Level 5 Lesson 26 / 대신에, -는 대신에 / Instead of …

In this lesson, we are going to look at how to say "instead of" in Korean. The key expression to remember here is "대신에" [dae-si-ne]. The word 대신 [dae-sin] literally means "substitution" or "replacing" and the verb 대신하다 [dae-sin-ha-da] means "to substitute" or "to replace" someone or something.

In English, you use the expression “instead of” BEFORE the noun or the verb, but in Korean, you need to put "대신에" after the noun or the verb.

Examples
(With nouns)

1. 이거 대신에 [i-geo dae-si-ne]
= instead of this

2. 이거 대신에 저거 [i-geo dae-si-ne jeo-geo]
= that one instead of this one
*Please note the difference in word order in English and in Korean.

3. 저 대신에 [jeo dae-si-ne]
= instead of me

4. 저 대신에 제 친구가... [jeo dae-si-ne]
= instead of me, my friend (subject) ...

When you want to use 대신에 with verbs and say things like "instead of doing this", "instead of buying it", or "instead of working", you need to change the verb into the adjective form so that it can modify 대신에.

Construction:
Verb stem + -는

Ex)
사다 (= to buy) --> 사는 대신에 (= instead of buying)
만나다 (= to meet) --> 만나는 대신에 (= instead of meeting)

Another meaning of 대신에

Basically "Noun + 대신에" or "Verb + -는 대신에" means "instead of", but when used with verbs, 대신에 can also have the meaning of "in return for + V-ing".

For example, using this, you can say things like the following:
1. I will help you this time. But "in return", you have to help me next time.
2. You can watch TV now but "in return/to make up for it" you should study hard later.
3. I will teach you English, but "in return" you have to teach me Korean.

Examples
1. 이번에는 제가 도와 줄게요. 대신에 다음에는 저를 도와 줘야 돼요.
[i-beo-ne je-ga do-wa jul-ge-yo. dae-si-ne da-eu-me-neun jeo-reul do-wa jwo-ya dwae-yo.]
= I will help you this time. But in return, next time, you have to help me.
= 이번에는 제가 도와 주는 대신에, 다음에는 저를 도와 줘야 돼요.

2. 제가 이거 빌려 주는 대신에, 저 영어 공부 도와 줘야 돼요.
[je-ga i-geo bil-lyeo ju-neun dae-si-ne, jeo yeong-eo gong-bu do-wa jwo-ya dwae-yo.]
= I will lend you this, but in return, you have to help me learn English.

Sample sentences
1. 컴퓨터 대신에 카메라를 샀어요.
[keom-pyu-teo dae-si-ne ka-me-ra-reul sa-sseo-yo.]
= I bought a camera instead of a computer.

2. 여행을 가는 대신에 아르바이트를 했어요.
[yeo-haeng-eul ga-neun dae-si-ne a-reu-ba-i-teu-reul hae-sseo-yo.]
= Instead of traveling, I did a part-time job.

3. 오늘 일찍 가는 대신에, 내일 일찍 와야 돼요.
[o-neul il-jjik ga-neun dae-si-ne, nae-il il-jjik wa-ya dwae-yo.]
= Since you are leaving early, to make up for it, you have to be here early tomorrow.

4. 저 대신에 가고 싶은 사람 있어요?
[jeo dae-si-ne ga-go si-peun sa-ram i-sseo-yo?]
= Is there anybody who wants to go instead of me?

5. 아빠 대신 엄마가 올 거예요.
[a-ppa dae-sin eom-ma-ga ol geo-ye-yo.]
= Instead of my father, my mother will come here.

*In both spoken and written Korean, people often drop the particle "-에" and just say 대신 or -는 대신.