Conjunctions are an important part of every language. They allow us to connect our thoughts, make comparisons, and string together sentences. In this Korean conjunctions list, I’ll explain to you the basic conjunctions with plenty of examples so you can make the most out of the article and improve your Korean skills.
Ready to learn Korean conjunctions? Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
- What is a Conjunction?
- Conjunctions to Correlate Similar Thoughts
- Conjunctions to Express Condition
- Conjunctions to Express Cause
- Conjunctions to Express Opposition
- Conjunctions to Express Contrasts with the Statement in the Main Clause
- Conjunctions to Express Preference
- Conjunctions to Express Reasons
- Conjunctions to Add Additional Information
- More Conjunctions
- How KoreanClass101 Can Help You Learn Korean
1. What is a Conjunction?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, the definition of a conjunction is a word that’s used to connect phrases, clauses, and sentences. Conjunctions in Korean work similarly to how they work in any other language, and learning Korean conjunctions and how to use each one properly will certainly boost your confidence in speaking, writing, and reading.
There are many Korean conjunctions, and if you struggle to understand all of the different Korean conjunctions, you’re not alone. Many Korean learners—even native speakers—struggle to use Korean conjunctions appropriately. In our Korean conjunctions list and guide, we’re going to focus on fundamental connecting words in Korean so as not to overwhelm you.
By the end of this article, you should have a better idea about the basic Korean conjunction rules, and an expanded vocabulary of Korean language conjunctions!
2. Conjunctions to Correlate Similar Thoughts
1- 그리고 (geurigo) – “and”
- 그리고 (geurigo) is used to link two different words or phrases together.
- Apply this conjunction when you want to correlate two words.
Example:
스테이크 그리고 레드와인 주세요.
Seuteikeu geurigo redeuwain juseyo.
“I would like a steak and a glass of red wine, please.”
난 한국 가면 떡볶이, 순대 그리고 김밥 먹을꺼야.
Nan hanguk gamyeon tteokbokki, sundae geurigo gimbap meogeulkkeoya.
“I’m going to eat tteokbokki, sundae, and gimbap when I go to Korea.”
2- ~랑 (~rang) – “and”
- ~랑 (~rang) means the same thing as 그리고 (geurigo).
- The difference is that this conjunction is attached after a noun stem, is strictly colloquial, and isn’t used in official documents.
- Since ~랑 (~rang) has the same value as geurigo, they can replace each other without generating any changes in the meaning.
Example:
스테이크랑 레드와인 주세요.
Seuteikeurang redeuwain juseyo.
“I would like a steak and a glass of red wine, please.”
난 한국 가면 떡볶이랑, 순대랑 김밥 먹을꺼야.
Nan hanguk gamyeon tteokbokkirang, sundaerang gimbap meogeulkkeoya.
“I’m going to eat tteokbokki, sundae, and gimbap when I go to Korea.”
3- ~고 (go) – “and”
- ~고 (go) means the same thing as rang and geurigo.
- This conjunction is always attached after a verb stem and usually means “I will do this AND THEN I will do this.”
- A synonym of ~ 고 (go) is 그리고 나서 (geurigo naseo) which means “then.”
Example:
내일 아침에 요가하고* 저녁에는 복싱할거야.
Naeil achime yogahago jeonyeogeneun boksinghalgeoya.
“I am going to do yoga in the morning and boxing in the evening tomorrow.”
*하다 (hada) meaning “to do” and 고 (go) meaning “and,” become 하고 (hago), meaning “After I do…”
내일은 밥먹고 바로 집으로 갈거야.
Naeireun bammeokgo baro jibeuro galgeoya.
“I am going to eat and (then) go home.”
* 먹다 (meokda) meaning “to eat” and 고 (go) meaning “and” become 먹고 (meokgo), meaning “After I eat.”
4- ~와/과 (~wa/gwa)
- ~와 (~wa) is usually attached to noun stems.
- ~과 (~gwa) is usually attached to verb stems and after nouns that end with consonants.
Example:
너와 나는 친구가 될 수 없어.
Neowa naneun chinguga doel su eopseo.
“You and I can’t be friends.”
수영하는 것과 축구 하는 것 중에 어떤 스포츠를 더 좋아하세요?
