📘 Grammar 32: How to Use ~고 있다 – Present Progressive in Korean

📘 How to Use ~고 있다 – Present Progressive in Korean

Want to say “I’m eating,” “She’s studying,” or “We’re watching a movie” in Korean?

Then you need to learn how to use ~고 있다, the Korean grammar pattern used to describe an action that is happening right now.

This is called the present progressive tense, and it’s one of the most commonly used grammar structures in daily Korean conversation.

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📌 What Does ~고 있다 Mean?

~고 있다 means “to be doing something.”

It describes an ongoing or current action.

Structure:

Verb stem + 고 있다

You can also conjugate it to different tenses:

• Present: ~고 있어요 (is doing)
• Past: ~고 있었어요 (was doing)
• Future: ~고 있을 거예요 (will be doing)

📘 Example Sentences

• 저는 지금 밥을 먹고 있어요 – I am eating right now
  jeo-neun ji-geum bap-eul meok-go it-seo-yo
• 그녀는 공부하고 있어요 – She is studying
  geu-nyeo-neun gong-bu-ha-go it-seo-yo
• 우리는 영화를 보고 있어요 – We’re watching a movie
  u-ri-neun yeong-hwa-reul bo-go it-seo-yo
• 비가 오고 있어요 – It is raining
  bi-ga o-go it-seo-yo

📊 Grammar Table

Verb	Present	Past	Future
하다 (to do)	하고 있어요	하고 있었어요	하고 있을 거예요
먹다 (to eat)	먹고 있어요	먹고 있었어요	먹고 있을 거예요
보다 (to watch)	보고 있어요	보고 있었어요	보고 있을 거예요
읽다 (to read)	읽고 있어요	읽고 있었어요	읽고 있을 거예요

💡 Notes and Tips

• 고 있어요 = is currently doing
• 고 있었어요 = was doing (in progress in the past)
• 고 있을 거예요 = will be doing (future continuous)

✔️ Use this to describe what’s happening right now!

❗ Common Mistakes

• ❌ 먹고다 → ✅ 먹고 있어요
• ❌ 하고이다 → ✅ 하고 있어요
• Always use “고 있다” as a full grammar unit.

🧪 Mini Quiz – Test Yourself!

1. How do you say “I’m studying Korean”?
   a) 한국어 공부해요
   b) 한국어 공부하고 있어요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ b) 한국어 공부하고 있어요

2. Translate: “It is raining.”
   a) 비 와요
   b) 비가 오고 있어요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ b) 비가 오고 있어요

3. Which is the future progressive form of “to read”?
   a) 읽고 있었어요
   b) 읽고 있을 거예요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ b) 읽고 있을 거예요

✅ Conclusion

Now you know how to describe ongoing actions in Korean using ~고 있다.

• It works with any action verb
• It is very commonly used in everyday Korean
• Remember to conjugate it properly for tense and politeness

Try using:

• “I am listening to music” → 음악을 듣고 있어요
• “She is working now” → 지금 일하고 있어요

📘 Coming Up Next

Next lesson: How to Use ~ㄴ/은 지 – Talking About Time Passed in Korean
Learn how to say “It’s been 3 years,” “I started a year ago,” and more!

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Related Keywords:
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