-는 길에 in Korean: “on the way”
-는 길에
-neun gire
on the way
Intermediate · Linking ideas
-는 길에 (-neun gire) means "on the way" to or from somewhere. It is used to say you did something while you were going somewhere, like stopping by a store on the way home.
How to form it
| When | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Movement verb | + 는 길에 | 가다 → 가는 길에, 오다 → 오는 길에 |
| Other going and coming verbs | + 는 길에 | 나가다 → 나가는 길에, 퇴근하다 → 퇴근하는 길에 |
| Saying "I'm on my way" | + 는 길이에요 | 집에 가다 → 집에 가는 길이에요 |
How to use it
-는 길에 only works with verbs of moving, like 가다, 오다, 나가다, 들어가다, 출근하다 and 퇴근하다. With other actions, use -다가.
길 means "road" or "way", so the pattern literally means "on the road of going". Use 는 even for past trips; the tense goes at the end.
-는 길이에요 (polite) or -는 길이야 (casual) means "I'm on my way": 지금 가는 길이야 (I'm on my way now).
Examples
Tap a word to see what it means and save it to your flashcards.
Coming home with snacks
After work
Answering a text
Asking a family member
Don’t mix it up with
-다가: Works with almost any action and shows an interruption. -는 길에 is only for movement, meaning "on the way".
-(으)ㄴ/는 김에: Means "while I'm at it", using the chance of one action to do another. -는 길에 is specifically about being en route.
Common mistakes
Using it with non-movement verbs: 공부하는 길에 is wrong. Say 공부하다가.
Questions learners ask
How do you say "I'm on my way" in Korean?
가는 길이에요 (polite) or 가는 길이야 (casual). If you are coming toward the listener, say 가는 길이에요 as well, since Koreans use 가다 for going to where the listener is.
What does 길 mean here?
길 means "road" or "way", so -는 길에 is literally "on the way of going".