~와

Both ~와/과 and ~하고 mean 'and' or 'with.' The main difference is formality and usage. ~와/과 is generally more formal and used in writing or more polite speech. ~하고 is more informal and common in everyday spoken Korean. For example, you might see '사과와 바나나' (apple and banana) in a written list, but say '사과하고 바나나' when talking to a friend.

It depends on whether the preceding noun ends in a consonant or a vowel. If the noun ends in a vowel, you use ~와. For example, '친구와' (with a friend). If the noun ends in a consonant, you use ~과. For example, '책과' (with a book). It's similar to how you choose between 이/가 and 은/는.

Yes, you can! You typically use it to connect the last two items in a list. For example, '사과, 바나나와 오렌지' (apple, banana, and orange). For longer lists, it's often more natural to just list the nouns and sometimes use commas, or use ~하고 between each item if speaking informally.

Yes, that's its primary function. It connects two nouns or phrases to show that they are together or related in some way. Think of it as linking two things or indicating someone or something is accompanying another.

Yes, as mentioned, ~하고 is a common informal alternative. Another particle you might encounter is ~(이)랑, which is also very informal and frequently used in spoken Korean, especially among younger people. For example, '엄마랑 아빠' (mom and dad).

No, ~와/과 is specifically a particle for connecting nouns. It doesn't attach to verbs or adjectives. To connect verbs or adjectives, you would use different grammatical structures.

A classic example would be '저는 친구와 영화를 봤어요.' (I watched a movie with a friend.) Here, '친구와' shows that the friend was accompanying you for the movie. Another one: '커피와 빵을 먹었어요.' (I ate coffee and bread.) – meaning you had them together.

Generally, no, the order doesn't change the meaning significantly when simply listing items. '사과와 바나나' is the same as '바나나와 사과'. However, in sentences indicating accompaniment, it's usually natural to put the person or thing you are with first, but it's not a strict rule.

While ~와/과 literally means 'with,' it can also be used in comparison structures, especially when paired with words like '같다' (to be the same/like) or '다르다' (to be different). For example, '이것은 저것과 같아요.' (This is the same as that.) But on its own, it doesn't directly mean 'compare.'

Besides the examples given, you'll often see it in expressions like: '가족과 함께' (together with family), '친구와 이야기하다' (to talk with a friend), '밥과 국' (rice and soup), or '펜과 종이' (pen and paper). These show common pairings or accompaniments.