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Korean Grammar Patterns
-고서 / -곤
Meaning
after doing; -곤 하다 = used to
How to use it
-고서 attaches to a verb stem to emphasize that one action is completed before the next, often with a sense of necessary sequence or means ('having done X, then Y'). -곤 (a contraction of -고는) appears as -곤 하다 to express a repeated or habitual past action ('used to do / would do'). Both build on -고 but add sequence or habituality respectively.
-고서 stresses completion/sequence more strongly than plain -고.,-곤 하다 (past: -곤 했다) = repeated past habit, like English 'would/used to'.
Examples
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 손을 깨끗이 씻고서 밥을 먹었어요. soneul kkaekkeusi ssitgoseo babeul meogeosseoyo. | I washed my hands clean and then ate. |
| 어릴 때 우리는 방학마다 시골에 가곤 했어요. eoril ttae urineun banghangmada sigore gagon haesseoyo. | When we were young, we used to go to the countryside every vacation. |
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