jabi과/와, 하고
과/와 vs 하고: Three Ways to Say 'And' in Korean
And / with — joins two nouns. 과/와 is written, 하고 is spoken, (이)랑 is casual.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Written, after a consonant | 과 | 밥 → 밥과 |
| Written, after a vowel | 와 | 커피 → 커피와 |
| Spoken, either | 하고 | 밥하고 / 커피하고 |
| Casual, after a consonant | 이랑 | 밥이랑 |
| Casual, after a vowel | 랑 | 커피랑 |
Korean has three ways to put and between two nouns. They mean the same thing. What separates them is register — where the word belongs, not what it says.
The three
| Register | After consonant | After vowel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 과 / 와 | written, formal | 과 | 와 |
| 하고 | everyday spoken | 하고 | 하고 |
| (이)랑 | casual, close friends | 이랑 | 랑 |
밥과 커피 written
밥하고 커피 spoken
밥이랑 커피 casualAll three are correct Korean. Choosing badly does not make you wrong, only slightly out of place — like saying “furthermore” to a friend at lunch.
The one that catches people
과 goes after a consonant, 와 after a vowel — and this is backwards from every other particle you have learned.
Compare:
| Particle | After consonant | After vowel |
|---|---|---|
| 이/가 | 이 | 가 |
| 을/를 | 을 | 를 |
| 은/는 vs 이/가 | 은 | 는 |
| 과/와 | 과 | 와 |
Everywhere else, the form starting with a vowel sound goes after consonants. Here it flips. There is no logic to recover — just notice it once and check yourself the first few times.
하고 sidesteps the problem entirely. No consonant/vowel choice, works after anything. That is a real reason to default to it while speaking.
It also means “with”
The same words do both jobs:
친구와 커피 — a friend and coffee
친구와 갔어요 — I went with a friend
Korean does not separate these. The verb decides which reading makes sense, and in practice nobody is ever confused.
Very often you will see 같이 (“together”) added, which makes the “with” reading explicit:
- 친구하고 같이 밥을 먹었어요 — I ate with a friend.
- 가족이랑 같이 여행 갔어요 — I travelled with my family.
같이 is not required, but it is extremely common in speech and sounds natural.
Do not reach for 그리고
그리고 is also “and,” and it is not interchangeable.
밥을 먹었어요. 그리고 커피를 마셨어요. ✅
밥 그리고 커피 ❌
그리고 joins sentences. 과/와, 하고 and (이)랑 join nouns. Learners who translate word-for-word from English put 그리고 between nouns constantly, and it reads as clearly broken.
Which to use
Speaking to anyone: 하고. Safe everywhere, no form to choose. Writing anything: 과/와. Close friends, messaging: (이)랑 — see (이)랑.
If you only take one away, take 하고. It will carry you through almost every conversation you have.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
In the Sejong course this appears in 여기가 지훈 씨의 학교입니까? — Sejong Korean 1, Unit 4, on the theme of 학교. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. 빵 ends in a consonant. Which is the written form for 'bread and milk'?
2. Which sentence means 'I went with a friend'?
3. You are writing a formal report. Which fits?
Common questions
Is there any meaning difference between the three?
No. They are the same word in three registers: 과/와 written, 하고 spoken, (이)랑 casual. Pick by situation, not by meaning.
Why does 'and' also mean 'with'?
Korean does not split them. 친구와 커피 is 'a friend and coffee'; 친구와 갔어요 is 'I went with a friend'. The verb tells you which reading applies, and ambiguity almost never arises.
What about 그리고?
그리고 joins sentences or clauses, not nouns. 밥을 먹었어요. 그리고 커피를 마셨어요 is correct; 밥 그리고 커피 is not.
Which should I use as a beginner?
하고. It works in speech with anyone, needs no consonant/vowel decision, and never sounds wrong. Add 과/와 when you start writing.
Seen in the wild
Lessons where this pattern showed up in real Korean — news, slang, drama lines.