[Korean grammar] N 때, A/V-(으)ㄹ 때 Time Expressions

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방학 때 아르바이트를 해요.
I work a part-time job during vacation.


4살 때 사진이에요.
This is a picture of me when I was 4 years old.


시험 볼 때 옆 사람의 시험지를 보지 마세요.
Don’t look at your neighbors' answer sheets when taking the test.

Grammar Focus:
때 expresses the time when an action or state occurs or its duration. When following a noun, 때 is used, and when following a verb, -ㄹ 때| is used when the stem ends in a vowel or ㄹ，and -을 때 is used when the stem ends in a consonant.





Conversation:
A: 몇 살 때 첫 데이트를 했어요?
How old were you when you went on your first date?
B: 20살 때 했어요.
(I went when) I was 20 years old.

A: 초등학교 때 친구들을 자주 만나요?
Do you often meet your friends from elementary school?
B: 아니요, 자주 못 만나요.
No, I don’t meet them often.

A: 이 옷은 실크예요. 세탁할 때 조심하세요.
This clothing is made of silk. Be careful when you wash it.
B: 네, 알았어요.
 Okay, I will.

Notes:
때 is not used together with 오전, 오후, 아침 or the days of the week.
• 오전 때 공부를 해요. (X)
->오전에 공부를 해요. (〇)
I study in the morning.
• 오후 때 운동을 해요. (X)
->오후에 운동을 해요. (〇)
I exercise in the afternoon.
• 월요일 때 공항에 가요. (X)
->월요일에 공항에 가요. (〇)
I (will) go to the airport on Monday.

Comparison:
What’s the difference between 크리스마스에 and 크리스마스 때?
For some nouns, such as 저녁, 점심 and 방학, the meaning is the same whether they are written in the form of ‘N 때’ or ‘N에'. However, for some nouns, especially those representing holidays, like 크리스마스 and 추석 the form 'N에’ refers to the specific day(s) of the holiday while the form ‘N 때’ refers to the approximate time period just before, during, and after the holiday. For example, 크리스마스에 refers to Christmas Day, December 25, and 크리스마스 때 refers to the span of the few days surrounding Christmas, such as the day before and the day after Christmas.
• 크리스마스 때 The period around Christmas, including the day before, Christmas Day, and the day after.
• 크리스마스에 Christmas Day (December 25).

Either 때 or 에 can be used after nouns such as 저녁, 점심 and 방학 with no difference in meaning.
• 저녁 때 = 저녁에, 점심 때 = 점심에, 방학 때 = 방학에

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