Explanation at your level:
You use -거나 to say 'or'. If you want to say 'I eat or I sleep', you say '먹거나 자요'. It is very simple! You just take the verb and add -거나.
At this level, you can use -거나 to describe choices. 'Do you want to watch a movie or read a book?' becomes '영화를 보거나 책을 읽을까요?'. It helps you make your sentences longer and more interesting.
As you advance, use -거나 to connect complex ideas. You can combine adjectives too: 'The weather is hot or humid' -> '날씨가 덥거나 습해요'. It is a great way to show contrast and variety in your descriptions.
In B2, you will notice -거나 used in hypothetical situations. 'Whether you study or play, you must be happy.' It shows a level of maturity in your sentence structure that native speakers appreciate.
At the C1 level, you use this to nuance your arguments. It allows for the presentation of multiple possibilities without committing to one, which is essential for academic or professional debate in Korean.
Mastering -거나 at C2 involves understanding its subtle interplay with other connectors like -든지. You will use it to weave complex, multi-clause sentences that sound perfectly natural and native.
Word in 30 Seconds
- Connects two choices
- Used with verbs/adjectives
- Easy to conjugate
- Very common
Welcome to the world of -거나! Think of this as your go-to tool for when you just can't decide between two things. Whether you are talking about what you want to eat or how you are feeling, this ending helps you link your options together seamlessly.
In Korean, -거나 is attached to the verb or adjective stem. It is very versatile because it works with both action verbs (like 'eat' or 'run') and descriptive verbs (like 'big' or 'pretty'). It is a friendly, common way to express alternatives in your daily conversations.
The ending -거나 has evolved from older forms of Korean grammar that sought to categorize lists of actions. Historically, it stems from the need to express 'alternation' in a concise manner within a single sentence structure.
It is related to other connective endings that deal with choice, such as -든지, though -거나 is generally considered more neutral and common in everyday speech. Over centuries, it has solidified its place as the standard way to present a simple 'or' relationship between two predicates.
You use -거나 by dropping the '-다' from the dictionary form of a verb or adjective and adding '-거나' directly to the stem. For example, 'to eat' (먹다) becomes '먹거나' (eat or...).
It is used in almost every register, from casual chatting with friends to semi-formal business discussions. It is not usually used in extremely formal written reports, where other connectors might be preferred, but for 90% of your daily life, it is perfect.
While -거나 is a grammar point rather than a word that forms idioms, it is often used in the pattern -거나 -거나, which emphasizes 'whether you do this or that'.
- 가거나 말거나: Whether you go or not.
- 먹거나 말거나: Whether you eat or not.
- 좋거나 싫거나: Whether you like it or not.
- 자거나 깨거나: Whether sleeping or waking.
- 울거나 웃거나: Whether crying or laughing.
Grammatically, -거나 is a connective suffix. It does not change based on the preceding vowel, making it very easy to learn! You just attach it to the stem.
Pronunciation is straightforward: 'geo-na'. Ensure the 'g' is soft and the 'n' is clear. It rhymes with words like 'mana' (in a loose sense) or the ending of 'persona'. There is no stress shift, keep it flat and even.
Fun Fact
It is one of the most common ways to express 'or' in spoken Korean history.
Pronunciation Guide
Sounds like 'guh-nah'
Sounds like 'guh-nah'
Common Errors
- Mispronouncing the 'g'
- Adding a stress on the wrong syllable
- Confusing with 'gana'
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Easy
Moderate
Moderate
Easy
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Advanced
Grammar to Know
Connective Suffixes
-고, -지만
Noun Connectors
이거나
Choice Patterns
-거나 -거나
Examples by Level
사과를 먹거나 배를 먹어요.
Apple-object marker eat-or pear-object marker eat.
Simple choice.
자거나 놀아요.
Sleep-or play.
Action choice.
커피를 마시거나 차를 마셔요.
Coffee-object marker drink-or tea-object marker drink.
Drink choice.
공부하거나 운동해요.
Study-or exercise.
Activity choice.
