The Korean -go Construction: Connecting Actions and Building Common Verb Patterns with -고 -go

The Korean -go construction is one of the most useful verb and adjective forms in Korean. Its basic function is to connectoneverb or adjective to another, much like and in English. It also appears in several extremely common grammatical constructions. In this post we’ll cover the most important and common constructions and meaning that students of Korean should know.

To begin, we’ll summarize how to form the -go construction. Then we’ll divide the most important uses of the Korean -go form into three main categories. First, we’ll see how it’s used as a connective, functioning much like and in English. Second, we’ll turn to ongoing actions and resulting states, which are sometimes similar to English be doing. Third, we’ll see how the Korean -go form is used to express desires.

The –고 -go Form

Let’s start with the basics. The Korean -go form is very predictable and regular. Just remove –다 -da from the dictionary form and replace it with –고 -go.

• 먹다 meokda (eat) → 먹고 meokgo
• 가다 gada (go) → 가고 gago
• 하다 hada (do) → 하고 hago
• 크다 keuda (be big) → 크고 keugo

Unlike many Korean verb endings, –고 does not change according to the final vowel or consonant of the stem. It’s perfectly regular and predictable.

The Korean -go Construction as a Connective

First, let’s look at some connective uses of the Korean -go construction. The basic function of the –고 -go form is to act as a connective, either of verbs or of (verbal) adjectives. In these constructions, –고 -go is also translated as and.

1. Connecting Actions: “and”

The most basic use of –고 is to connect two or more actions. In English, it can often be translated as and. Notice that –go is added to the first verb.

• 친구를 만나고 영화를 봐요.
  chingureul mannago yeonghwareul bwayo.
  I meet a friend and watch a movie.
• 한국어를 공부하고 음악을 들어요.
  hangugeoreul gongbuhago eumageul deureoyo.
  I study Korean and listen to music.

The verb in the –go form is just a connective form. It doesn’t carry any information about tense. Instead, only the last verb changes for tense. Compare:

• 아침을 먹고 커피를 마셔요.
  achimeul meokgo keopireul masyeoyo.
  I eat breakfast and drink coffee.
• 아침을 먹고 커피를 마셨어요.
  achimeul meokgo keopireul masyeosseoyo.
  I ate breakfast and drank coffee.

Similarly, the –go form carries no information for speech level. Again, only the final verb marks this.

• 먹고 가.
  meokgo ga.
  I eat and go. (informal low, casual)
• 먹고 가요.
   meokgo gayo.
  I eat and go. (informal high, polite –요)
• 먹고 갑니다.
  meokgo gamnida.
  I eat and go. (formal high, polite)

If -go connects more than two actions, it still appears on every verb form except the final one.

• 일어나고 샤워하고 아침을 먹었어요.
  ireonago syawohago achimeul meogeosseoyo.
  I woke up, took a shower, and ate breakfast.
• 퇴근하고 식당에 가고 친구들을 만나요.
  toegeunhago sikdange gago chingudeureul mannayo.
  I leave work, go to a restaurant, and meet my friends.

2. Connecting Sequential Actions: “and then”

When two actions naturally happen one after another, –고 can also have the sense of and then.

• 문을 열고 들어갔어요.
  muneul yeolgo deureogasseoyo.
  I opened the door and went in.
• 옷을 입고 나갔어요.
  oseul ipgo nagasseoyo.
  I got dressed and (then) went out.
• 숙제를 하고 잤어요.
  sukjereul hago jasseoyo.
  I did my homework and then went to sleep.

The basic –고 form simply connects the events. If you specifically want to emphasize that the first action was completedbefore the second one happened, use –고 나서 -go naseo, meaning after doing:

• 숙제를 하고 나서 잤어요.
  sukjereul hago naseo jasseoyo.
  After doing my homework, I went to sleep.
• 샤워하고 나서 잤어요.
  syawohago naseo jasseoyo.
  I went to sleep after taking a shower.
• 일을 끝내고 나서 친구를 만났어요.
  ireul kkeunnaego naseo chingureul mannasseoyo.
  After finishing work, I met a friend.

Of course, the simple -go form can carry the idea of a sequential list of actions. But the –고 나서 -go naseo construction makes this more explicit. Compare:

• 밥을 먹고 공부했어요.
  babeul meokgo gongbuhaesseoyo.
  I ate and studied.
• 밥을 먹고 나서 공부했어요.
  babeul meokgo naseo gongbuhaesseoyo.
  After eating, I studied.

3. Connecting Adjectives: “and”

–고 can also connect Korean descriptive verbs, which function much like adjectives in English.

• 집이 크고 예뻐요.
  jibi keugo yeppeoyo.
  The house is big and pretty.
• 음식이 싸고 맛있어요.
  eumsigi ssago masisseoyo.
  The food is cheap and delicious.
• 날씨가 춥고 바람이 불어요.
  nalssiga chupgo barami bureoyo.
  The weather is cold and it’s windy.

A Note on Descriptive Nouns

Remember that you can describe things with nouns as well as with adjectives. In English, both use a form of to be: John is a teacher. (noun) John is tall. (adjective). In Korean, only the first construction uses the verb to be, 이다 ida. With nouns followed by 이다 ida, the connecting form is 이고 igo:

• 민수는 학생이고 지수는 선생님이에요.
  Minsuneun haksaengigo Jisuneun seonsaengnimieyo.
  Minsu is a student, and Jisu is a teacher.
• 서울은 큰 도시이고 한국의 수도예요.
  Seoureun keun dosiigo hangugui sudoyeyo.
  Seoul is a large city and the capital of Korea.

