-고는
-고는: And Then (Habitually) — Often -고는 하다
Connective: repeated action (-고는 하다), or prior content as premise/condition (often before negation).
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Habitual frame | -고는 하다 | 울고는 하다 / 가고는 하다 |
| Premise + often negative | -고는 … 않다 / 못하다 | 알고는 못 해요 / 먹고는 안 가요 |
-고는 often means and (habitually) in -고는 하다, or sets a premise before what follows.
우리말샘 -고는 「001」: -고는 하다 — the same action repeats. 「002」: prior content is premise/condition; negatives often follow. Two senses, one spelling — that is the trap.
Why this is hard
It looks like -고 plus topic 는. Learners then read every -고는 as “and, as for…” and miss the taught chunks: habitual -고는 하다, and premise-before-denial (알고는 못 했어요).
-고 나다 is another neighbour: after finishing. Habit -고는 하다 is repetition over time, not “once done.”
What it does
Habit:
\울고는 해요.
밤에 배달 음식을 시켜 먹고는 해요.
주말마다 등산하고는 했어요.
Premise (often + negative):
\알고는 말을 못 했어요.
먹고는 움직이지 못해요.
Curriculum gloss leads with the habit frame; learn 「002」 as the neighbour sense you will hear in drama and complaint.
Forms
| Frame | Example |
|---|---|
| -고는 하다 | 울고는 하다 |
| -고는 + negative | 알고는 못 하다 |
Treat the frames as wholes rather than assembling -고 + 는 from scratch each time.
When not to use it
Do not replace every listing -고 with -고는. Simple “I ate and left” stays -고.
Do not confuse habit with -고 나다 (after doing). Finishing once ≠ repeating over weeks.
Do not ignore 「002」: if the second clause denies ability or action, you may be in the premise sense, not habit.
Avoid forcing -고는 하다 onto one-off events (어제 한 번 울고는 했어요 as “habit”) — repetition wants a pattern, not a single tear.
Neighbours — and why they differ
| Form | Why it is not this slot |
|---|---|
| -고 | Plain and / sequence. |
| -고 나다 | After finishing that action. |
| -으면 | Conditional if; not habit marking. |
Ask: am I marking a repeated habit (-고는 하다) or a premise before denial? If yes, -고는. If you only need and, use -고.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
On the jabi learning path, this appears in 연결어미 (conjunctive ending) — Advanced Korean 1, Unit 2, on the theme of conjunctive ending. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. Eating, then not going, is the usual pattern — not one finished meal, not a plain list, not an if.
2. Crying is something they do again and again, not a cry still in progress and not one finished cry.
3. Knowing was the premise, and because of that they could not speak. Which line?
Common questions
Dictionary?
「001」: -고는 하다 — same action repeats. 「002」: prior content is premise/condition; often followed by a negative form.
Which sense first?
Curriculum gloss highlights habitual -고는 하다. Learn 「002」 as the neighbour sense.
Vs -고 나다?
-고 나다 is ‘after finishing.’ Habit -고는 하다 is repetition over time.
Topic 는?
Looks like -고 + 는, but treat the taught frames as wholes.