Level: Lower Intermediate (TOPIK 2–3)
The Moment This Phrase Appeared
Kang Haneul shared this story when he appeared as a guest on 기안84 (Kian84)’s YouTube channel “인생84” with Park Hae-jun to promote Yadang.
He said that in summer, he sometimes puts on freshly washed clothes without drying them first and just goes out.
어차피 걸으면서 마를 건데?
They’ll dry while I’m walking anyway.
Haneul said, “Actually, I’ve always thought I’m similar to Kian84.”
His friends even jokingly call him “Haneul84 (팔사)”, and he seems to genuinely enjoy the fact that people see him as a little unusual.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the expression 걸으면서.
Korean Grammar Point: 걸으면서
Many Korean learners first learn:
-면서 = while doing something
For example:
음악을 들으면서 공부해요.
I study while listening to music.
Here, two actions happen at the same time:
- listening to music
- studying
The person is intentionally doing both actions.
However, -면서 is not always used for two actions happening at the same time.
It can also describe a natural change or result that happens during the process of doing something.
In this case, the second event is not something you are trying to do. It happens naturally over time.
That is exactly what happens in Kang Haneul’s sentence:
걸으면서 말라요.
Literally:
“It dries while walking.”
Natural meaning:
“It dries as I walk.”
The important point is that he is not walking and drying his clothes as two separate actions.
He is simply walking. As time passes, the clothes naturally become dry.
More Examples
쓰면서 익숙해졌어요.
I became familiar with it as I used it.
(The more I used it, the more natural it became.)
얘기하면서 친해졌어요.
We became friends while talking.
(Over the course of talking, we naturally became closer.)
기다리면서 지쳤어요.
I got tired while waiting.
(During the time I was waiting, I gradually became tired.)
Quick Practice✐
Choose the most natural meaning.
① 음악을 들으면서 운동해요.
A. I exercise while listening to music.
✅Correct！
B. I became healthy because I listened to music.
✖ Try again!
② 한국어를 배우면서 한국 친구가 많아졌어요.
A. I learned Korean and my friends increased at the same time.
✖ Try again!
B. As I learned Korean, I naturally made more Korean friends.
✅Correct！
③ 영화를 보면서 눈물이 났어요.
A. I cried while watching the movie.
✅Correct！
B. I watched the movie and tried to cry on purpose.
✖ Try again!
Clementine’s Note🍊
“Walking will dry my clothes anyway.”
That sounds exactly like Kang Haneul — simple, natural, and not worrying too much😂
His words are a perfect reminder that Korean grammar is not only about translating words one by one.
-면서 doesn’t just mean “doing two things at the same time.” It can also show how something naturally happens over the course of an action.
Learning these small differences helps you understand Korean conversations more naturally.
Source
- YouTube: 기안84 official YouTube channel (Kang Haneul guest appearance)
- 2025/04/11
- Source: YouTube official channel （「인생84」）
