-고말고
-고말고: Of Course — Emphatic Yes
Ending: emphatically affirm the fact in response to the other’s question.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb / adjective / 이다 | -고말고 | 가고말고 / 좋고말고 / 학생이고말고 |
| Past | -었고말고 | 갔고말고 |
-고말고 means of course (I will) — emphatic agreement.
It answers a question or doubt by doubling down: not just yes, but “yes, and how could it be otherwise?”
Why this is hard
It looks like -고 plus 말고. Learners parse it as “and don’t…” and miss the idiom. The taught chunk is emphatic affirmation, often after someone asks whether you will / whether it is so.
Tone is warm or playful among equals; upward it can sound too breezy.
What it does
You agree hard.
갈 거고말고.
도와주고말고.
알지. 알고말고.
맛있고말고.Often responds to doubt: “Will you come?” — 오고말고.
Forms
Predicate stem + -고말고 (classroom chunk). Keep it as a unit.
When not to use it
Do not use it as a connective and don’t reading. That parse is a false friend here.
Do not fire it at a manager as your only yes — prefer a clear polite affirmative.
Do not stack it onto every soft agreement; overuse turns into cartoon emphasis.
Neighbours — and why they differ
| Form | Why it is not this slot |
|---|---|
| -고 | Plain and; not emphatic “of course.” |
| -지 말다 | Prohibition don’t; opposite neighbourhood. |
| -는걸 | Soft corrective fact; not booming agreement. |
Ask: am I saying ‘of course’ with emphasis? If yes, -고말고. If you only need and, use -고.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
On the jabi learning path, this appears in 종결어미 (final ending) — Advanced Korean 1, Unit 3, on the theme of final ending. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. A friend asks 갈 거야? about tomorrow. You want of course, not a soft check. Which line?
2. They doubt you went yesterday. You want an emphatic past yes, not a plan. Which line?
3. They ask 맛있어? about the dish in front of you. You agree hard. Which line?
Common questions
Dictionary?
우리말샘 -고말고 「001」: emphatically affirm in answer to the other person’s question.
Vs -지요?
-지요 soft-checks. -고말고 punches ‘of course.’
Polite?
Plain ending feel; pair carefully with speech level.
Negative questions?
Still affirms the proposition emphatically — watch polarity in context.