Connecting Sentences: And & Then (-고)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use -고 to connect two actions or states, meaning 'and' or 'and then'.
- Attach -고 directly to the verb/adjective stem: 가다 -> 가고.
- It connects two independent clauses into one sentence.
- The tense is usually only marked at the very end of the sentence.
Overview
The Korean connective ending -고 (pronounced go) is an indispensable grammatical tool for linking clauses in a cohesive manner, signifying either a sequence of events or a listing of concurrent facts/states. At the A2 CEFR level, mastering -고 allows you to move beyond simple, declarative sentences and express more complex ideas, making your Korean sound significantly more natural and fluid. Instead of stating facts in isolated sentences, -고 enables you to connect them logically, reflecting how native speakers express continuous thoughts or recount events.
Its versatility makes it one of the most frequently encountered and essential connective endings in the Korean language, acting as the primary equivalent to "and" or "and then" in English.
Linguistically, -고 is a non-finite connective ending, meaning it does not carry the tense or speech level information for the entire sentence. This crucial function is reserved for the final predicate of the entire linked structure. This principle promotes linguistic efficiency by avoiding redundant conjugations and maintaining a smooth narrative flow.
Understanding -고 fundamentally changes how you construct sentences, allowing you to narrate events, describe people or objects with multiple attributes, and issue compound instructions, all within a single, elegant sentence structure.
For example, instead of saying 저는 밥을 먹었어요. 저는 학교에 갔어요. (I ate. I went to school.), you can combine them using -고 to form 저는 밥을 먹고 학교에 갔어요. (I ate and then went to school.), which is a much more natural expression.
Similarly, describing someone as 그는 키가 커요. 그는 잘생겼어요. (He is tall. He is handsome.) becomes 그는 키가 크고 잘생겼어요. (He is tall and handsome.) with -고, listing both attributes together.
How This Grammar Works
-고 serves as a linguistic bridge, joining two or more independent clauses to form a single, coherent sentence. The clauses connected by -고 maintain their individual semantic meanings but are presented as related components of a larger idea. The key characteristic of -고 is its neutrality regarding cause and effect; it primarily indicates temporal sequence or simple enumeration, without implying that the first action directly causes the second or is a prerequisite for it.-고 is that it typically defers the tense and politeness level of the entire sentence to the final verb or adjective. This means that verbs or adjectives preceding -고 are usually used in their dictionary stem form (without past or future tense markers, or specific politeness endings like -아요/어요 or -습니다/ㅂ니다). This convention is a hallmark of Korean clause chaining, contributing to the language's conciseness and natural rhythm.합니다체 (ham-ni-da-che) or casual 해체 (hae-che), is also determined by the final predicate.저는 공부하고 집에 갔어요. (jeo-neun gong-bu-ha-go jib-e gat-eo-yo.). Here, 공부하- (to study) remains in its stem form, and only 갔어요 (went) is conjugated for past tense and informal politeness.-고 can connect any number of clauses, clarity is paramount. Overly long sentences with too many -고 connections can become cumbersome and difficult to parse. Native speakers generally keep sentence length manageable, typically linking two or three clauses at most, or using new sentences for distinct shifts in topic or time.-고 used across all registers of speech, from casual conversations to formal written documents, underscoring its fundamental role in Korean grammar.Formation Pattern
-고 is remarkably straightforward, making it one of the easiest connective endings to apply in Korean. Unlike many other endings that require consideration of vowel/consonant endings or irregular conjugations, -고 simply attaches directly to the stem of a verb, adjective, or to the copula 이다 (i-da, to be).
-고 to a verb or adjective, you simply remove the dictionary ending -다 (da) and append -고 to the remaining stem. This rule applies uniformly, regardless of whether the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant.
다) | Stem + -고 | English Translation |
먹다 (to eat) | 먹- | 먹고 | eating and/then |
가다 (to go) | 가- | 가고 | going and/then |
읽다 (to read) | 읽- | 읽고 | reading and/then |
자다 (to sleep) | 자- | 자고 | sleeping and/then |
예쁘다 (to be pretty) | 예쁘- | 예쁘고 | being pretty and/then |
좋다 (to be good) | 좋- | 좋고 | being good and/then |
멀다 (to be far) | 멀- | 멀고 | being far and/then |
크다 (to be big) | 크- | 크고 | being big and/then |
저는 아침에 일찍 일어나고 운동해요. (jeo-neun a-chim-e il-jjik il-eo-na-go un-dong-hae-yo.) - I wake up early in the morning and exercise.
