-고 나서
After Doing, And Then
-고 나서 connects two actions, clearly showing that the second action happens only after the first one is fully completed.
How It Works
-고 나서 is a grammatical structure used to clearly express a sequence of actions. It emphasizes that the first action is completely finished before the second action begins.
Usage:
It is attached directly to the verb stem.
- 먹다 (to eat) → 먹고 나서 (after eating)
- 보다 (to see/watch) → 보고 나서 (after watching)
- 운동하다 (to exercise) → 운동하고 나서 (after exercising)
Key Points:
1. Sequence and Completion: The main function is to stress the completion of the first action. While -고 can sometimes mean 'and then', it can also imply simultaneous actions. -고 나서 removes this ambiguity.
• Compare:
• 음악을 듣고 공부했어요. (I listened to music and studied. - Could be at the same time.)
• 음악을 듣고 나서 공부했어요. (I studied after I finished listening to music. - Clearly sequential.)
2. Tense: The overall tense of the sentence is indicated by the final verb, not the verb attached to -고 나서.
• Past: 숙제를 하고 나서 잤어요. (After doing homework, I slept.)
• Future: 숙제를 하고 나서 잘 거예요. (After doing homework, I will sleep.)
3. Interchangeability: It is very similar in meaning to -ㄴ 다음에/후에 ('after doing'). In many situations, they can be used interchangeably. -고 나서 is often preferred in casual conversation.
Examples (4)
- 밥을 먹고 나서 숙제를 했어요.
After eating, I did my homework.
Word by Word: Rice eat and then homework did.
- 영화를 보고 나서 친구와 커피를 마셨어요.
After watching the movie, I drank coffee with a friend.
Word by Word: Movie watch and then friend with coffee drank.
- 청소를 다 하고 나서 쉴 거예요.
After I finish all the cleaning, I'm going to rest.
Word by Word: Cleaning all do and then will rest.
- 손을 씻고 나서 식사하세요.
Please wash your hands and then eat your meal.
Word by Word: Hands wash and then meal do (honorific).
Common Mistakes
Attaching tense markers to the first verb before -고 나서.
Not Quite밥을 먹었고 나서 숙제를 했어요.Better밥을 먹고 나서 숙제를 했어요.The tense of the sentence is always expressed in the final verb. The verb with -고 나서 should remain in its stem form.
Using -고 나서 with adjectives.
Not Quite날씨가 좋고 나서 공원에 갔어요.Better날씨가 좋아서 공원에 갔어요.-고 나서 is used for a sequence of actions (verbs). To state a reason ('because the weather was good'), you should use a pattern like -아/어서.
Learn This First
To express 'after doing, and then', you need conjugation and connector knowledge.
Related Patterns
- -ㄴ 다음에/후에After -ing
Both mean 'after doing' and are often interchangeable. -고 나서 is very common in spoken Korean for all types of sequential actions. -ㄴ 다음에/후에 can sometimes feel slightly more formal or be used to emphasize the completion of a more significant task before the next one.
- -자마자As Soon as
-자마자 means 'as soon as'. It also shows a sequence but emphasizes that the second action happens immediately after the first, with no delay. -고 나서 allows for a time gap between the two actions.
- 전에Before
-기 전에 is the opposite concept, meaning 'before doing'. It's useful to learn them together to talk about the order of events from both perspectives.