sueop junge jamdeureosseoyo.

I fell asleep during class.

Breakdown of sueop junge jamdeureosseoyo.

• 수업: class
• 중에: during
• 잠들다: to fall asleep

Questions & Answers about sueop junge jamdeureosseoyo.

What is the function of 수업 중에 in this sentence?

• 수업 means “class” and 중 means “middle” or “among.”
• The particle -에 turns 수업 중 into a time expression, so 수업 중에 means “during class.”
• It tells you when the action (falling asleep) took place.

Why use 중에 instead of 동안 here?

• Both 중에 and 동안 can translate to “during,” but they have slightly different nuances.
• 중에 often highlights a moment or point within an ongoing event.
• 동안 emphasizes the entire duration.
• Since 잠들었다 describes the moment you dozed off, 수업 중에 잠들었어요 sounds more natural than 수업 동안 잠들었어요, which would imply you slept the whole class.

What’s the difference between 잠들다 and 자다?

• 자다 simply means “to sleep.”
• 잠들다 means “to fall asleep” or “to doze off,” focusing on the moment you start sleeping.
• In this context, 수업 중에 잠들었어요 specifically says “I dozed off during class,” not merely “I slept.”

Why is there no subject (like 저는 or 나는) in the sentence?

• Korean frequently drops the subject when it’s obvious from context.
• Here, we understand “I” am the one who fell asleep, so saying 저는 or 나는 is optional.
• Omitting it makes the sentence more natural and concise.

What tense and politeness level is 잠들었어요?

• This is past tense with the polite ending: verb stem 잠들-
  • past marker -었-
    • polite -어요.
• It’s suitable for everyday polite conversation.
• You could adjust the level:
  • Formal polite: 수업 중에 잠들었습니다.
  • Informal (friends): 수업 중에 잠들었어.

Can I say 수업 중에 잠을 잤어요 instead?

• Yes, 수업 중에 잠을 잤어요 is grammatically correct and means “I slept during class.”
• But it emphasizes the state of sleeping rather than the act of dozing off.
• Use 잠들었어요 when you want to highlight that you actually fell asleep, perhaps unintentionally.

Is 수업 중에 considered an adverbial phrase or a noun phrase?

• Functionally, it’s an adverbial time expression (it answers “when?”).
• Structurally, 수업 중 is a noun phrase meaning “middle of class,” and -에 turns it into an adverbial.
• You can move it around: 저는 수업 중에 잠들었어요 or 수업 중에 저는 잠들었어요 without changing the core meaning.