KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -고 나서
Korean Grammar “-고 나서”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 4)
How to attach it
Attach the pattern to the verb stem, which is the dictionary form without 다. Compare how each verb below changes depending on its last sound.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | With this pattern | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보다 | to see, to watch | 보고 나서 | bogo naseo |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽고 나서 | ikgo naseo |
| 하다 | to do | 하고 나서 | hago naseo |
| 살다 | to live | 살고 나서 | salgo naseo |
What changes
- This ending attaches directly to the stem. Nothing changes, whether the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant.
Explanation
숙제를 끝내고 나서 게임을 했어요.
“-고 나서” means “after finishing …,” showing that the second action happens once the first is completely done. It attaches to a verb stem and “-고” stays as it is. The sentence means “I played games after finishing my homework.” It cannot be formed with “-아/어서,” as in 끝내서 나서.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 숙제를 끝내고 나서 게임을 했어요.
Said aloud, it sounds like [숙쩨를 끈내고 나서 게이믈 해써요].
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 숙제를 | ||
| 숙 | ㅅ+ㅜ+ㄱ | suk |
| 제 | ㅈ+ㅔ | [쩨] je |
| 를 | ㄹ+ㅡ+ㄹ | reul |
| 끝내고 | ||
| 끝 | ㄲ+ㅡ+ㅌ | [끈] kkeun |
| 내 | ㄴ+ㅐ | nae |
| 고 | ㄱ+ㅗ | go |
| 나서 | ||
| 나 | ㄴ+ㅏ | na |
| 서 | ㅅ+ㅓ | seo |
| 게임을 | ||
| 게 | ㄱ+ㅔ | ge |
| 임 | ㅇ+ㅣ+ㅁ | [이] i |
| 을 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [믈] meul |
| 했어요 | ||
| 했 | ㅎ+ㅐ+ㅆ | [해] hae |
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | [써] sseo |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Tensing: after a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ sound, ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ and ㅈ become tense (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ). 숙제 → [숙쩨]
- Nasalization: a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ becomes ㅇ, ㄴ or ㅁ before ㄴ or ㅁ (and a ㄹ after ㅁ or ㅇ becomes ㄴ). 끝내 → [끈내]
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 임을 → [이믈]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 하다 | verb | to do | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 숙제를 끝내____ 나서 게임을 했어요.
Show the answer
Answer: 숙제를 끝내고 나서 게임을 했어요.
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