Suyeonghaneun geotgwa chukgu haneun geot junge eotteon seupocheureul deo joahaseyo?
“Between swimming and playing soccer, which do you prefer?”
3. Conjunctions to Express Condition
1- 만약 (manyak) – “if”
- To talk about hypothetical situations, we often use 만약 (manyak), with the direct translation being “if” in English.
- Note that 만약에 (manyage) is more commonly used in spoken language (conversation).
Example:
만약(에) 비가 온다면 난 그냥 집에 있을래.
Manyak(e) biga ondamyeon nan geunyang jibe isseullae.
“If it rains, I’m just going to stay at home.”
만약에 네가 시험에 불합격한다면 어떻게할거야?
Manyage nega siheome bulhapgyeokandamyeon eotteokehalgeoya?
“If you fail the exam, what are you going to do?”
2- 한다면 (handamyeon) – “if”
- Although 만약 (manyak) and 한다면 (handamyeon) have the same meaning in English, these two conjunctions are used in different situations.
- To differentiate these two conjunctions:
- 만약 (manyak) focuses on hypothetical situations.
- 한다면 (handamyeon) focuses more on actions.
Example:
그 회사가 망한다면 월급을 받지 못할거야.
Geu hoesaga manghandamyeon wolgeubeul batji mothalgeoya.
“If the company goes bankrupt, you will not receive the income anymore.”
네가 계속 그렇게 욕한다면 앞으로 너랑 친구되고 싶지 않아.
Nega gyesok geureoke yokandamyeon apeuro neorang chingudoego sipji ana.
“If you continue to swear like this, I don’t want to be friends with you.”
4. Conjunctions to Express Cause
1- 그래서 (geuraeseo) – “so,” “therefore”
- When this conjunction is used, the first sentence is usually a statement or fact, followed by the cause or evidence. 그래서 (geuraeseo) connects these two sentences together.
Example:
어제 많이 아팠어요. 그래서 학교에 못 갔어요.
Eoje mani apasseoyo. geuraeseo hakgyoe mot gasseoyo.
“I was really sick yesterday. Therefore I could not go to school.”
어제는 눈이 왔다. 그래서 하루 종일 집에 있었다.
Eojeneun nuni watda. geuraeseo haru jongil jibe isseotda.
“It rained yesterday, so I stayed home all day.”
2- 그렇기 때문에 (~gi ttaemune) – “therefore”
- The second conjunction to express cause is ~기 때문에 (~gi ttaemune) which means “because of that” or “therefore” in English.
Example:
저녁을 일찍 먹었기 때문에, 배고프지 않아.
Jeonyeogeul iljjik meogeotgi ttaemune, baegopeuji ana.
“Because I had an early dinner, I am not hungry.”
사람들이 너무 많았기 때문에 빨리 집으로 갔다.
Saramdeuri neomu manatgi ttaemune ppalli jibeuro gatda.
“Because there were so many people, I went home.”
3- 그러므로 (geureomeuro) – “therefore”
- This conjunction is rarely used in spoken language, but is often used in literature.
- On the other hand, 그렇기 때문에 (~gi ttaemune), which we saw above, is commonly used in spoken language.
Example:
나는 생각한다. 그러므로 나는 존재한다.
Naneun saenggakanda. Geureomeuro naneun jonjaehanda.
“I think, therefore I am.”
The sentence below has the same meaning as above:
나는 생각한다. 그렇기 때문에 나는 존재한다.
naneun saenggakanda. geureoki ttaemune naneun jonjaehanda.
“I think, therefore I am.”
4- 따라서 (ttaraseo) – “so,” “therefore”
- This conjunction means the same thing as 그러므로 (geureomeuro) and 그렇기 때문에 (~gi ttaemune).
- 따라서 (ttaraseo) sounds a bit formal, therefore it’s not commonly used in spoken language.
Example:
물건의 가격이 많이 올랐다. 따라서 사람들이 물건을 사지 않을 것이다.
Mulgeonui gagyeogi mani ollatda. ttaraseo saramdeuri mulgeoneul saji aneul geosida.
“The price of goods has increased. Therefore, people will not buy them.”
지구온난화는 점점 더 심해지고 있다. 따라서 공해는 더욱더 심해질 것이다.
Jiguonnanhwaneun jeomjeom deo simhaejigo itda. Ttaraseo gonghaeneun deoukdeo simhaejil geosida.
