beginner
Joins two verbs or adjectives with "and", or two actions with "and then".
Checked against the official learner dictionary from the National Institute of Korean Language
- Same form after any stem. After a noun, use 이고 igo.
- For one action after another, put the tense on the last verb only: 먹고 잤어요 meokgo jasseoyo, "I ate and slept".
Build it
When to use it
Listing
Two facts side by side.
One after another
First this, then that.
Keeping it on
Wearing or holding something while you do the next thing.
Watch out
고 joins verbs and adjectives. For nouns, use 하고 hago or 와/과 wa/gwa.
Add 고 to the stem 바쁘 bappeu, not to the 요 form.
In context
9 examples- 1
저는 밥을 먹고 학교에 가요.
Jeoneun babeul meokgo hakgyoe gayo.
I eat and then go to school.
- 2
이 방은 넓고 밝아요.
I bangeun neolgo balgayo.
This room is spacious and bright.
- 3
동생은 학생이고 저는 회사원이에요.
Dongsaengeun haksaengigo jeoneun hoesawonieyo.
My younger sibling is a student, and I'm an office worker.
- 4
숙제를 하고 잘게요.
Sukjereul hago jalgeyo.
I'll do my homework and then go to bed.
- 5
이 노트북은 가볍고 빨라요.
I noteubugeun gabyeopgo ppallayo.
This laptop is light and fast.
- 6
주말에는 청소하고 빨래해요.
Jumareneun cheongsohago ppallaehaeyo.
On weekends I clean and do the laundry.
- 7
코트를 입고 나가세요.
Koteureul ipgo nagaseyo.
Put on a coat before you go out.
- 8
언니는 키가 크고 저는 작아요.
Eonnineun kiga keugo jeoneun jagayo.
My older sister is tall, and I'm short.
- 9
아침에 커피를 마시고 일을 시작했어요.
Achime keopireul masigo ireul sijakaesseoyo.
In the morning I had a coffee and started work.
Practice
8 questions싸다 + 고
고 or 아/어서?
Both can mean "and then", but they don't link actions in the same way. 아/어서 joins two actions that belong together, where the second one happens because of the first or in the place the first one took you. 고 just puts one action after the other:
- 친구를 만나서 영화를 봤어요. chingureul mannaseo yeonghwareul bwasseoyo "I met my friend and we watched a movie."
- 친구를 만나고 영화를 봤어요. chingureul mannago yeonghwareul bwasseoyo "I met my friend, and after that I watched a movie." You might have watched it on your own.
That's why verbs of movement like 가다 gada and 오다 oda usually take 아/어서: 학교에 가서 공부해요 hakgyoe gaseo gongbuhaeyo, "I go to school and study there."
Joining nouns
고 only works on verbs and adjectives, so for "bread and milk" you need a noun particle: 빵하고 우유 ppanghago uyu or 빵과 우유 ppanggwa uyu. There's a whole lesson on them: 와/과, 하고, (이)랑.
Look it up in the dictionary
The entry for 고 in two trusted Korean dictionaries.