Korean -고: How to Say "And" and "And Then" with Verbs
Learn how to join verbs and adjectives with -고 in Korean, for "and" and "and then", why the tense goes only on the last verb, and when to use -아서/어서 instead.
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The short answer
To say “and” or “and then” between two verbs or adjectives, add 고 to the first stem: 싸고 맛있어요 (it’s cheap and tasty), 밥을 먹고 잤어요 (I ate and then slept). The tense goes on the last verb only.
In English, “and” is a separate word. In Korean, it is usually a tiny ending on the first verb. Like 지만 (but), 고 never changes shape and attaches straight to the stem. Tap the chips below to see each part.
1. How to make it
Take the dictionary form, drop 다, and add 고. It works the same for every verb and adjective, even the irregular ones.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | + 고 |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 | to go | 가고 |
| 먹다 | to eat | 먹고 |
| 하다 | to do | 하고 |
| 좋다 | to be good | 좋고 |
| 맵다 | to be spicy | 맵고 |
| 듣다 | to listen | 듣고 |
| 학생이다 | to be a student | 학생이고 |
| 의사이다 | to be a doctor | 의사이고 / 의사고 |
2. “And”: listing descriptions and actions
Use 고 to describe something with two adjectives, or to list two things people do. The order doesn’t matter much here: you could swap the two halves.
The two halves can have different people doing the action.
3. “And then”: one step after another
고 also puts actions in order: first this, then that. It is how you talk through your day.
4. The tense goes on the last verb
This is the rule English speakers forget. When both actions happened in the same time frame, only the last verb shows the tense. The first verb stays as plain stem + 고, and listeners understand it as past too.
You will sometimes see 았/었 before 고, as in 어제는 비가 왔고 오늘은 맑아요 (it rained yesterday, and today it’s clear). That is for two facts in different time frames. For a simple sequence of events, keep the first verb plain.
5. -고 vs -아서/어서 for “and then”
Korean has a second “and then”: 아서/어서. Use it when the second action depends on the first. The classic case is going somewhere and doing something there, or meeting someone and doing something with them. Verbs like 가다 (go), 오다 (come), 만나다 (meet), 앉다 (sit) and 일어나다 (get up) almost always take 아서/어서 in this meaning.
With 만나고, it would sound like two separate events: you met a friend, and later you ate (maybe alone).
| Use 아서/어서 | Use 고 |
|---|---|
| The second action happens there or with the result of the first | Two separate steps, one after the other |
| 학교에 가서 공부해요 | 샤워하고 자요 |
| 의자에 앉아서 기다리세요 | 숙제를 하고 놀아요 |
One twist: for getting on a vehicle or putting on clothes, Korean uses 고: 버스를 타고 가요 (I go by bus), 코트를 입고 나갔어요 (I put on a coat and went out). Learn these as set patterns. For more on the other ending, see 아서/어서 (because, and then).
6. Nouns: 이고, and 그리고 at the start
With a noun, use 이다 (“to be”) + 고: 이고. This joins two whole sentences, not two nouns. To say “bread and milk”, use 하고 or 와/과 instead (see 하고, 와/과 (and)).
To start a new sentence with “And” or “Also”, use 그리고: 한국어를 공부해요. 그리고 일본어도 공부해요. (I study Korean. And I study Japanese too.)
Hear it in songs
Lyrics string feelings together with 고 all the time: “I wait and wait”, “I cry and laugh”. Open a song in Hanbok Lyrics and tap a line to see every ending explained. Next, learn to say “but” with 지만, or review the Korean past tense.
Check yourself
Quick check · 1 of 4싸다 (cheap) + 고 = ?
It is cheap and...
Questions learners ask
How do you say "and" between two verbs in Korean?
Add 고 to the first verb or adjective stem: 싸고 맛있어요 (it is cheap and tasty), 밥을 먹고 잤어요 (I ate and then slept). To join two nouns, use 하고 or 와/과 instead.
Do you use the past tense before 고?
Usually not. When both actions happen at the same time frame, put the tense only on the last verb: 영화를 보고 집에 갔어요 (I watched a movie and went home). 보고 already counts as past.
What is the difference between -고 and -아서/어서?
Both can mean "and then". Use -아서/어서 when the second action depends on the first, like going somewhere and doing something there: 시장에 가서 과일을 샀어요. Use -고 for steps that are simply one after another: 숙제를 하고 잤어요.
What does 그리고 mean?
그리고 means "and" or "and also" at the start of a sentence. Inside one sentence, Koreans use -고 on the verb instead.