“Global warming is getting worse and worse, thus increasing pollution.”
5. Conjunctions to Express Opposition
The conjunctions mentioned below all indicate that the following sentence will be in contrast to the previous one. Let’s have a look each Korean conjunction.
1- 하지만 (hajiman) – “but”
- 하지만 (hajiman) means “but” or “however” in English.
- This conjunction is used at the beginning of a sentence to combine two opposing clauses.
- You can also shorten 하지만 (hajiman) and combine two clauses with ~지만 (~jiman).
Example:
우리 언니는 노란색을 좋아해. 하지만 언니의 남자친구는 노랑색을 싫어해.
Uri eonnineun noransaegeul joahae. Hajiman eonniui namjachinguneun norangsaegeul sileohae.
“My sister likes yellow. But her boyfriend doesn’t like yellow.”
The sentence above has the same meaning as the sentence below:
=우리 언니는 노랑색을 좋아하지만 언니의 남자친구는 노랑색을 싫어해.
Uri eonnineun norangsaegeul joahajiman eonniui namjachinguneun norangsaegeul sileohae.
—
우리 집에 언제든지 놀러와돼. 하지만 오기전에 전화해줘.
Uri jibe eonjedeunji nolleowadwae. Hajiman ogijeone jeonhwahaejwo.
“You can always come to my house. But call me before (you plan to come).”
The sentence above has the same meaning as the sentence below:
=우리 집에 언제든지 놀러와도 되지만 오기 전에 전화해줘.
Uri jibe eonjedeunji nolleowado doejiman ogi jeone jeonhwahaejwo.
2- 그렇지만 (geureochiman) – “but,” “however”
- When this conjunction is used, the sentence structure usually goes like this: [Admitting what a speaker said] however [say conflicting claims.]
Let’s look at an example. Your friend Sujin likes Jinsu a lot, and she believes that Jinsu likes her too. But you know that it’s not true because you’ve seen that Jinsu is dating someone else. In this situation, you can say:
수진이는 진수를 좋아해. 그렇지만 진수는 수진이를 좋아하지 않아.
Sujinineun jinsureul joahae. Geureochiman jinsuneun sujinireul joahaji ana.
“Sujin likes Jinsu. However, Jinsu does not like Sujin.”
Let’s have a look at another example:
네 말도 일리는 있어. 그렇지만 다른 사람들의 의견도 들어봐야지.
Ne maldo illineun isseo. Geureochiman dareun saramdeurui uigyeondo deureobwayaji.
“I agree with your points, but I need to listen to what other people say too.”
3- 그러나 (gureona) – “however”
- 그러나 (gureona) has the same value as the other conjunctions mentioned above.
- This conjunction is only used in formal settings.
Example:
6월이 되어 날씨가 따뜻해졌다. 그러나 최근에는 매일 비가 오고 있다.
Yuwori doeeo nalssiga ttatteuthaejyeotda. Geureona choegeuneneun maeil biga ogo itda.
“As June began, the weather has become warmer. However, it has been raining everyday.”
4- 그런데 (geureonde) / 근데 (geunde) – “but,” “by the way”
- This conjunction is often used to change the topic.
- You’ll often hear 근데 (geunde) when conversing with locals. 근데 (geunde) is a shortened word for 그런데 (geureonde).
Example:
그런데 어디서 밥 먹을까?
Geureonde eodiseo bap meogeulkka?
“By the way, where should we eat?”
The sentence above has the same meaning as the sentence below:
=근데 어디서 밥 먹을까?
Geunde eodiseo bap meogeulkka?
—
그 친구 알아. 그런데 이름을 모르겠네.
Geu chingu ara. Geureonde ireumeul moreugenne.
“I know her, but I forgot her name.”
The sentence above has the same meaning as the sentence below:
= 그 친구 알아. 근데 이름을 모르겠네.
Geu chingu ara. Geunde ireumeul moreugenne.
—
우와 이 가방 엄청 이쁘다. 그런데 이거 얼마예요?
Uwa i gabang eomcheong ippeuda. Geureonde igeo eolmayeyo?
“Wow, this bag is really pretty. By the way, how much is this?”
The sentence above has the same meaning as the sentence below:
= 우와 이 가방 엄청 이쁘다. 근데 이거 얼마예요?
