[Korean grammar] -는 김에 Expressing Doing Things Separately and Together

가: 어제 휴일인데 뭐 하셨어요?
Yesterday was a holiday. So what did you do?
나: 모처럼 친구를 만난 김에 영화도 보고 쇼핑도 했어요. 그랬더니 좀 피곤하네요.
I met a friend for the first time in a long time, and while we were out, we saw a movie and did some shopping. So now I’m a little tired.
가: 저 지금 은행에 갔다 오려고 하는데 나가는 김에 커피 한 잔 사다 드릴까요?
I’m about to make a trip to the bank, so would you like me to get you a cup of coffee on my way out?
나: 그래 주실래요? 그럼 카페라떼로 부탁해요.
You’d really do that? In that case, I’ll take a cafe latte.

가: 이게웬호두과자예요?
Where did you get these walnut pastries?
나: 휴게소에 들른 김에 천안에서 유명하다고 해서 좀 샀어요. 드셔 보세요.
I had heard they are famous in Cheonan, so while I made a pitstop at a rest area, I bought some. Please give them a try.

가: 어제 인천에 사는 동생네 집에 간 김에 인천 국제도시도 구경을 했어요.
Yesterday, I took the opportunity to see Incheon International City when I went to visit my brother, who lives in Incheon.
나: 저도 한 번 가 봤는데 국제도시답게 도시 계획을 잘했더라고요.
I’ve been there once myself, and they’ve done a good job planning it so that it really feels like an international city.

가: 친구들이 내 첫인상이 너무 강해 보인다는데 머리 모앙을 좀 바꿔 볼까?
My friends said their first impressions were that I appeared too strong-willed, so I’m thinking of changing my hairstyle.
나: 머리 모양을 바꾸는 김에 머리 색상도 조금 밝은 색으로 바꿔 보는 게 어때?
While you’re changing your hairstyle, why don’t you also change your hair color to something a little brighter?

1. Even if the action expressed in the preceding clause happened in the past, this expression can be used in the present tense form -는 김에 as long as the action described in the following clause happened almost at the same time as the preceding action.
• 제 것을 사는 김에 동생 것도 하나 샀어요.
• 어제 방 청소를 하는 김에 부엌 청소도 했어요.

2. Even when expressing something occurring in the present, if the action in the preceding clause is completed before the action in the following clause begins, then the form -(으)ㄴ 김에 is used.
• 이렇게 다모인 김에 기념사진이나 찍을까요?
• 오랜만에 외출한 김에 분위기 좋은 곳에 가서 차나 한잔합시다.

While the expressions -(으)ㄹ 겸 -(으)ㄹ 겸 and -는 김에 are similar with respect to the fact that they indicate combining or doing together of two actions together, they have the following differences.

>> You can click on the title of grammar below to see another grammar that also expresses ‘Doing Things Separately and Together’