Connecting Korean Sentences: -고, 아서/어서, and More
Connecting Korean Sentences
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":
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 밥을 먹고 커피를 마셔요 | I eat rice and drink coffee |
| 한국어를 공부하고 영어를 가르쳐요 | I study Korean and teach English |
| 크고 비싸요 | It's big and expensive |
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
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 배가 고파서 밥을 먹어요 | I'm hungry, so I eat |
| 비가 와서 집에 있어요 | It's raining, so I'm at home |
| 좋아해서 자주 가요 | I like it, so I go often |
Practice 아서/어서 with interactive examples →
(으)ㄹ까요?, Shall We? / Do You Think?
Use (으)ㄹ까요 to make suggestions or ask for opinions:
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 같이 갈까요? | Shall we go together? |
| 뭐 먹을까요? | What shall we eat? |
| 내일 만날까요? | Shall we meet tomorrow? |
Practice (으)ㄹ까요 with interactive examples →
Adjective -고, Describing with Multiple Qualities
When describing something with multiple adjectives, use -고 between them:
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 날씨가 덥고 습해요 | The weather is hot and humid |
| 음식이 맵고 맛있어요 | The food is spicy and delicious |
Practice adjective -고 with examples →
Choosing the right connector
| You want to say… | Prefer | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Two actions, simple “and” | -고 | stacking many 아서 forms |
| Reason → result | 아서/어서 | English-style “because” at the end |
| Soft suggestion | (으)ㄹ까요? | sounding like a command with 세요 when you mean “shall we?” |
| Multiple adjectives | adjective -고 | repeating the subject every clause |
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. With the AI tutor and multiplayer quizzes. So “and” and “because” feel automatic.