Uwa i gabang eomcheong ippeuda. Geunde igeo eolmayeyo?
6. Conjunctions to Express Contrasts with the Statement in the Main Clause
1- 그래도 (geuraedo) – “regardless,” “still”
- The common translation of 그래도 (geuraedo) is “regardless” or “still.”
- When talking about a situation, use 그래도 (geuraedo) to say “regardless of the situation.”
- 철수의 배가 아프기 시작했다. (Cheolsuui baega apeugi sijakaetda.) — “Cheolsu started to have stomach cramps.” [situation]
- 그래도 (geuraedo) [regardless of what happened to him]
- 나는 밥을 먹었다. (naneun babeul meogeotda) — “He continued eating rice.” [continued what he was doing]
More examples:
이상하게 들릴지 모르지만 그래도 그건 사실이야.
Isanghage deullilji moreujiman geuraedo geugeon sasiriya.
“Strange as it may sound, it’s still true.”
내일 비가 온다는데, 그래도 우리 낚시하러 갈꺼지?
Naeil biga ondaneunde, geuraedo uri naksihareo galkkeoji?
“It’s going to rain tomorrow, but we are still going tomorrow, right?”
2- 그럼에도 불구하고 (geureomedo bulguhago) – “nevertheless,” “although”
- Use this conjunction when you say something that contrasts with what has just been said/happened.
- The sentence structure would be: [INCIDENT] +그럼에도 불구하고 (geureomedo bulguhago) + [UNEXPECTED RESULT].
Example:
나를 따라오지 말라고 했는데 그럼에도 불구하고 그 남자는 나를 따라왔다.
Nareul ttaraoji mallago haenneunde geureomedo bulguhago geu namjaneun nareul ttarawatda.
“I told him a couple of times not to follow me, nevertheless he did.”
철수는 많이 아팠다. 그럼에도 불구하고 그는 학교로 갔다.
Cheolsuneun mani apatda. Geureomedo bulguhago geuneun hakgyoro gatda.
“Cheolsu was very sick, yet he went to school.”
7. Conjunctions to Express Preference
1- 이나 (ina) – “or”
- 이나 (ina) is attached only to noun stems.
- The sentence structure should be: [NOUN] +이나 (ina) + [NOUN].
- When someone uses this conjunction in a sentence, this indicates that the person has not decided which noun will be acted upon.
Example:
저는 초콜릿 빵이나 비빔밥을 먹고 싶어요.*
Jeoneun chokollit ppangina bibimbabeul meokgo sipeoyo.
“I want to eat either a chocolate bread or bibimbap.”
*He/she has not decided if he/she wants to eat bread or bibimbap.
대학교에서 심리학이나 패션 과를 공부하고 싶어요.
Daehakgyoeseo simnihagina paesyeon gwareul gongbuhago sipeoyo.
“I want to study either psychology or fashion design at university.”
2- 아니면 (animyeon) – “or”
- 아니면 (animyeon) means the same thing as 이나 (ina).
- The rule is that this conjunction is used to link two sentences.
- The sentence structure should be: [SENTENCE] + 아니면 (animyeon) + [SENTENCE].
- Moreover, it indicates that the speaker has not decided which action verbs will be acted upon.
Example:
아침에 복싱을 하는 게 좋을까 아니면 요가를 하는 게 좋을까?
Achime boksingeul haneun ge joeulkka animyeon yogareul haneun ge joeulkka?
“Should I do boxing or yoga in the morning?”
내일 인사동로 갈래 아니면 동대문 시장 갈래?
Naeil Insadongeuro gallae animyeon dongdaemun sijang gallae?
“Would you rather go to the Insadong or Dongdaemun market?”
3- 거나 (geona) – “or”
- 거나 (geona) is used to link descriptive and action verbs and adverbs.
Example:
부모님 앞에서 담배를 피우거나 술을 마시면 안된다.
Bumonim apeseo dambaereul piugeona sureul masimyeon andoenda.
“You can’t smoke a cigarette or drink alcohol in front of your parents.”
아침에 복싱하거나 요가하거나 너 마음대로 해.
Achime boksinghageona yoga hageona ne maeumdaero hae.
“It’s up to you whether you do boxing or yoga in the morning. Do what you want.”
