LESSON 30

The -go Verb Form

A very common verb form is the gerund or -go form. This has a number of uses and we can give it the tag translations of doing or does and, is and. The form is made by adding -go to the verb base in much the same way that -ji is added.

MEANING	BASE	-JI FORM	-KO FORM
catches	jab-	japji	japgo
is high	nop-	nopji	nopgo
is nonexistent	eops-	eopji	eopgo
closes	dad-	dajji	dakko
is like	gat-	gajji	gakko
laughs	us-	ujji	ukko
exists	iss-	ijji	ikko
finds	chaj-	chajji	chakko
washes	ssich-	ssijji	ssikko
reads	ilg-	iljji	ilkko or ikko
loses	ilh-	ilchi	ilko
licks	halt-	haljji	halkko
steps on	balb-	baljji	balkko
chants	eulp-	euljji	eulkko
puts	noh-	nochi	noko
eats	meok-	meokji	meokko
cuts	kkakk-	kkakji	kkakko
shampoos	gam-	kamjji	kamkko
is young	jeolm-	jeomjji	jeomkko
wears on feet	sin-	sinjji	sinkko
sits	anj-	anjji	ankko
breaks	bureo-	bureoji	bureojigo
equals, is	(i)-	iji, -ji	igo, -go
rests	swi-	swiji	swigo
(honorific)	-(eu)si	-(eu)siji	-(eu)sigo
pays	nae-	naeji	naego
writes	sseu-	sseuji	sseugo
goes	ga-	gaji	gago
gives	ju-	juji	jugo
sees	bo-	boji	bogo
does	ha-	haji	hago

One use of the gerund to mean doing is with the auxiliary isseoyo is or geseyo someone honored is:

Abeoji-ga mun-eul dakko isseoyo.

아버지가 문을 닫고 있어요.

Father is shutting the door.

Aegi-ga ukko isseosseoyo.

애기가 웃고 있었어요.

The baby was laughing.

Museun chaek-eul ilkko geseyo?

무슨 책을 읽고 계세요?

What book are you reading?

Geu ttae hyuga yeosseoyo.

그 때 휴가였어요.

I was off (resting) that day.

Gongbu-reul hago geseyo?

공부를 하고 계세요?

Are you doing your lesson?

Munja-reul sseugo isseoyo.

문자를 쓰고 있어요.

I’m writing a text message.

Notice that some verbs have slightly different meanings in the is doing form:

ibeoyo	입어요	puts on (clothes), wears
ipko isseoyo	입고있어요	is wearing
sseoyo	써요	puts on (hat), wears (hat)
sseugo isseoyo	쓰고 있어요	is wearing (hat)
sineoyo	신어요	puts on (shoes, socks), wears (shoes, socks)
sinkko issoeyo	신고있어요	is wearing (shoes, socks)

Jeoneun choroksaek seuweteoreul ipgo isseoyo.

저는 초록색 스웨터를 입고 있어요.

I’m wearing a green sweater.

The second use of the gerund is in the meaning does and (then) or is and (also):

O-seul ipkko, gudu-reul sinkko, moja-reul sseoyo.

옷을 입고, 구두를 신고 모자를 써요.

I put on clothes, shoes, and hat.

Igeot-seun nae moja igo, jeogeot-seun adeul moja eyo.

이것은 내 모자이고 저것은 아들 모자에요

This is my hat and that is my son’s.

You could say these ideas in short, abrupt sentences using the connective word geurigo = does and, is and:

Os-eul ipkko: Geurigo, gudu-reul sineoyo: Geurigo moja-reul sseoyo. Igeot-eun nae moja eyo. Geurigo, geu geot-eun adeul moja eyo.

To say did and then; was and (also) you can use the ordinary gerund, letting the final past form carry the meaning throughout:

Os-eul ipko, gudu-reul sinkko, moja-reul sseosseoyo.

옷을 입고 ,구두를 신고 모자를 썼어요

I put on my clothes, my shoes and my hat.

Igeot-eun nae moja igo, jeogeot-eun adeul moja yeosseoyo.

이것은 내 모자이고, 저것은 아들 모자였어요.

This was my hat, and, that was my son’s.

Or, you can use a special past gerund (-eokko, -akko, with the usual irregularities of the infinitive -eo, -a and the past -eoss-, -ass-):

Os-eul ibeokko gudu-reul sineokko, moja-reul sseosseoyo.

옷을 입었고 구두를 신었고 모자를 썼어요.

I was wearing clothes, shoes, and a hat.

Igeos-eun nae moja-yeokko, geu geos-eun adeul moja-yeosseoyo.

이것은 내 모자였고, 그것은 아들 모자였어요.

This was my hat and that was my son’s hat.