The Korean -go Construction Expressing Ongoing Actions and Resulting States

Next, let’s turn to a pair of -go constructions that express ongoing actions or resulting states. You’ll see that the verbal examples correspond to the English progressive tenses (is going, was sleeping, etc.).

1. –고 있다: “be doing”

One of the most important constructions containing –고 is:

verb + –고 있다

This is commonly used to describe an action that is in progress, much like English be + -ing.

• 저는 책을 읽고 있어요.
  jeoneun chaegeul ilkgo isseoyo.
  I am reading a book.
• 지금 뭐 하고 있어요?
  jigeum mwo hago isseoyo?
  What are you doing now?
• 아이들이 밖에서 놀고 있어요.
  aideuri bakkeseo nolgo isseoyo.
  The children are playing outside.
• 친구가 저녁을 만들고 있어요.
  chinguga jeonyeogeul mandeulgo isseoyo.
  My friend is making dinner.

As always, remember that the tense and politeness endings are not shown in the –go form. They are marked on 있다 itda.

• 책을 읽고 있었어요.
  chaegeul ilkgo isseosseoyo.
  I was reading a book.
• 아버지는 TV를 보고 있었어요.
  abeojineun tibireul bogo isseosseoyo.
  My father was watching TV.

A Note on Double -go

You can combine two uses of –go. Notice in this example, the first –go means and, while the second –go means ongoing. The tense on 있었어요 isseosseoyo shows you that this was happening in the past.

• 그들은 이야기하고 저녁을 먹고 있었어요.
  geudeureun iyagihago jeonyeogeul meokgo isseosseoyo.
  They were talking and eating dinner.
• 저는 음악을 듣고 설거지를 하고 있었어요.
  jeoneun eumageul deutgo seolgeo-jireul hago isseosseoyo.
  I was listening to music and doing the dishes.

2. –고 있다 for Resulting States

With certain verbs, –고 있다 can describe the state resulting from an action. This is especially common with verbs involving clothing and things worn on the body, where the basic verb means to put on, and the –go form means to be wearing or to have on.

• 저는 매일 아침 안경을 써요.
  jeoneun maeil achim angyeongeul sseoyo.
  I put on glasses every morning. (action)
• 안경을 쓰고 있어요.
  angyeongeul sseugo isseoyo.
  I’m wearing glasses. (resulting state)
• 모자를 써요.
  mojareul sseoyo.
  He puts on a hat. (action)
• 모자를 쓰고 있어요.
  mojareul sseugo isseoyo.
  He’s wearing a hat. (resulting state)
• 저는 옷을 입어요.
  jeoneun oseul ibeoyo.
  I put on clothes / I get dressed. (action)
• 옷을 입고 있어요.
  oseul ipgo isseoyo.
  I’m wearing clothes. (resulting state)

The Korean -go Construction Expressing Desires

Finally, let’s turn to two different constructions that use -go to express desires. You’ll notice that Korean typically uses one construction to express one’s own desires, or to ask someone directly about theirs, and another to talk about a third person’s apparent desires.

1. –고 싶다: “want to”

If you want to express what you want to do, or ask directly what someone else wants to do, use the construction:

verb + –고 싶다

• 한국에 가고 싶어요.
  hanguge gago sipeoyo.
  I want to go to Korea.
• 김치를 먹고 싶어요.
  gimchireul meokgo sipeoyo.
  I want to eat kimchi.
• 한국어를 더 잘하고 싶어요.
  hangugeoreul deo jalhago sipeoyo.
  I want to speak Korean better.

Notice that the –go form is used on the verb that takes the to-infinitive in English.  This is the verb that expresses the desired action.

To make the construction negative, you can negate 싶다:

• 오늘은 나가고 싶지 않아요.
  oneureun nagago sipji anayo.
  I don’t want to go out today.
• 그 영화를 보고 싶지 않아요.
  geu yeonghwareul bogo sipji anayo.
  I don’t want to see that film.

Notice that the short negation 안 an cannot normally be placed directly before 싶다 sipda. To express don’t want to do, the usual form is –고 싶지 않다 -go sipji anta. 안 an can instead be placed before the main verb: 안 보고 싶어요 an bogo sipeoyo, but this can sound more like “I want not to see it.” So, as a student, the safest approach is simply to use the long negation –고 싶지 않다 -go sipji anta.

2. Talking About Someone Else’s Desire: –고 싶어 하다

Korean normally uses –고 싶다 most naturally for the speaker’s own desires or when asking the listener about theirs. But when describing another person’s apparent desire, Korean commonly uses:

verb + –고 싶어 하다

• 민수는 한국에 가고 싶어 해요.
  Minsuneun hanguge gago sipeo haeyo.
  Minsu wants to go to Korea.
• 아이가 아이스크림을 먹고 싶어 해요.
  aiga aiseukeurimeul meokgo sipeo haeyo.
  The child wants to eat ice cream.

This construction presents the desire as something observed or understood from the other person’s behavior. The idea is that you’re not really in the other person’s head, so you’re talking about an apparent desire.

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