📘 Grammar 14: How to Say “And Then” in Korean – ~고 나서

📘 How to Say “And Then” in Korean – ~고 나서

Want to say “I ate and then studied”, “He finished work and then went home”, or “I met my friend and then we went to a café”? Then you need the Korean connector ~고 나서 – used to express sequential actions!

This post will teach you how to use ~고 나서 to talk about actions in order. You’ll see conjugation rules, common mistakes, example sentences, and real-life usage with Romanization.

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🔗 What Is ~고 나서?

~고 나서 literally means “after doing...” or “and then...” in Korean.

It connects two actions where the second one happens after the first one is completed.

Structure:

Verb stem + 고 나서 + second action

Examples:

• 먹다 → 먹고 나서 – after eating
• 일하다 → 일하고 나서 – after working
• 공부하다 → 공부하고 나서 – after studying

🧠 Key Uses of ~고 나서

• ✅ Describes sequential actions
• ✅ Indicates one action is fully completed before the next starts
• ✅ Often used in daily conversations and writing

💬 Compare:

• 먹고 공부해요 – I eat and study (can overlap)
• 먹고 나서 공부해요 – I study after eating (sequential)

📊 Conjugation Summary

Base Verb	~고 나서 Form	Meaning	Romanization
가다 (to go)	가고 나서	after going	ga-go na-seo
보다 (to see)	보고 나서	after seeing	bo-go na-seo
자다 (to sleep)	자고 나서	after sleeping	ja-go na-seo
읽다 (to read)	읽고 나서	after reading	ilg-go na-seo

📙 Example Sentences

• 아침을 먹고 나서 학교에 갔어요 – I went to school after eating breakfast
  a-chim-eul meok-go na-seo hak-gyo-e gat-sseo-yo
• 일하고 나서 운동했어요 – After working, I exercised
  il-ha-go na-seo un-dong-haet-sseo-yo
• 책을 읽고 나서 잤어요 – I slept after reading a book
  chaek-eul ilg-go na-seo jat-sseo-yo

❗ Common Mistakes

• ❌ 먹고 학교에 갔어요 (This is okay but not sequential)
• ✅ 먹고 나서 학교에 갔어요 – emphasizes order of actions
• Don’t use ~고 나서 for actions that happen at the same time

🧪 Mini Quiz – Test Yourself!

1. How do you say “after studying” in Korean?
   a) 공부고 나서
   b) 공부하고 나서
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ b) 공부하고 나서

2. Translate: “I slept after watching a movie.”
   a) 영화를 보고 나서 잤어요
   b) 영화를 보면서 잤어요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ a) 영화를 보고 나서 잤어요

3. What does “일하고 나서” mean?
   a) While working
   b) After working
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ b) After working

✅ Conclusion

Now you can express sequential actions using ~고 나서 like a native speaker!

• Use it when one action finishes and the next begins
• Attach it to the verb stem: 먹고 나서, 공부하고 나서
• It adds clarity and structure to your storytelling in Korean

Try saying your daily routines in this form:

• “I ate and then brushed my teeth” → 밥을 먹고 나서 이를 닦았어요
• “I worked and then went home” → 일하고 나서 집에 갔어요

📘 Coming Up Next

Next lesson: How to Use ~ㄴ/은 적이 있다 – Talking About Past Experiences
Learn how to say “I have been to Korea”, “I have tried kimchi” and share your life experiences in Korean!

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