What Does 하고/와/과 Mean? "And" in Korean
Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers
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After this page, you can join nouns with 하고 (hago) or 와/과 (wa/gwa), and join whole sentences with 그리고 (geurigo).
10-second answer
What Does 하고/와/과 Mean?
Korean has multiple words for "and," and they aren't interchangeable. 하고 (hago) and 와/과 (wa/gwa) connect NOUNS ("coffee and tea") and attach directly to a word. 그리고 (geurigo) connects full SENTENCES ("I ate. And then I slept.") and stands alone between clauses.
Quick check — did that land?
1. How do you say "coffee and tea" casually?
Korean has three ways to say and.
Connecting Nouns: 하고 vs 와/과
| Word | Register | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| 하고 | Casual, very common in speech | Attaches to any noun, no batchim rule to worry about |
| 와 | Slightly more formal/written | After a vowel-ending noun |
| 과 | Slightly more formal/written | After a consonant-ending (batchim) noun |
커피하고 차 주세요.
keopihago cha juseyo.
Coffee and tea, please.
하고 — easiest default, works everywhere casually.
친구와 갔어요.
chinguwa gasseoyo.
I went with a friend.
친구 ends in a vowel → 와.
선생님과 이야기했어요.
seonsaengnimgwa iyagihaesseoyo.
I talked with the teacher.
선생님 ends in ㅁ (batchim) → 과.
See also: Korean particles: the complete guide
와/과 Can Also Mean "With"
Context decides whether 와/과 (and 하고) means "and" or "with" — 친구와 갔어요 could mean "I went with a friend" just as naturally as a list. This dual function is normal and usually clear from context, similar to how English "with" can pull double duty in casual speech ("coffee with cream" vs "I went with him").
Connecting Full Sentences: 그리고
그리고 works differently — it links two complete sentences or clauses, standing on its own rather than attaching to a word.
밥을 먹었어요. 그리고 잤어요.
bab-eul meogeosseoyo. geurigo jasseoyo.
I ate. And [then] I slept.
하고/와/과 join WORDS inside one sentence; 그리고 joins whole SENTENCES together. Mixing them up is one of the most common beginner grammar errors with "and."
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Using 그리고 to join two nouns
그리고 커피 차 doesn't work the way 커피하고 차 does — 그리고 needs full clauses, not bare nouns.
Mistake #2 — Overthinking 와 vs 과
하고 sidesteps the batchim rule entirely and is extremely common in speech — a safe default when you're unsure whether a noun ends in a vowel or consonant.
Mini Quiz
2. 선생님 (teacher, ends in ㅁ) + "and/with" — which particle?
3. How do you connect two full sentences, "I ate. And I slept"?
Related Knowledge
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How to Introduce Yourself in Korean
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