이 가방은 가볍고 예뻐요. (i ga-bang-eun ga-byeop-go ye-ppeo-yo.) - This bag is light and pretty.
이다 (to be):
이다, the formation slightly varies depending on whether the noun ends in a consonant or a vowel.
이고 (i-go). The 이 is essential for phonetic flow and grammatical correctness.
학생이다 (to be a student) → 학생이고 (hak-saeng-i-go)
선생님이다 (to be a teacher) → 선생님이고 (seon-saeng-nim-i-go)
고 (go), or less commonly, 이고. While 이고 is always grammatically correct and safe, in casual speech, the 이 is often omitted for vowel-ending nouns to create 고 directly. For learners, consistently using 이고 is recommended to avoid errors.
의사이다 (to be a doctor) → 의사고 (casual) or 의사이고 (standard) (ui-sa-go / ui-sa-i-go)
가수이다 (to be a singer) → 가수고 (casual) or 가수이고 (standard) (ga-su-go / ga-su-i-go)
저는 학생이고 제 친구는 회사원이에요. (jeo-neun hak-saeng-i-go je chin-gu-neun hoe-sa-won-i-e-yo.) - I am a student, and my friend is an office worker.
그분은 의사이고 매우 친절해요. (geu-bun-eun ui-sa-i-go mae-u chin-jeol-hae-yo.) - That person is a doctor and very kind.
합니다체, 해체) are typically applied only to the final predicate of the entire sentence when using -고. All preceding verbs or adjectives linked by -고 remain in their uninflected stem form.
저는 매일 한국어를 공부하고 드라마를 봐요. (jeo-neun mae-il han-gu-geo-reul gong-bu-ha-go deu-ra-ma-reul bwa-yo.) - I study Korean every day and watch dramas.
저는 어제 쇼핑하고 영화를 봤어요. (jeo-neun eo-je syo-ping-ha-go yeong-hwa-reul bwat-eo-yo.) - Yesterday, I went shopping and watched a movie.
내일은 비가 오고 추울 거예요. (nae-il-eun bi-ga o-go chu-ul geo-ye-yo.) - Tomorrow, it will rain and be cold.
-았/었- + -고). However, for A2 learners, it is strongly advised to stick to the standard rule of conjugating only the final verb to avoid sounding unnatural. This advanced usage primarily provides a nuance of completed action before the next, rather than a continuous sequence. For instance, 밥을 먹었고 영화를 봤어요 implies a clearer break between eating and watching the movie than 밥을 먹고 영화를 봤어요.
When To Use It
-고 is incredibly versatile and can be employed in a variety of contexts to connect ideas smoothly. Its primary uses fall into two main categories: sequential actions and listing concurrent states or facts.-고. It links actions that occur one after another, implying a chronological order. The first action is completed, and then the second action begins. The emphasis here is on the order of events.아침에 일어나고 샤워했어요.(a-chim-e il-eo-na-go sya-wo-haet-eo-yo.) - I woke up in the morning and then showered.숙제를 다 하고 게임을 했어요.(suk-je-reul da ha-go ge-im-eul haet-eo-yo.) - I finished all my homework and then played games.식당에 가서 밥을 먹고 집에 왔어요.(sik-dang-e ga-seo bab-eul meok-go jib-e wat-eo-yo.) - I went to a restaurant, ate, and then came home.
학교에 가고 친구를 만나고 같이 밥을 먹었어요. (hak-gyo-e ga-go chin-gu-reul man-na-go ga-chi bab-eul meok-eot-eo-yo.) - I went to school, met a friend, and then ate together.-고 is also used to connect two or more descriptive clauses that are true simultaneously or list multiple characteristics of a subject. This is often seen with adjectives.이 식당은 음식이 맛있고 분위기도 좋아요.(i sik-dang-eun eum-sik-i ma-sit-go bun-wi-gi-do jo-a-yo.) - This restaurant's food is delicious and the atmosphere is good too.그 남자는 키가 크고 잘생겼어요.(geu nam-ja-neun ki-ga keu-go jal-saeng-gyeot-eo-yo.) - That man is tall and handsome.저는 한국어를 공부하고 제 친구는 영어를 공부해요.(jeo-neun han-gu-geo-reul gong-bu-ha-go je chin-gu-neun yeong-eo-reul gong-bu-hae-yo.) - I study Korean, and my friend studies English.
