"우리 엄마는 요리하며 책을 사용한다."

Translation: Our mom uses a book while cooking.

[mhin1]

Seems to be a lot of confusion about three conjunctive particles: ~(으)면 vs. ~(으)며 vs ~(으)면서.

The TL;DR is that ~(으)면 is used to say if/then, while ~(으)며 and ~(으)면서 are used to emphasize that two actions occur at the same time.

---

Basics

• Conjuctive particles are connected to the stems of verbs and adjectives to connect two sentences together.
• As with any Korean postposition particle, there are dual forms: one used when the previous syllable ends in a consonant and another used when the syllable ends in a vowel.

~(으)면

• This is used to express a conditional: When THIS, then THAT.
  • 우리 엄마는 요리하면 책을 사용한다 = "When my mom cooks, she uses a book." (My mom cooks, and when she does, she uses a book.)
• This is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain statement: If THIS, then THAT.
  • 우리 엄마는 요리하면 책을 사용한다 = "If my mom cooks, then she uses a book." (My mom doesn't cook often, but if she does, she uses a book.)
• This is used to express a habitual/repeated condition: Whenever THIS, then THAT.
  • 우리 엄마는 요리하면 책을 사용한다 = "Whenever my mom cooks, she uses a book." (My mom cooks often and she uses a book everytime.)

~(으)며

• This is used to connect 2+ actions or states together.
  • 우리 엄마는 요리하며 책을 사용한다 = "My mom cooks and she uses a book."
  • Typically found in writing and other formal situations, as speakers prefer to use ~고 to the same effect.
• This is used when 2+ actions or states happen at the same time.
  • 우리 엄마는 요리하며 책을 사용한다 = "My mom cooks and she uses a book at the same time."
  • Often treated as synonymous with ~(으)면서.
  • Sometimes interpreted as a loose connection, with no specific relationship between the two actions. Contrast this with ~(으)면서.

~(으)면서

• This is used when 2+ actions or states happen at the same time.
  • 우리 엄마는 요리하면서 책을 사용한다 = "My mom cooks while uses a book." (My mom is using a book to help her cook.)
  • Often interpreted as a stronger connection than ~(으)며, implying that a reason exists as to why these two actions are happening simultaneously. Contrast this with ~(으)며.
• This is used when 2+ actions or states are contradictory.
  • 우리 엄마는 요리하면서 책을 사용한다 = "My mom cooks but she uses a book." (This translation is forced and unnatural as you would understand the sentence as the first use case than this one, but for parallelism I'll include it.)
  • 잘 알지도 못하면서 아는 체하지 마 = "Don't pretend to know, when you know nothing."

[J7jx10]

But how do you differentiate which meaning to imply?

[-RHCP-]

Huh?

[taydejesus]

What is wrong with "my mom uses a book while she cooks?"

[Unicornmon3]

I keep typing "whilst" and being marked wrong. I have had this question enough times, I should remember it is not accepted by now.

[D8amx]

whilstn't

[guha]

Can this also be translated the other way? "My mom cooks while using a book?" Or does while need to go with the cooking thing because it has the 며 on it?

[dexikiix]

I think ordering it that way kind of makes it sound like she's cooking in addition to reading a book, rather than she's using a book to help her cook.

[hippietrail]

As a native English speaker I don't find either way makes it sound like she's using a book to help her cook. Both sound quite awkward. But the "official" answer is closer despite that.

[Padi_Evans]

That would logically and grammatically be right.

However, looking at the sentence,

It used 요리하면 which means "while cooking".

Therefore,

"우리 엄마는 요리하면 책을 사용한다" = "While my mom is cooking, she uses a book" = "My mom uses a book while cooking"

[-RHCP-]

요리하며 or 요리하면서. 요리하면 means 'if she cooks'. Please check the top comment of this thread.

[Retroagv]

cant use "our" while the korean word is 우리????

[anonymous0311]

In Korean when I say 우리, I am underling the importance of the family relationship in whatever I'm going to reveal: my mom is not just my mom, but the mom of my whole family, even though none of my siblings is present in the current conversation. same with house, and other family centered words. so you should translate it as my.

[Raolan]

우리 is used instead of 제/내 when you are talking about your family (people, pets, things). 우리 엄마, 우리 강아지, 우리 집 등등

[Chloe_Chimene]

What's the implication here? Is the mother using a recipe book, reading a random book, or using a book as a tool, like balancing something on it? The translation doesn't make any sense to me..

[CGTokki]

If she would be using it as a tool, it would have the -로 ending, so it would something like this: 우리 엄마는 책으로 요리해요

[jiraiya1601]

is the '며' here a typo as i thought -면 meant while/whilst?

[IPurpleV]

What is the difference between 으며 and 으면서?

[LiKenun]

그 책은 도마다.

[NathanHong2]

that book is a cutting board?

[Kile408054]

Nobody says like this.

[xxResi]

What about "My mum uses a book while she cooks"? Or does it have to be an -ing form?

[RuizAPR]

I feel "using the book" should be subordinate to cooking. "우리 엄마는 책을 사용하며 요리한다." And I feel instrumental "어서" would be more appropriate for the sense of "using the book for cooking"

[lakshmi781721]

Is 함면 not ised to say while? Why is 함여 used here? Can some elaborate?

[slowsummits]

맛없어요

[DocRock61]

우리 엄마는 요리하며 책을 사용한다?
My mom uses a book while cooking?
우리 엄마는 요리하면 책을 사용한다?
My mom uses a book while cooking. !?!

[J7jx10]

My guess is that if you use 면, then you should use 사용해요 or 사용합니다

[-RHCP-]

면 means if. Please check the top comment of this thread.

[BtsArmyyashika]

하지만 우리 엄마는 아니야

[BrentLoyd1]

My mother uses a book while cooking? Mom vs mother?