-아/어 가지다
Take and Go, Bring
-아/어 가지다 combines a verb with 가지다 (to have/take) to mean 'do something and take it with you'. It shows that the result of an action is carried away by the subject.
How It Works
This pattern expresses performing an action and then taking the result of that action to another place. It's a combination of a verb in its -아/어 form and the verb 가지다, which means 'to have' or 'to possess'.
Structure:
Verb Stem + -아/어 + 가지다
Conjugation Rules:
- If the verb stem's last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, you add -아 가지다.
- 사다 (to buy) → 사 + 아 가지다 → 사 가지다
- 보다 (to see/watch) → 보 + 아 가지다 → 봐 가지다 - If the verb stem's last vowel is anything else, you add -어 가지다.
- 만들다 (to make) → 만들 + 어 가지다 → 만들어 가지다
- 챙기다 (to pack/take care of) → 챙기 + 어 가지다 → 챙겨 가지다 - For 하다 verbs, it becomes -해 가지다.
- 요리하다 (to cook) → 요리해 가지다
Usage in Sentences:
While -아/어 가지다 is the base pattern, it's almost always used in its connective form, -아/어 가지고, followed by a motion verb like 가다 (to go) or 오다 (to come).
-아/어 가지고 가다: to do something and take it (away from the speaker)
-아/어 가지고 오다: to do something and bring it (towards the speaker)
Comparison with -고:
It's important not to confuse this with -고 (and then).
- 사 가지고 가다: Emphasizes that you bought something and are carrying it with you as you go.
- 빵을 사 가지고 공원에 갔어요. (I bought bread and took it to the park.) - 사고 가다: Simply states two sequential actions. You bought something, and then you went. It doesn't necessarily mean you took the item with you.
- 가게에서 빵을 사고 바로 학교에 갔어요. (I bought bread at the store and then went straight to school.)
This pattern is very common for actions like preparing food for a picnic, buying a gift for a party, or packing items for a trip.
Examples (4)
- 친구 생일 파티에 케이크를 사 가지고 갔어요.
I bought a cake and took it to my friend's birthday party.
Word by Word: Friend's birthday party to cake buy and take went.
- 내일 소풍 가니까 도시락을 싸 가지고 갈 거예요.
I'm going on a picnic tomorrow, so I will pack a lunch and take it with me.
Word by Word: Tomorrow picnic go so lunchbox pack and take will go.
- 어머니께서 만들어 주신 반찬을 집에 가지고 왔어요.
I brought home the side dishes that my mother made for me.
Word by Word: Mother who made side dishes to home take and bring came.
- 회의에 필요한 자료를 다 챙겨 가지고 오세요.
Please pack all the necessary materials and bring them to the meeting.
Word by Word: Meeting to necessary materials all pack and take please come.
Common Mistakes
Confusing -아/어 가지고 가다 with -고 가다.
Different Meaning선물을 사고 친구 집에 갔어요.Better선물을 사 가지고 친구 집에 갔어요.While '사고 갔어요' is grammatically correct, it just means 'I bought it and then I went'. It doesn't explicitly state that you took the gift with you. '사 가지고 갔어요' clarifies that you performed the action of buying and then carried the result (the gift) with you to the friend's house.
Learn This First
To express 'take and go, bring', you need verb conjugation knowledge.
Related Patterns
- -고And, And Then
Both connect two actions. However, -아/어 가지다 specifically implies that the result of the first action is carried during the second action, whereas -고 simply lists actions in sequence.
- -아/어서Because of, Therefore
Both use the -아/어 form to connect clauses. -아/어서 indicates a sequential or causal relationship (do A, and then/so do B). -아/어 가지다 is more specific, indicating carrying the physical object resulting from action A while doing action B.
- -아/어 오다Has Been, Coming Towards
Both combine -아/어 with a motion verb. However, -아/어 오다 typically describes an action that has continued over time towards the present (e.g., 한국어를 공부해 왔어요 - I have been studying Korean). In contrast, 'Verb-아/어 가지고 오다' means to bring the result of a single, completed action.
- -아/어 주다Do for Someone
Both are compound verb patterns using the -아/어 connector. -아/어 주다 adds the meaning of doing an action for someone's benefit, while -아/어 가지다 adds the meaning of taking the result of an action somewhere.