-고. You are simply presenting multiple pieces of information that exist concurrently. This is particularly useful when describing things, people, or situations with multiple facets.-고 can also link verbs in imperative or propositive sentences, forming a sequence of instructions or suggestions.여기 앉고 기다리세요.(yeo-gi anj-go gi-da-ri-se-yo.) - Sit here and wait.이 문서를 읽고 회의에 참석합시다.(i mun-seo-reul ilk-go hoe-ui-e cham-seok-hap-si-da.) - Let's read this document and attend the meeting.
-고 facilitates expressing multi-faceted thoughts efficiently. For instance, a social media caption might be: 여행 가고 맛있는 거 먹고 있어요! (yeo-haeng ga-go ma-sit-neun geo meok-go iss-eo-yo!) - "I'm traveling and eating delicious things!" This concisely conveys two concurrent, enjoyable activities. In a work email, you might encounter: 보고서를 검토하고 피드백을 주시기 바랍니다. (bo-go-seo-reul geom-to-ha-go pi-deu-baek-eul ju-si-gi ba-rap-ni-da.) - "Please review the report and provide feedback." This clearly outlines two sequential actions requested.-고 primarily indicates a neutral sequence or listing, in some contexts, it can subtly imply a consequence or result, especially when the connection between the clauses is inherently strong. For example, 그는 매일 운동하고 건강해요. (geu-neun mae-il un-dong-ha-go geon-gang-hae-yo.) - "He exercises every day and is healthy." While literally "he exercises every day AND is healthy," the implication can be that his health is a result of his daily exercise. However, this implied causality is weaker than what would be conveyed by a dedicated causal connective like -아서/어서, and for A2 learners, it's best to focus on the sequential and listing functions.Common Mistakes
-고. Understanding these pitfalls and the underlying reasons can significantly improve your accuracy and naturalness in Korean.-았/었-) to every verb in a sequence before attaching -고.- Incorrect:
저는 숙제를 했어요고 게임을 했어요. - Correct:
저는 숙제를 하고 게임을 했어요.(jeo-neun suk-je-reul ha-go ge-im-eul haet-eo-yo.) - I did homework and then played games.
-고 clause simply presents an action or state that occurred prior to or concurrently with the next, with the overarching temporal context set at the very end. Over-conjugating makes the sentence sound choppy and unnatural to native speakers, akin to speaking in fragmented clauses rather than a flowing sentence.-고 with Causal Connectives like -아서/어서:-고(Neutral Sequence/Listing): Indicates actions in chronological order or concurrent states. The first action does not necessarily cause or serve as a prerequisite for the second.밥을 먹고 학교에 갔어요.(bab-eul meok-go hak-gyo-e gat-eo-yo.) - I ate (and then) went to school. (These are two distinct actions; eating didn't cause going to school.)
-아서/어서(Cause/Reason/Prerequisite): Indicates that the first clause is the reason, cause, or prerequisite for the second. The order is fixed, and the omission of the first action would render the second illogical or impossible.밥을 먹어서 배가 불렀어요.(bab-eul meog-eo-seo bae-ga bul-leot-eo-yo.) - I ate, so I was full. (Eating directly caused fullness.)친구가 집에 와서 같이 영화를 봤어요.(chin-gu-ga jib-e wa-seo ga-chi yeong-hwa-reul bwat-eo-yo.) - My friend came home, so we watched a movie together. (The friend's arrival enabled watching the movie together.)
-고 | -아서/어서 |-아서/어서 clause) |씻고 먹으세요) | Not allowed with commands/suggestions |이 with Nouns:이 in -(이)고 is mandatory. Omitting it leads to grammatical incorrectness.- Incorrect:
저는 학생고 - Correct:
저는 학생이고 제 친구는 선생님이에요.(jeo-neun hak-saeng-i-go je chin-gu-neun seon-saeng-nim-i-e-yo.) - I am a student, and my friend is a teacher.
