Jen: Have you found a place to live after you graduate?
Jason: No not yet, but I think I am going to live with my parents for the time being.
Jen: Ah, I see.

본문에서 제가 “Have you found a place to live after you graduate? 졸업 후에 살 곳을 찾았니?”라고 묻자 Jason은 “No, not yet. But I am going to live with my parents for the time being. 아니, 아직. 하지만 당분간 부모님 집에 머물 예정이야.”라고 했습니다.

저도 “Ah, I see. 아, 그렇구나.”라고 대답했습니다. Now keep today’s expression ‘for the time being’ in mind and let’s hear the conversation again. 그럼 다시 한번 대화를 들어볼까요?

Jen: Have you found a place to live after you graduate?
Jason: No not yet, but I think I am going to live with my parents for the time being.
Jen: Ah, I see.

Today’s expression is for the time being. If I were to describe how a situation will be for the time being, I mean it will be like that for a period of time, but may change in the future. So this expression simply means ‘for the moment, at this time’.

For the time being은 ‘당장은’, ‘당분간’ 이라는 의미입니다. 길지 않은 앞으로 얼마간의 시간을 뜻하는 표현이죠. 'for a while,' 'for some time'도 같은 의미로 쓸 수 있습니다.

In today’s example, Jason tells me that he plans on living with his parents for the time being. 본문에서 Jason이 졸업 후 살 곳을 찾지 못했지만, 당분간 부모님 집에 머물 거라고 했습니다.

영어로 “No not yet, but I think I am going to live with my parents for the time being.”라고요. 이렇게 앞으로 얼마 간의 시간을 의미할 때 쓸 수 있는 영어 표현이 ‘for the time being’입니다.

그럼 예문을 통해 오늘 표현을 더 익혀 보겠습니다. “The gas station is closed for the time being.”은 “주유소가 당분간 문을 닫는다.”로 해석할 수 있습니다.

Here is another example. “I’m not eating sweets for the time being.”라는 문장을 해석하면 “나는 당분간 단 음식을 먹지 않을 거야.”라는 뜻입니다.

Now that you know what today’s expression means, let’s listen to the conversation for the last time.

Jen: Have you found a place to live after you graduate?
Jason: No not yet, but I think I am going to live with my parents for the time being.
Jen: Ah, I see.

Let’s review. 'For the time being' means for a period of time, for the moment, at this time. FOR THE TIME BEING.