🔗Complex Sentences

How to use -다가, -기 전에, 그리고, -고 나서 in Korean sentences

Published on April 13, 2025

Understanding Korean Connectors: An Overview

Korean language learners often need to navigate numerous particles and connectives that intersect sentences. Among them, -다가, -기 전에, 그리고, and -고 나서 are essential for expressing sequences, interruptions, and prior actions.

Using -다가 for Interruptions

The particle -다가 is used to denote an interruption or change in action. It implies that an action was ongoing when another event occurred.

걷다가 친구를 만났어요.
I was walking and then ran into a friend.
음악을 듣다가 전화가 울렸어요.
Listening to music when the phone rang.

Expressing Prior Actions with -기 전에

The expression -기 전에 is used to indicate that an action takes place before another action. It is similar to saying 'before doing something'.

먹기 전에 손을 씻으세요.
Wash your hands before eating.
수업 전에 공부해요.
I study before the class.

Sequential Actions with -고 나서

The connective -고 나서 is used to express actions that occur in sequence, meaning one action is completed before the next one begins.

밥을 먹고 나서 설거지를 했어요.
After eating, I washed the dishes.
책을 읽고 나서 잤어요.
I read a book, then went to bed.

Connecting Sentences with 그리고

The word 그리고 is a simple connector meaning 'and'. It's often used to link sentences or phrases in a straightforward sequence.

저녁 먹고 그리고 TV를 봤어요.
I ate dinner and watched TV.
늦었고 그리고 피곤해요.
It is late and I am tired.

How to use -다가, -기 전에, 그리고, -고 나서 in Korean sentences

Understanding Korean Connectors: An Overview

Using -다가 for Interruptions

걷다가 친구를 만났어요.

I was walking and then ran into a friend.

음악을 듣다가 전화가 울렸어요.

Listening to music when the phone rang.

Expressing Prior Actions with -기 전에

먹기 전에 손을 씻으세요.

Wash your hands before eating.

수업 전에 공부해요.

I study before the class.

Sequential Actions with -고 나서

밥을 먹고 나서 설거지를 했어요.

After eating, I washed the dishes.

책을 읽고 나서 잤어요.

I read a book, then went to bed.

Connecting Sentences with 그리고

저녁 먹고 그리고 TV를 봤어요.

I ate dinner and watched TV.

늦었고 그리고 피곤해요.

It is late and I am tired.

Further Reading

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