-(으)ㄴ/는 김에 in Korean: “while I'm at it, since I'm”
-(으)ㄴ/는 김에
-(eu)n/neun gime
while I'm at it, since I'm
Intermediate · Linking ideas
-(으)ㄴ/는 김에 (-(eu)n/neun gime) means "while I'm at it" or "since I'm (doing it) anyway". You use the chance of one action to also do something else.
How to form it
| When | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb stem (doing it now) | + 는 김에 | 가다 → 가는 김에, 만들다 → 만드는 김에 |
| Verb stem ending in a vowel (already done) | + ㄴ 김에 | 나오다 → 나온 김에 |
| Verb stem ending in a consonant (already done) | + 은 김에 | 먹다 → 먹은 김에 |
How to use it
-(으)ㄴ/는 김에 says "since I'm doing A anyway, I'll also do B." The second action was not the original plan; the first one just made it convenient.
Use -는 김에 when the first action is happening or about to happen, and -(으)ㄴ 김에 when it has already happened: 나온 김에 (since we're already out).
It only goes with verbs. The set phrase 말 나온 김에 (since it came up) is very common in conversation. Politeness comes from the final ending.
Examples
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Asking a favor
Out with a friend
Changing the topic
Cleaning day
Don’t mix it up with
-는 길에: -는 길에 means "on the way" while physically going somewhere. -는 김에 is about using the chance of any action, not only travel.
-(으)면서: -(으)면서 just means two actions happen at the same time. -는 김에 adds that the second action happens because the first gave a good chance.
Common mistakes
Using it with adjectives, like 예쁜 김에. It only works with action verbs.
Using it for something that was the main plan. The part after 김에 should be an extra thing you add on.
Want the basics first? Read Describing nouns (-는, -은, -을).
Questions learners ask
What does 말 나온 김에 mean?
It means "since we're on the subject" or "speaking of which." People use it to bring up something related that they wanted to say.
What is the difference between 김에 and 길에?
-는 길에 is "on the way (somewhere)." -(으)ㄴ/는 김에 is "while I'm at it," for any action that gives you the chance to do something else.