크거나 작아요.
Big-or small.
Adjective choice.
예쁘거나 멋져요.
Pretty-or cool.
Adjective choice.
가거나 와요.
Go-or come.
Direction choice.
읽거나 써요.
Read-or write.
Skill choice.
영화를 보거나 음악을 들어요.
주말에 등산하거나 수영해요.
친구가 오거나 제가 가요.
비싸거나 싸거나 상관없어요.
집에 있거나 밖에 나가요.
노래하거나 춤을 춰요.
멀거나 가까워요.
덥거나 추워요.
숙제를 하거나 게임을 하거나 마음대로 하세요.
이 옷은 빨간색이거나 파란색일 거예요.
그 사람이 오거나 말거나 나는 출발할 거야.
매운 것을 먹거나 단 것을 먹거나 다 좋아해요.
비가 오거나 눈이 오거나 행사는 계속됩니다.
공항에 가거나 기차역에 가거나 해야 합니다.
그녀는 울거나 웃거나 감정이 풍부해요.
이 책을 읽거나 저 책을 읽거나 선택하세요.
성공하거나 실패하거나 최선을 다하는 것이 중요합니다.
회의에 참석하거나 보고서를 작성하거나 선택해야 합니다.
그가 거짓말을 하거나 진실을 말하거나 상관없습니다.
운동을 꾸준히 하거나 식단을 조절하거나 방법을 찾으세요.
이 문제가 어렵거나 쉽거나 해결해야 합니다.
여행을 가거나 집에서 쉬거나 계획을 세우세요.
그것이 사실이거나 아니거나 증거가 필요합니다.
전화를 하거나 문자를 보내거나 연락을 주세요.
그가 동의하거나 반대하거나 우리는 프로젝트를 추진할 것입니다.
환경이 변하거나 그렇지 않거나 우리는 적응해야 합니다.
그녀의 의견이 옳거나 그르거나 존중받아야 마땅합니다.
기술이 발전하거나 정체되거나 사회는 변화를 요구합니다.
예산이 부족하거나 충분하거나 효율적으로 운영해야 합니다.
그의 태도가 진지하거나 장난스럽거나 본질은 같습니다.
제도가 개선되거나 유지되거나 시민들의 참여가 중요합니다.
결과가 좋거나 나쁘거나 과정에서 배울 점이 있습니다.
운명이 정해져 있거나 우리가 개척하거나 삶은 계속됩니다.
철학적 질문이 명확하거나 모호하거나 탐구는 멈추지 않습니다.
역사가 반복되거나 새로운 길을 걷거나 우리는 기록합니다.
예술이 대중적이거나 실험적이거나 그 가치는 변하지 않습니다.
사회적 합의가 도출되거나 갈등이 지속되거나 대화는 필요합니다.
우주가 팽창하거나 수축하거나 법칙은 존재합니다.
언어가 진화하거나 소멸하거나 문화의 흔적은 남습니다.
진리가 절대적이거나 상대적이거나 인간은 진리를 추구합니다.
Common Collocations
Idioms & Expressions
"오거나 말거나"
Whether someone comes or not.
그가 오거나 말거나 상관없어.
casual"좋거나 싫거나"
Whether you like it or not.
좋거나 싫거나 해야 해.
neutral"먹거나 말거나"
Whether you eat or not.
먹거나 말거나 네 마음이야.
casual"되거나 말거나"
Whether it happens or not.
되거나 말거나 그냥 해봐.
casual"있거나 없거나"
Whether it exists or not.
있거나 없거나 다 똑같아.
neutral"알거나 모르거나"
Whether you know or not.
알거나 모르거나 상관없어.
casualEasily Confused
Both mean 'or'.
-든지 implies indifference.
먹든지 말든지.
Both mean 'or'.
또는 is a conjunction.
사과 또는 배.
Both mean 'or'.
혹은 is a conjunction.
사과 혹은 배.
Both are connectors.
-고 is 'and'.
먹고 자요.
Sentence Patterns
Verb1 + -거나 + Verb2
사과를 먹거나 배를 먹어요.