4- 또는 (ttoneun) – “or”
- This conjunction is a formal way to say or express your preference.
- You can replace 또는 (ttoneun) with 이나 (ina) or 아니면 (animyeon) in sentences. It will sound less formal, but the meaning does not change.
Example:
월요일 또는 수요일
Wollyoil ttoneun suyoil
“Monday or Wednesday.”
The sentences below have a different conjunction but mean the same thing:
= 월요일이나 수요일
Wollyoirina suyoil
= 월요일 아니면 수요일
Wollyoil animyeon suyoil
—
가야금 또는 장구 둘 중 하나를 선택하시오.
Gayageum ttoneun janggu dul jung hanareul seontaekasio.
“Choose either gayageum or jangu.”
8. Conjunctions to Express Reasons
1- 때문에 (ttaemune) – “Because of…”
- 때문에 (ttaemune) means “because of…” and this conjunction is attached to nouns.
- Add a noun before the conjunction, then the rest of the clause will indicate events that happened as a result of the noun preceding 때문에 (ttaemune).
Example:
일 때문에 공부할 시간이 없어.
Il ttaemune gongbuhal sigani eopseo.
“Because of work, I don’t have time to study.”
대학교 등록금 때문에 매일 아르바이트 하고 있어요.
Daehakgyo deungnokgeum ttaemune maeil areubaiteu hago isseoyo.
“Because of the tuition fee, I am working part-time everyday.”
2- 왜냐하면 (waenyahamyeon) – “because…”
- 왜냐하면 (waenyahamyeon) means “because.”
- When using this conjunction in sentences, the grammatical order should be: [result] + 왜냐하면 (waenyahamyeon) + [reason].
- You can also say 왜냐면 (waenyamyeon), which is a shortened version of 왜냐하면 (waenyahamyeon), and is used in spoken language.
Example:
어제 잠을 잘 수가 없었어요. 왜냐하면 이웃이 너무 시끄러웠거든요.
Eoje jameul jal suga eopseosseoyo. Waenyahamyeon iusi neomu sikkeureowotgeodeunyo.
“I could not sleep last night because the neighbor was really noisy.”
잠을 잘 수가 없어. 왜냐하면 방금 커피를 마셨거든.
Jameul jal suga eopseo. Waenyahamyeon banggeum keopireul masyeotgeodeun.
“I can’t sleep because I just drank coffee.”
9. Conjunctions to Add Additional Information
1- 게다가 (gedaga) – “moreover,” “in addition”
- The meaning of 게다가 (gedaga) is exactly the same as the conjunction words 덧붙이자면 (deotbuchijamyeon) and 뿐만 아니라 (ppunman anira).
- You can also say 그리고 instead of 게다가. The meaning does not change.
- If you’ve said 그리고 (geurigo) many times (in writing or speech), try using 게다가 (gedaga).
Example:
게다가 웃으면 기분이 좋아진다.
Gedaga useumyeon gibuni joajinda.
“Moreover, when you laugh, you feel better.”
날씨가 너무 추웠고 게다가 눈까지 내렸다.
Nalssiga neomu chuwotgo gedaga nunkkaji naeryeotda.
“The weather was extremely cold; moreover, it snowed.”
2- 덧붙이자면 (deotbuchijamyeon) – “additionally,” “in addition,” “plus”
- 덧붙이자면 (deotbuchijamyeon) means the same thing as 게다가 (gedaga).
- A common phrase that uses this conjunction is 덧붙여 말하자면… (deotbutyeo malhajamyeon…), meaning “making an additional remark.”
Example:
정국오빠는 너무 잘 생겼어요. 덧붙이자면 노래도 잘해요.
Jeonggugoppaneun neomu jal saenggyeosseoyo. Deotbuchijamyeon noraedo jalhaeyo.
“Jungkook is so handsome. Plus, he’s a great singer.”
판타지 소설을 찾고 있다면 이 책을 추천할게요.
덧붙이자면 이 책은 베스트셀러이기도 해요.
Pantaji soseoreul chatgo itdamyeon i chaegeul chucheonhalgeyo.
Deotbuchijamyeon i chaegeun beseuteuselleoigido haeyo.
“If you’re looking for a fantasy novel, I recommend this book.
In addition, this is also one of the best sellers.”