이 can be omitted for vowel-ending nouns in casual speech (e.g., 의사고), it is safer for learners to always include 이 to ensure correctness and politeness, especially in more formal contexts.-고 for Pure Contrast (Conjugation Table
| Verb/Adjective | Stem | With -고 |
|---|---|---|
|
가다
|
가-
|
가고
|
|
먹다
|
먹-
|
먹고
|
|
자다
|
자-
|
자고
|
|
예쁘다
|
예쁘-
|
예쁘고
|
|
작다
|
작-
|
작고
|
|
공부하다
|
공부하-
|
공부하고
|
Meanings
The connective ending -고 is used to link two clauses, indicating a sequence of events or a simple 'and' relationship between states.
Sequential Action
Doing one thing after another.
“책을 읽고 잤어요.”
“운동을 하고 샤워를 해요.”
Listing States
Describing multiple qualities of a subject.
“그 사람은 키가 크고 잘생겼어요.”
“날씨가 춥고 바람이 불어요.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Stem + -고
|
먹고
|
|
Past Tense
|
Stem + -고 + Verb(Past)
|
먹고 갔어요
|
|
Future Tense
|
Stem + -고 + Verb(Future)
|
먹고 갈 거예요
|
|
Negative
|
Stem + -고 + Negative
|
먹고 안 갔어요
|
|
Question
|
Stem + -고 + Question
|
먹고 갈까요?
|
|
Adjective
|
Adj Stem + -고
|
크고 예뻐요
|
Formality Spectrum
식사하고 주무셨습니다. (Daily life)
먹고 잤어요. (Daily life)
먹고 잤어. (Daily life)
먹고 잤음. (Daily life)
The -고 Bridge
Actions
- 먹고 eat and
- 자고 sleep and
States
- 크고 big and
- 싸고 cheap and
Examples by Level
사과를 먹고 물을 마셔요.
I eat an apple and drink water.
학교에 가고 공부해요.
I go to school and study.
책을 보고 음악을 들어요.
I read a book and listen to music.
친구를 만나고 집에 가요.
I meet a friend and go home.
그 사람은 키가 크고 잘생겼어요.
He is tall and handsome.
어제 숙제를 하고 잤어요.
I did my homework and slept yesterday.
이 식당은 싸고 맛있어요.
This restaurant is cheap and delicious.
내일 친구를 만나고 영화를 볼 거예요.
I will meet a friend and watch a movie tomorrow.
그녀는 영어를 잘하고 한국어도 잘해요.
She speaks English well and also speaks Korean well.
비가 오고 바람이 많이 불어요.
It is raining and the wind is blowing hard.
회의를 준비하고 보고서를 작성했어요.
I prepared for the meeting and wrote the report.
운동을 하고 나니까 기분이 좋아요.
After I exercise, I feel good.
정부는 정책을 발표하고 시민들의 의견을 들었습니다.
The government announced the policy and listened to the citizens' opinions.
그는 성격이 급하고 실수를 자주 합니다.
He has a hasty personality and makes mistakes often.
기술이 발전하고 생활이 편리해졌습니다.
Technology has developed and life has become convenient.
그 문제를 해결하고 다음 단계로 넘어갑시다.
Let's solve that problem and move to the next step.
그는 자신의 잘못을 인정하고 사과를 구했습니다.
He acknowledged his mistake and asked for an apology.
이론을 정립하고 실험을 통해 검증했습니다.
We established the theory and verified it through experiments.
경제는 성장하고 물가는 안정되었습니다.
The economy grew and prices stabilized.
그는 재능이 뛰어나고 노력을 많이 합니다.
He is talented and puts in a lot of effort.
역사는 반복되고 인간은 같은 실수를 저지릅니다.
History repeats itself and humans commit the same mistakes.
그는 고전 문학을 탐독하고 자신만의 철학을 구축했습니다.
He read classical literature and built his own philosophy.
문화는 교류하고 언어는 변화하며 발전합니다.
Cultures interact and languages change and evolve.
