jabi-으면서
-으면서: Doing Two Things at Once
While doing — two actions or states at the same time; also a contrastive 'while claiming X…'.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Stem ends in a vowel or ㄹ | -면서 | 가다 → 가면서 / 살다 → 살면서 / 이다 → 이면서 |
| Stem ends in another consonant | -으면서 | 먹다 → 먹으면서 / 읽다 → 읽으면서 |
| After -었- / -겠- | -으면서 | 했으면서 / 가겠으면서 |
-(으)면서 means two things are on at the same time.
요리하면서 음악을 들어요 — cooking and listening share the same stretch. That is the core sense for this unit.
Forms
| Stem | Form |
|---|---|
| Vowel or ㄹ | -면서 |
| Other consonant | -으면서 |
걸으면서 이야기해요. We talk while walking.
TV를 보면서 밥을 먹어요. I eat while watching TV.
학생이면면서 일을 해요. I’m a student and (at the same time) I work.Not -(으)면
One letter apart, different grammar:
| Form | Job |
|---|---|
| -으면 -(으)면 | if / when (condition) |
| -(으)면서 | simultaneous (or contrastive) |
*시간이 있으면 요리해요 = if/when I have time. 요리하면서… = while cooking…
Not -는 동안에
| Form | Job |
|---|---|
| -는 동안에 -는 동안에 | duration window (“during”) |
| -(으)면서 | concurrent doing / clashing states |
Use -는 동안에 when the point is the interval. Use -(으)면서 when the point is doing both (or the clash sense later).
Soft contrast sense
우리말샘 also lists a contrastive -(으)면서: two facts set against each other. Treat that as a later reading — do not force every -(으)면서 into “ironically while…”.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
In the Sejong course this appears in 집안일을 나눠서 하는 게 어때? — Sejong Korean 2, Unit 13, on the theme of 가정생활. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. What is the main beginner job of -(으)면서?
2. How does it differ from -(으)면?
3. Which is natural for 'I listen to music while cooking'?
Common questions
Is there a second meaning?
Yes. Dictionary sense 002 uses -(으)면서 when two states clash — roughly 'while (saying/being) X…' You will meet it more at intermediate level; beginners should lock the simultaneous sense first.
Same subject required?
Classroom simultaneous examples usually keep one subject doing both actions. If the time window is what matters and subjects differ, [[g:neun-dongane]] is often clearer.
-면서 vs -고?
[[g:go-connective]] just sequences or lists. -(으)면서 claims overlap (or contrast), not a bare 'and then.'
ㄹ stems?
살다 → 살면서 (ㄹ takes -면서). Do not invent 살으면서.