3- 뿐만 아니라 (ppunman anira) – “besides,” “also”
- When 뿐만 아니라 (ppunman anira) is attached to the end of a clause, it creates the meaning of “not only A, but also B.”
Example:
한국 드라마는 한국에서 뿐만 아니라 해외에서도 매우 인기가 있다.
Hanguk deuramaneun hangugeseo ppunman anira haeoeeseodo maeu ingiga itda.
“Korean dramas are not only popular in Korea, but also overseas.”
이곳에서 옥수수 뿐만 아니라 고구마도 살 수 있어요.
Iigoseseo oksusu ppunman anira gogumado sal su isseoyo.
“You can buy not only corn, but sweet potatoes too.”
10. More Conjunctions
Here are four additional conjunctions for you to learn!
1- 반면에 (banmyeone) – “on the other hand,” “while”
- 반면에 (banmyeone) comes between two sentences.
- Usually, the first sentence and the second sentence contrast each other.
Examples:
김치를 좋아하는 사람도 있지만, 반면에 김치를 싫어하는 사람도 있다.
Kimchireul joahaneun saramdo itjiman, banmyeone gimchireul sileohaneun saramdo itda.
“There are some people who like Kimchi, while others don’t.”
발렌타인 데이에 초콜릿을 많이 받는 사람도 있지만,
반면에 한개도 받지 못하는 사람도 있다.
Ballentain deie chokolliseul mani banneun saramdo itjiman,
banmyeone hangaedo batji mothaneun saramdo itda.
“There are some people who receive many chocolates on Valentine’s Day.
On the other hand, there are others who get nothing.”
2- 결국 (gyeolguk) – “eventually,” “ultimately”
- You can also say 결국에는 (gyeolgugeneun), which means the same thing as 결국 (gyeolguk).
Example:
결국 우리가 이겼다.
Gyeolguk uriga igyeotda.
“Finally, we won the game.”
결국 원국이는 지민이 대신에 호연이를 선택했다.
Gyeolguk Wongugineun Jimini daesine Hoyeonireul seontaekaetda.
“At close of play, Wonkuk chose Hohyun instead of Jimin.”
3- 마지막으로 (majimageuro) – “lastly”
- 마지막으로 (majimageuro) means “for the last time,” “lastly,” and “last time.”
Example:
한국을 마지막으로 가본 지가 10년이나 되었어요.
Hangugeul majimageuro gabon jiga 10nyeonina doeeosseoyo.
“It has been ten years since I visited Korea.”
마지막으로 몇 마디만 더 하겠습니다.
Majimageuro myeot madiman deo hagetseumnida.
“I would like to add a few words in conclusion.”
4- 마찬가지로 (machangajiro) – “similarly,” “likewise”
- 마찬가지로 (machangajiro) means “like,” or “likewise” in English.
- Also, this conjunction links two clauses that have a similar meaning.
Example:
동물도 사람과 마찬가지로 감정을 가지고 있다.
Dongmuldo saramgwa machangajiro gamjeongeul gajigo itda.
“Like humans, animals have feelings.”
개도 사람과 마찬가지로 잡식 동물이다.
Gaedo saramgwa machangajiro japsik dongmurida.
“Like humans, dogs are omnivores.”
11. How KoreanClass101 Can Help You Learn Korean
We hope you enjoyed learning about Korean conjunctions with us! In Korean vocabulary, conjunctions are essential little words and phrases that you really should know. Further, for impeccable Korean grammar, conjunctions should be one of your top learning priorities.
Are there any conjunctions you’re still struggling with, or any you still want to know? Let us know in the comments!
It’s easy to be overwhelmed when you have to memorize so many conjunctions. But don’t worry, learning a language isn’t easy and it takes time. If you’re still not sure when to use these conjunctions, you’re more than welcome to leave a post on our forum. There are many native speakers and Korean learners, like you, who will be happy to help you learn Korean.
For further learning, we have a lesson called “Korean Conjunctions: Add Seaweed, and Meat, and Garlic!” where you can practice learning Korean conjunctions as well as vocabulary. In addition, check out our vocabulary list called “Must-Know Adverbs and Phrases for Connecting Thoughts,” where we listed twenty Korean conjunctions with pronunciation audios and example sentences.
Happy learning!