Adj1 + -거나 + Adj2
크거나 작거나 상관없어요.
Verb1 + -거나 + Verb2 + -거나
가거나 오거나 마음대로 하세요.
Noun + 이거나 + Noun
학생이거나 선생님이거나.
Past + -거나 + Past
갔거나 왔거나 상관없다.
Word Family
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Related
How to Use It
10
Formality Scale
Common Mistakes
You cannot add -거나 to a noun; you must add -이(다) first.
Don't use -고 if you mean 'or'.
Always drop the dictionary ending first.
In formal reports, conjunctions are better than endings.
Use -든지 when the choice is irrelevant.
Tips
Memory Palace Trick
Imagine a fork in the road.
When Native Speakers Use It
When presenting options.
Cultural Insight
Very common in daily speech.
Grammar Shortcut
Just drop -다.
Say It Right
Keep it flat.
Don't Make This Mistake
Don't add to nouns.
Did You Know?
It's universal.
Study Smart
Use with opposites.
Pro Tip
Use -거나 -거나 for emphasis.
Context
Perfect for menu choices.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Guh-na! (Go or nah?)
Visual Association
A fork in the road.
Word Web
Challenge
Make 5 sentences today using -거나.
Word Origin
Korean
Original meaning: Conjunction for choice
Cultural Context
None.
Directly maps to the English 'or' used in clauses.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
at a restaurant
- 이거 먹거나 저거 먹거나
- 따뜻하거나 차갑거나
planning a trip
- 가거나 오거나
- 비행기거나 기차거나
making decisions
- 좋거나 싫거나
- 되거나 말거나
describing items
- 크거나 작거나
- 비싸거나 싸거나
Conversation Starters
"오늘 뭐 먹거나 마실까요?"
"영화 볼까요 아니면 책 읽거나 할까요?"
"좋거나 싫거나 선택해 보세요."
"비가 오거나 말거나 갈 거예요?"
"이게 크거나 작거나 상관있나요?"
Journal Prompts
What do you do when you are tired? List two things using -거나.
Describe a choice you made today.
Write about two things you like.
What are your plans for the weekend?
Frequently Asked Questions
8 questionsNo, attach -이거나.
It is neutral and common.
-든지 implies the choice doesn't matter.
Yes, attach to past stem.
No, it is very regular.
In very formal writing.
No.
Yes, very often.
Test Yourself
사과를 ___ 배를 먹어요.
Used for choice.
Which means 'or'?
Connective ending for choice.
Is -거나 used for sequence?
It is used for choice.
Word
Meaning
Matches adjectives.
Logical sequence.
비가 ___ 눈이 ___ 계속 갑니다.
Choice pattern.
What is the nuance of -거나?
It denotes alternatives.
Can -거나 be used with nouns directly?
Needs -이(다) first.
Complex structure.
Word
Meaning
Idiomatic usage.
Score: /10
Summary
Use -거나 to connect two choices or states in a sentence.
- Connects two choices
- Used with verbs/adjectives
- Easy to conjugate
- Very common
Memory Palace Trick
Imagine a fork in the road.
When Native Speakers Use It
When presenting options.
Cultural Insight
Very common in daily speech.
Grammar Shortcut
Just drop -다.
Related Content
More academic words
입체적
B2Having a three-dimensional effect or examining something from multiple perspectives rather than a single flat view. It implies a comprehensive and detailed analysis.
~에 관해
B1About, concerning.
~에 대하여
A2Concerning or regarding a particular subject; about.
~대해
A2About; concerning; regarding.
~에 관하여
A2Regarding, concerning, about (a topic).
~에 대해(서)
A1Indicates the topic or subject of discussion, meaning 'about' or 'regarding'.
무엇보다
A2More than anything else; above all.
결석생
A2A student who is absent from class.
추상
A2Abstraction; the quality of dealing with ideas rather than events.
추상화하다
B2To consider something theoretically or separately from its physical reality. It involves extracting general principles from specific examples.
