하고 and just 고

[tkmayfie]

I'm "taking" the online SNU Click Korean course and had a question.

They explained 고 as being a particle that can
1. Connect two chronological sentences ex: 한국어를 공부하고 친구를 만나요.
and
2. Join together related characteristics of a noun ex: 김치 싸고 마싰어요.

Yet when I try to type this sample sentence into google translator, it comes up incorrect: 친구를만나고 운동해요. Trying to say I meet friends and exercise.

My question is, when do you add the ㅎ and say 하고 like in the sentence number one, and when do you just say 고 like in sentence number two? Thanks!

[timandyou]

Thanks for your interest in KoreanClass101.com.
Thanks for leaving a message.

You brought one of hard questions to answer.
Here is my thought about your question.

1. In Korean, verb is the most difficult part to study.
2. both --하고 and --고 has the same function but, you want to know why you should put 하고 instead of 고, and why you should put 고 instead of 하고.
3. I think it all about the "verb".

for examples,
you said, 공부하고 which came from 공부하다 "to study" - the original form of "to study" is 공부"하다". In English, we simply say "to study" but in Korean, the right translation is "to do study (to do is verb and study is noun)". so altogether 공부 하다. therefore, when you try to connect two sentences, you use --고 so, 공부하다 becomes 공부하고.
You said, 싸고 whish came from 싸다 "to wrap". This verb 싸다 can be simple translate "to wrap" not "to do wrap". therefore, when you try to connect two sentences, you use -고 so, 싸다 becomes 싸고.

You would need more examples,
1. 수영하다 "to swim in English" but in direct Korean translation is "to do swimming"
so, 수영하다 becomes 수영하고.
2. 밥먹다 "to eat in English" and "to eat in Korean" as well. so, simply 밥먹다 becomes 밥먹고.
3. 오락하다 "to play games in Enlgish" but in direct Korean translation is "to do playing games" so, 오락하다 becomes 오락하고.
4. 씻다 "to wash in English" and "to wash in Korean"as well. so simply 씻다 becomes 씻고.

I hope now you got the point!
Any Korean verb ending in 하다 becomes 하고 when you connect two sentences.
Other verbs? simply get rid of 다 and place 고 instead.

What you need to know is wheter the verb ends in 하다 or in 다. then, this grammar point would be "a piece of cake"!

Thanks for studying Korean and having interest in our website - KoreanClass101.com.
I do appreciate you!
cheers,

Tim