-던 중 expresses "in the midst of" or "while (in the middle of) doing something." It indicates that one action was ongoing when another event occurred or when something was interrupted. The word 중 (jung) means "middle" or "midst."
Structure
Verb stem + -던 중
Breakdown:
- -던: Retrospective adnominal ending (was doing)
- 중: Middle, midst
Literal meaning: "In the middle of having been doing..." → "While doing/In the midst of"
Formation Rules
All Verbs: -던 중
Action verbs:
- 먹다 → 먹던 중 (in the midst of eating)
- 가다 → 가던 중 (in the midst of going / while going)
- 공부하다 → 공부하던 중 (in the midst of studying)
- 일하다 → 일하던 중 (in the midst of working)
- 준비하다 → 준비하던 중 (in the midst of preparing)
하다 verbs:
- 하다 → 하던 중 (in the midst of doing)
- 생각하다 → 생각하던 중 (in the midst of thinking)
- 운동하다 → 운동하던 중 (in the midst of exercising)
Core Meaning: Interrupted Action
While Doing Something
Action was in progress when something else happened:
- 공부하던 중에 전화가 왔어요 (While I was studying, a call came)
- 밥 먹던 중에 친구가 왔어요 (While I was eating, my friend came)
- 걷던 중에 넘어졌어요 (I fell while I was walking)
- 운전하던 중에 사고가 났어요 (An accident happened while driving)
In the Middle Of
Describing the ongoing state when interrupted:
- 회의하던 중이에요 (I'm in the middle of a meeting)
- 일하던 중이었어요 (I was in the middle of working)
- 준비하던 중이었습니다 (I was in the midst of preparing)
Common Usage Pattern: -던 중(에)
With 에 Particle (Optional)
-던 중 vs -던 중에:
- 공부하던 중 전화가 왔어요 (more concise)
- 공부하던 중에 전화가 왔어요 (with 에 - slightly more formal)
Both are correct and commonly used
Sentence Structure
Pattern: [Action being done] + -던 중(에) + [Interrupting event]
- 책을 읽던 중에 잠들었어요 (I fell asleep while reading a book)
- 요리하던 중에 손을 베었어요 (I cut my hand while cooking)
- 청소하던 중에 반지를 찾았어요 (I found a ring while cleaning)
Politeness Levels
Formal (합니다체)
- 공부하던 중입니다 (am in the midst of studying)
- 일하던 중이었습니다 (was in the midst of working)
Polite (해요체)
- 공부하던 중이에요 (am in the midst of studying)
- 일하던 중이었어요 (was in the midst of working)
Casual (반말)
- 공부하던 중이야 (am in the midst of studying)
- 일하던 중이었어 (was in the midst of working)
Tense and Context
Past Context (Most Common)
Something happened while doing:
- 걷던 중에 친구를 만났어요 (I met a friend while walking)
- 자던 중에 전화가 왔어요 (A call came while I was sleeping)
- 공부하던 중에 깨달았어요 (I realized while studying)
Present Context
Currently in the midst:
- 지금 회의하던 중이에요 (I'm currently in the midst of a meeting)
- 준비하던 중입니다 (We're in the midst of preparing)
As Background Information
Setting the scene:
- 운전하던 중 사고를 목격했어요 (I witnessed an accident while driving)
- 여행하던 중 좋은 경험을 했어요 (I had a good experience while traveling)
Common Expressions
Daily Activities
- 밥 먹던 중 (in the midst of eating)
- 공부하던 중 (in the midst of studying)
- 일하던 중 (in the midst of working)
- 자던 중 (in the midst of sleeping)
- 운전하던 중 (in the midst of driving)
Events and Incidents
- 회의하던 중 (in the midst of a meeting)
- 준비하던 중 (in the midst of preparing)
- 생각하던 중 (in the midst of thinking)
- 걷던 중 (while walking)
- 달리던 중 (while running)
Discoveries and Realizations
- 찾던 중 (while looking for)
- 조사하던 중 (while investigating)
- 연구하던 중 (while researching)
- 정리하던 중 (while organizing)
With -이다: -던 중이다
Stating Current State
-던 중이다: To be in the midst of
- 일하던 중이에요 (I'm in the midst of working)
- 공부하던 중이었어요 (I was in the midst of studying)
- 준비하던 중입니다 (We're in the midst of preparing)
Used to directly state the ongoing action
Without Following Action
Just describing the state:
- A: 지금 뭐 해요? (What are you doing now?)
