Connecting Korean Sentences: -고, 아서/어서, and More
Written by Erik Claesson · Founder of Chamelingo · Korean learner · Software engineer
Once you know basic Korean sentence patterns, the next step is connecting them. Korean has several sentence connectors that let you express "and," "because," "so," and more.
-고, And (Listing Actions)
Use -고 to connect two actions or descriptions. It simply means "and" or "and then":
The order of actions doesn't imply sequence, they could happen simultaneously or in any order.
Practice -고 with interactive examples →
아서/어서, Because, So (Cause → Result)
Use 아서/어서 to show a reason leading to a result. Same vowel harmony as verb conjugation:
- ㅏ/ㅗ stem → 아서
- Everything else → 어서
- 하다 → 해서
Practice 아서/어서 with interactive examples →
(으)ㄹ까요?, Shall We? / Do You Think?
Use (으)ㄹ까요 to make suggestions or ask for opinions:
Practice (으)ㄹ까요 with interactive examples →
Adjective -고, Describing with Multiple Qualities
When describing something with multiple adjectives, use -고 between them:
Practice adjective -고 with examples →
Choosing the right connector
Nuance: -고 lists; it does not always mean strict sequence. For clear “and then / after that,” intermediate learners later pick up -고 나서 and -아/어서 in sequence stories. Start with clean two-clause pairs.
Mini practice
Combine into one natural sentence:
- I ate lunch. I drank coffee. → 점심을 먹고 커피를 마셨어요.
- I’m tired, so I go home. → 피곤해서 집에 가요.
- Shall we study together? → 같이 공부할까요?
- The cafe is quiet and pretty. → 카페가 조용하고 예뻐요.
Related guides
Practice on Chamelingo
Sentence connectors show up as soon as you leave one-clause drills. Chamelingo practices building connected sentences in context inside the course path—so “and” and “because” feel automatic.
Tags: connectors · conjunctions · grammar · intermediate