TOPIK I · LEVEL 1
-와/과 (하고/랑)
와/과, 하고 and (이)랑 join two nouns as "A and B" or show the person you do something "with".
조사ParticlesHan: 선생님 ends in a consonant (ㅁ), so it takes 과, not 와.
Examples
책상 위에 연필하고 공책이 있어요.There is a pencil and a notebook on the desk.
어제 엄마랑 시장에 갔어요.Yesterday I went to the market with my mom.
저는 가게에서 빵과 우유를 샀습니다.I bought bread and milk at the store.
주말에 친구하고 같이 영화를 봤어요.I watched a movie with a friend on the weekend.
Don’t mix up
-와/과 (하고/랑)vsV/A + 고-고 links verbs/adjectives, 와/과 links nouns: 밥을 먹고 커피를 마셔요 vs 밥과 김치를 먹어요.
-와/과 (하고/랑)vsN + (이)나(이)나 means "or" (one of them), 와/과 means "and" (both): 커피나 차 vs 커피와 차.
How to build it
N (ending in a vowel)+와
N (ending in a consonant)+과
N+하고
N (vowel)+랑
N (consonant)+이랑
사과 → 사과와 / 사과하고 / 사과랑; 빵 → 빵과 / 빵하고 / 빵이랑
- These particles attach only to nouns. To link verbs or adjectives ("eat and sleep") use -고, not 와/과.
- Choose by the last sound: 와 and 랑 after a vowel, 과 and 이랑 after a consonant. 하고 never changes.
- 와/과 sounds formal or written; 하고 is everyday speech; (이)랑 is the most casual.
- For "with (someone)", Koreans often add 같이 or 함께: 친구와 같이, 친구하고 같이.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 선생님와 이야기했어요.
Right: 선생님과 이야기했어요.
선생님 ends in a consonant (ㅁ), so it takes 과, not 와.
Practise -와/과 (하고/랑) on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)로-(으)로 marks the direction you head toward, the means or tool you use, or what something is made of.
- -(이)나(이)나 links two nouns as alternatives ("A or B"), and after a number it shows an approximate amount in questions or a surprisingly large amount in statements.
- -도-도 attaches to a noun to say that this thing is 'also' included, adding it to something already mentioned.
- -만Attach 만 to a noun to say 'only this one and nothing else'.
- -에에 marks the place where something is, the place you go to, or the time when something happens.
- -의-의 links two nouns to show possession or belonging: A의 B = A's B.
- -은/는-은/는 marks what the sentence is about (the topic), often something already known, or something you are contrasting with another thing.
- -을/를을/를 sits right after a noun to show it is the thing the action is done to, the direct object.
- -이/가이/가 attaches to a noun to show it is the subject, the one who does something or is described, and often presents it as new or focused information.