그는 권력을 쥐고 세상을 바꾸려 했습니다.
He seized power and tried to change the world.
Easily Confused
Both connect verbs, but -어서/아서 implies cause.
Both connect clauses.
Both mean 'and'.
Common Mistakes
먹었어요고
먹고
가다고
가고
먹고 자요고
먹고 자요
먹고 잤어요고
먹고 잤어요
크고 예뻤어요
크고 예뻐요
먹고 그래서 자요
먹고 자요
먹고 그리고 자요
먹고 자요
먹고 싶고 잤어요
먹고 싶고 잤어요
비가 오고 하지만
비가 오지만
먹고 때문에 자요
먹어서 자요
먹고서 했고
먹고서 했다
먹고, 자고, 가고
먹고 자고 갔다
먹고 그리고 나서
먹고 나서
Sentence Patterns
___고 ___해요.
___고 ___요.
___고 ___을 거예요.
___고 ___었습니다.
Real World Usage
오늘 뭐 하고 놀아?
피자 먹고 콜라 마실래요.
회의하고 보고했습니다.
박물관 보고 카페 가요.
운동하고 힐링 중!
열심히 공부하고 준비했습니다.
The 'Comma' Rule
Don't connect NOUNS
Texting Style
Smart Tips
Use -고 to link the two actions.
Use -고 to list multiple traits.
Use -고 to chain them together.
Remember: only the last verb gets the tense.
Pronunciation
Linking
The final 'g' sound in -고 is usually pronounced clearly.
Rising
먹고? ↑
Are you asking if I ate and then...?
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of -고 as a 'Glue' that sticks two sentences together.
Visual Association
Imagine a train car. The first verb is the engine, -고 is the coupling hook, and the second verb is the next car.
Rhyme
Take the stem, drop the 다, add a 고, and you're a star!
Story
Min-su woke up. He brushed his teeth. He ate breakfast. In Korean: '민수는 일어나고, 이를 닦고, 아침을 먹었어요.'
Word Web
Challenge
Write 3 sentences about your morning routine using -고.
Cultural Notes
Koreans use -고 to list items in a way that implies a natural progression of events.
In formal reports, -고 is used to list project stages.
Often shortened to just -고 in text messages.
Derived from the Middle Korean connective -고.
Conversation Starters
오늘 뭐 했어요?
한국 음식 어때요?
주말에 보통 뭐 해요?
성격이 어때요?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
밥을 ___ 학교에 가요.
그 사람은 키가 ___ 잘생겼어요.
Find and fix the mistake:
먹었어요고 잤어요.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
I read and slept.
Answer starts with: 읽고 ...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Which is correct?
그는 똑똑하고 ___.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises밥을 ___ 학교에 가요.
그 사람은 키가 ___ 잘생겼어요.
Find and fix the mistake:
먹었어요고 잤어요.
가요 / 학교에 / 공부해요 / 하고
I read and slept.
가다 -> ?
Which is correct?
그는 똑똑하고 ___.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercises어제 일찍 ___ 오늘 일찍 일어났어요.
빵을 / 마셨어요 / 먹고 / 우유를
The sea is blue and wide.
How do you say both together?
저는 사과 고 바나나를 좋아해요.
Match these:
바람이 ___ 비가 와요. (불다 - to blow)
친구는 / 저는 / 일본인이고 / 한국인이에요
Wash your face and sleep.
The car is fast and red.
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
Yes, but only at the end of the sentence.
It is neutral and used in all registers.
No, use -지만 for 'but'.
Usually 2-3 for clarity.
Yes, perfectly.
It doesn't matter, just add -고.
Yes, very common.
No, use -어서/아서.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
y
It's a suffix, not a standalone word.
et
Korean attaches it to the verb.
und
Korean is agglutinative.
te
Japanese uses -te, Korean uses -고.
و
Arabic is a prefix/particle.
和
Chinese doesn't conjugate verbs.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Videos
[Eng.ver] connective ending, -고 VS -아/어서 [Real Korean Class]
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How to connect sentences in Korean! And -고, Or - 거나, But -지만, -는데, If -으면, While -으면서
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[SUB] Essential Korean Conjunctions and Example Sentences
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