- B: 숙제하던 중이에요 (I'm in the middle of homework)
Negative Forms
Not in the Midst
아직 -지 않던 중:
- 아직 시작하지 않던 중이었어요 (I was in the midst of not having started yet)
Note: Negative forms less common with -던 중
More Natural Alternatives
Instead of negating -던 중, use other expressions:
- 아직 안 하고 있었어요 (I wasn't doing it yet)
- 안 하던 중에 (while not doing - less natural)
Question Forms
Asking About Situation
What were you in the midst of?:
- 무엇을 하던 중이었어요? (What were you in the midst of doing?)
- 어디 가던 중이었어요? (Where were you in the midst of going?)
Confirming Action
Were you in the midst of...?:
- 공부하던 중이었어요? (Were you in the midst of studying?)
- 일하던 중이었어요? (Were you in the midst of working?)
Related Pattern: -는 중
Present Ongoing: -는 중
-는 중: Currently in the middle of (present tense)
Difference:
- -던 중: Was in the midst of (past ongoing / retrospective)
- 공부하던 중에 전화가 왔어요 (A call came while I was studying)
- -는 중: Am in the middle of (present ongoing)
- 지금 공부하는 중이에요 (I'm in the middle of studying now)
Usage:
- Use -는 중 for current ongoing actions
- Use -던 중 for past ongoing actions or when something interrupted
Compared to -고 있던 중
Both Express Ongoing Past
-고 있던 중: Was doing (more emphasis on progressive)
- 공부하고 있던 중에 (while I was studying - emphasis on progressive state)
- 공부하던 중에 (while I was studying - more concise)
Both are acceptable, -던 중 is more concise
With Time Expressions
When Interrupted
Time when something was happening:
- 어제 공부하던 중에 (while I was studying yesterday)
- 아침에 운동하던 중에 (while I was exercising in the morning)
- 지난주에 일하던 중에 (while I was working last week)
Formal vs Casual Usage
Formal Contexts
Reports, formal speech:
- 회의를 진행하던 중 문제가 발생했습니다 (A problem arose while we were conducting the meeting)
- 연구하던 중 중요한 발견을 했습니다 (We made an important discovery while researching)
Casual Contexts
Daily conversation:
- 밥 먹던 중에 친구한테 연락 왔어 (My friend contacted me while I was eating)
- 자던 중에 꿈 꿨어 (I had a dream while sleeping)
Perspective and Usage
When to Use -던 중
Use when:
- Describing what you were doing when interrupted
- Setting background for an event or incident
- Explaining circumstances of a discovery or occurrence
- Talking about being in the middle of something
Emphasis:
- Highlights the ongoing nature of the action
- Often implies interruption or simultaneous events
- Provides context for what happened
Natural Usage
Common pattern:
[Background action] + -던 중(에) + [Main event]
- 길을 걷던 중에 우연히 만났어요 (I met them by chance while walking)
Summary Table
| Verb | -던 중 Form | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다 | 먹던 중 | 밥 먹던 중에 전화가 왔어요 |
| 공부하다 | 공부하던 중 | 공부하던 중에 깨달았어요 |
| 일하다 | 일하던 중 | 일하던 중에 사고가 났어요 |
| 가다 | 가던 중 | 집에 가던 중에 비가 왔어요 |
| 자다 | 자던 중 | 자던 중에 소리를 들었어요 |
| 운전하다 | 운전하던 중 | 운전하던 중에 사고를 봤어요 |
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Interrupted action: "While doing" or "in the midst of"
- ✅ Verb + -던 중: Works with all action verbs
- ✅ -던 중 vs -는 중: Past ongoing vs present ongoing
- ✅ With/without 에: Both -던 중 and -던 중에 are correct
- ✅ Common with -이다: -던 중이다 to state the ongoing state
- ✅ Sets context: Often used to explain circumstances
-던 중 is essential for describing actions that were in progress when something else happened or when you want to indicate that you were in the middle of doing something. It's commonly used in narratives, explanations, and when providing context for events.