, Junho listened to radio.

매트릭스 = Matrix (The movie)
노래 = music, song
지리 = geography
호머 = Homer (a male name as in Simpsons)
민지 = Minji (a female name)
스타벅스 = Starbucks
잡지 = magazine
커피 = coffee
회사 = work, company
라디오 = radio
준호 = Junho (a male name)


Note:

The spoken Korean usually omits a subject because it is usually understood by the speakers as to who they are talking about. For example, if I were talking about myself, I wouldn't need to use 나는 to say something about me because it is assumed that I am talking about me.

Likewise, the third person subjects like 호머는 and 민지는 can also be omitted when a person being talked about is already known by people having a conversation.

The object particle, 를/을, is omitted in spoken Korean.