Lesson 7
In this lesson, we are going to look at another verb ending that you can use to connect two or more verbs in one sentence. We learned the verb ending -고 in one of our previous les sons; -고 is used to connect independent actions and states together in one sentence, but they do not necessarily have a strong logical relation to each other.
On the other hand, the verb ending we are looking at in this lesson, -아/어/여+서, is a verb ending that can show logical relation between the verbs.
Do you remember these two conjunctions- 그리고 and 그래서 (from Level 2 Lesson 3)?
그리고 means “and,” and 그래서 means “therefore/so”.
The verb ending -고 has the same meaning as 그리고, and the verb ending - 아/어/여+서 has a similar meaning as 그래서.
Let’s look at the construction and usages of -아/어/여+서 in more detail.
Conjugation
먹다 = to eat
먹 (verb stem) + 어서 = 먹어서
만들다 = to make
만들 (verb stem) + 어서 = 만들어서
하다 = to do
하 (verb stem) + 여서 = 해서
오다 = to come
오 (verb stem) + 아서 = 와서
Usages
- Reason + -아/어/여서 + result
- An action + -아/어/여서 + another action that takes place after the first action
- An action + -아/어/여서 + the purpose of or the plan after the action
- Some fixed expressions
Examples for usages
Usage 1
Reason + -아/어/여서 + result
Example:
비가 오다 (it rains) + 못 가다 (can’t go)
--> 비가 와서 못 가요. = It rains, so I can’t go.
--> 비가 와서 못 갔어요. = It rained, so I couldn’t go.
** Note that the tense was expressed only through the last verb.
오늘은 바빠요. (Today, I’m busy.) + 영화를 못 봐요. (I can’t see the movie.)
--> 오늘은 바빠서 영화를 못 봐요.
= I’m busy today, so I can’t watch the movie.
만나다 (to meet) + 반갑다 (to be glad to see someone)
--> 만나서 반갑습니다.
= I meet you so I’m glad. = It’s nice to meet you.
--> 만나서 반가워요.
= I’m glad to meet you. (Less formal than the sentence above)
Usage 2
An action + -아/어/여서 + another action that takes place after the first action
공원에 가다 (to go to the park) + 책을 읽다 (to read a book)
--> 공원에 가서 책을 읽을 거예요.
= I’m going to go to the park and read a book.
** Note: This does NOT mean “I’m going to the park, so I’m going to read a book.” ** Also note that the tense is expressed through the last verb here as well.
친구를 만나다 (to meet a friend) + 밥을 먹다 (to eat)
--> 친구를 만나서 밥을 먹었어요.
= I met a friend and ate together.
** Note that here, this sentence COULD mean that you met a friend so you ate together, but in most cases, it will mean that you met a friend AND THEN ate together after that.
--> 친구를 만나서 밥을 먹을 거예요.
= I’m going to meet a friend and eat together.
Usage 3
An action + -아/어/여서 + the purpose of or the plan after the action
돈을 모으다 (to save up, to save money) + 뭐 하다 (to do what)
--> 돈을 모아서 뭐 할 거예요?
= What are you going to do with the money you save up? (lit. You save up money and what will you do?)
케익을 사다 (to buy a cake) + 친구한테 주다 (to give to a friend)
--> 케익을 사서 친구한테 줄 거예요.
= I’m going to buy a cake to/and give it to a friend.
Usage 4
Fixed expressions
There are some fixed expressions that basically use the same -아/어/여서 structure in them but are not often used in other forms.
-에 따라서 = according to ~
Ex) 계획에 따라서 진행하겠습니다 = I’ll proceed according to the plan.
예를 들어서 = for example
Ex) 예를 들어서, 이렇게 할 수 있어요. = For example, you can do it like this.
Sample sentences
- 한국에 가서 뭐 할 거예요?
= After you go to Korea, what are you going to do?
- 서울에 와서 좋아요.
= Since I came to Seoul, I’m glad.
= I’m glad to have come to Seoul.
- 술을 너무 많이 마셔서 머리가 아파요.
= I drank too much so my head is aching.
- 비가 와서 집에 있었어요.
= It rained so I stayed at home.
- 요즘에 바빠서 친구들을 못 만나요.
= These days I’m busy so I can’t meet my friends.
- 열심히 공부해서 장학금을 받을 거예요.
= I’m going to study hard so I can get/and I will get a scholarship.
- 한국어가 너무 재미있어서 매일 공부하고 있어요.
= Korean is so much fun that I’m studying it every day.