Ever feel stuck when speaking Korean because your sentences sound short or choppy? Connect them smoothly! In everyday Korean, small words and endings like “and,” “but,” and “because/so” make your speech natural and clear. In this lesson, you’ll master 그리고/-고 (and), 하지만/그런데/-지만 (but), and -아서/어서, -(으)니까, 그래서 (because/so). We’ll keep it practical with common phrases, clear rules, and mini-exercises you can do right away.

“And” in Korean: 그리고 vs -고

Korean has two common ways to say “and.”

• 그리고: sentence connector “and.” It starts the next sentence, like “And…”
• -고: clause connector “and.” It attaches to a verb/adjective stem: V/A-고. Use it to link actions or states in one sentence.

그리고 (sentence-level “and”)

Use it to add another sentence or idea.

• 저는 학생이에요. 그리고 알바를 해요. = I’m a student. And I have a part-time job.

-고 (clause-level “and”)

Link two actions or descriptions in the same sentence.

• 저는 밥을 먹고 영화를 봐요. = I eat and watch a movie.
• 서울은 크고 복잡해요. = Seoul is big and complicated.

Tip: With -고, the final tense is at the end of the sentence. The first clause (…고) is not conjugated for tense.

Quick practice: choose the “and”

저는 학생이에요. 요리사예요.

More examples with -고

저는 학생 그리고 친구예요. → 저는 학생이고 친구예요. Inside one sentence with 이다 (‘to be’), use -이고 to list two nouns. "그리고" is better between sentences.

“But” in Korean: 하지만, 그런데, -지만

There are a few “but” options, each with a slightly different feel:

• 하지만: “but/however.” Clear contrast. Common in writing and formal speech.
• 그런데: “but/however/and by the way.” Softer, often used in conversation; can also shift topics.
• -지만: clause connector “but.” Attach to verb/adjective stem: V/A-지만.

Examples

“Because/so” in Korean: -아서/어서, -(으)니까, 그래서

These express reasons and results.

• -아서/어서: “and so/because,” natural result. Attach to verb/adjective stems.
• -(으)니까: “because/since,” often used when giving instructions, suggestions, or requests.
• 그래서: “so/therefore,” starts the result sentence.

-아서/어서: how to attach

• ㅏ/ㅗ in stem → -아서: 가다 → 가서
• other vowels → -어서: 먹다 → 먹어서
• 하다 → 해서

Use -아서/어서 when the second clause is a natural result.

• 비가 와서 집에 있었어요. = It rained, so I stayed home.
• 피곤해서 일찍 잤어요. = I was tired, so I slept early.

Conjugation patterns for -아서/어서

Practice: “so” and “because”

비가 많이 왔어요. 길이 막혔어요.

시간이 택시를 탔어요.

Mini-conversation: put the lines in order

Reorder the conversation so it flows naturally using the connectors.

Cultural note: speaking flow in Korean

In everyday Korean, speakers often begin sentences with connectors like 그래서 or 그런데 to guide the listener. This sounds friendly and organized. For example, starting with “그런데…” can soften a contrast and feel polite, while “그래서…” clearly marks a result.

Also, using -고 or -지만 inside one sentence keeps the rhythm tight. Koreans often stack short clauses: "밥을 먹고 샤워하고 잘 거예요" (I’ll eat, shower, and sleep).

Quick recap

• 그리고 vs -고: 그리고 connects sentences; -고 connects clauses.
• 하지만/그런데 vs -지만: 하지만 = stronger contrast (often formal); 그런데 = conversational or topic shift; -지만 attaches to the stem.
• -아서/어서 vs -(으)니까 vs 그래서: -아서/어서 for natural results; -(으)니까 for reasons especially before requests/commands; 그래서 starts the result sentence.

Final check: mini quiz

Keep going!

To sound natural, practice short chains:

• 오늘은 바쁘고 피곤해요.
• 맛있지만 건강해요.
• 시간이 없어서 나중에 할게요. 그래서 먼저 가요.

Try writing three sentences using each type today. Keep your connectors light and clear—soon your Korean will flow just like a native. 화이팅!