How often, how long, and when: from now and then to for ever.
Korean has several words for “always”, “often” and “now and then”, and the difference between them is more a matter of tone than of meaning: 늘 is native and warm, 언제나 emphatic, and 이따금 has a slightly literary ring. For the past, 예전 can be just a few years ago where 옛날 is long ago, and 당시 points back at one particular time already mentioned. The adverbs among them stand before the verb on their own, without a particle.
The words
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Adverb (22)
늘alwaysAdverb3
할머니는 늘 웃는 얼굴로 손님을 맞으세요.My grandmother always greets guests with a smile.
A native word; 항상 is the Sino-Korean one.
언제나always, at all timesAdverb3
이 식당은 언제나 손님이 많아요.This restaurant is always full of customers.
종종often, now and thenAdverb3
주말에는 종종 혼자 영화를 보러 가요.At weekends I quite often go to the cinema on my own.
이따금occasionally, once in a whileAdverb3
이따금 고향 친구들이 생각나요.Once in a while I think of my friends back home.
때때로sometimes, at timesAdverb3
때때로 아무것도 안 하고 쉬고 싶을 때가 있어요.Sometimes I just want to do nothing and rest.
매번every timeAdverb3
그 친구는 약속 시간에 매번 늦게 와요.That friend is late every time we arrange to meet.
날마다every day, day after dayAdverb3
날마다 일기를 쓰는 게 쉽지 않아요.Writing a diary every day is not easy.
수시로at any time, frequentlyAdverb3
공사 일정은 수시로 바뀔 수 있어요.The building schedule may change at any time.
틈틈이in spare momentsAdverb3
출퇴근 시간에 틈틈이 한국어 단어를 외워요.I learn Korean words in spare moments on my commute.
앞으로from now on, in futureAdverb2
앞으로 더 열심히 하겠습니다.I will work harder from now on.
오랫동안for a long timeAdverb3
오랫동안 연락을 못 해서 미안해요.Sorry I have not been in touch for so long.
어느새before one knows itAdverb3
어느새 아이가 초등학생이 됐어요.Before I knew it, my child had started primary school.
영원히for everAdverb3
이 순간을 영원히 기억하고 싶어요.I want to remember this moment for ever.
일단first, for nowAdverb3
일단 밥부터 먹고 이야기해요.Let us eat first and talk afterwards.
드물게rarely, seldomAdverb3
서울에서는 사월에 아주 드물게 눈이 와요.In Seoul it very rarely snows in April.
The adverb form of 드물다, to be rare.
줄곧all along, the whole timeAdverb3
어제부터 줄곧 비가 내리고 있어요.It has been raining non-stop since yesterday.
머지않아before long, soonAdverb3
머지않아 봄이 올 거예요.Spring will come before long.
동시에at the same timeAdverb3
두 사람이 동시에 대답했어요.The two of them answered at the same time.
여태until now, all this timeAdverb3
여태 뭐 하다가 이제 왔어요?What have you been doing all this time? You are only just here!
Spoken; also 여태껏.
이제야only now, not until nowAdverb3
이제야 그 말이 무슨 뜻인지 알겠어요.Only now do I understand what that meant.
그제야only then, not until thenAdverb3
선생님의 설명을 듣고 그제야 이해가 됐어요.Only after hearing the teacher explain it did I understand.
연달아in a row, one after anotherAdverb3
사흘 연달아 비가 와서 빨래를 못 했어요.It rained three days in a row, so I could not do the washing.
This list belongs to The scaffolding — 30 lists and 1195 words that can also be practised as a whole.
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Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.