Korean -고 있다: How to Say "I Am Doing" (-ing)
Learn how to say "I am doing" in Korean with -고 있다. Ask 지금 뭐 하고 있어요?, say what you were doing with -고 있었어요, and use -고 계세요 for elders.
BeginnerVerb forms and tenses6 min readTap any Korean word to see it explained
The short answer
To say something is happening right now, add 고 있다 to a verb stem. In polite speech: 먹고 있어요 (I’m eating). For the past, change 있어요 to 있었어요: 먹고 있었어요 (I was eating).
In English we add “-ing” to a verb. Korean does something similar with 고 있다. It literally means something like “doing and being there”. It is easy to build, and there are no vowel rules. Tap the chips below to see each part.
1. Verb stem + 고 있어요
Take the dictionary form, drop 다, and add 고 있어요. Notice the space: 고 sticks to the verb, and 있어요 is a separate word.
듣다 changes in the 요 form (들어요), but before 고 the stem stays the same: 듣고.
2. Ongoing actions: “these days”
Just like English, 고 있다 is not only for this exact second. It also works for things you are in the middle of these days.
With verbs for putting on clothes, like 입다 (put on) and 쓰다 (put on glasses or a hat), 고 있다 usually describes what someone is wearing.
3. Past: 고 있었어요 (was doing)
To say what you were doing at some moment in the past, keep the verb as it is and put the past tense on 있다: 있었어요.
| Dictionary form | Is doing | Was doing | Honorific |
|---|---|---|---|
| 가다 (go) | 가고 있어요 | 가고 있었어요 | 가고 계세요 |
| 먹다 (eat) | 먹고 있어요 | 먹고 있었어요 | 드시고 계세요 |
| 듣다 (listen) | 듣고 있어요 | 듣고 있었어요 | 듣고 계세요 |
| 하다 (do) | 하고 있어요 | 하고 있었어요 | 하고 계세요 |
| 읽다 (read) | 읽고 있어요 | 읽고 있었어요 | 읽고 계세요 |
4. Respectful: 고 계세요
When the person doing the action is older or higher in status, like a grandparent or a boss, swap 있어요 for its respectful partner 계세요. A few verbs also have their own respectful word, like 드시다 for eating. Never use it about yourself.
5. The plain present can mean -ing too
Here is good news. You do not always need 고 있다. The ordinary present tense in Korean covers both “I do” and “I am doing”. Koreans say 뭐 해요? for “What are you doing?” all the time.
Same meaning as 지금 뭐 하고 있어요? Shorter and very common in daily talk.
Hear it in songs
Songs love 고 있어요: “I’m waiting for you”, “I’m thinking of you”. Open a song in Hanbok Lyrics and tap a line to see every ending explained. Next, review the Korean present tense, learn the past tense, or see how respect works in honorific 시.
Check yourself
Quick check · 1 of 4먹다 (eat) + 고 있어요 = ?
I am eating.
Questions learners ask
How do you say "-ing" in Korean?
Add 고 있다 to a verb stem. In polite speech that is 고 있어요: 먹고 있어요 (I am eating), 가고 있어요 (I am going), 공부하고 있어요 (I am studying).
What does 지금 뭐 하고 있어요 mean?
It means "What are you doing right now?" To answer, put your verb stem before 고 있어요: 밥 먹고 있어요 (I am eating), TV 보고 있어요 (I am watching TV).
What is the difference between 해요 and 하고 있어요?
The plain present 해요 can already mean "I do" or "I am doing". 하고 있어요 makes it clear that the action is happening right now or is ongoing these days. Both are correct; Koreans use the plain form a lot.
What is the difference between 고 있어요 and 고 계세요?
고 계세요 is the respectful version, used when the person doing the action is older or higher in status: 할머니께서 주무시고 계세요. You never use it about yourself.