TeacherJoy

In the previous video, we’ve covered how ‘-고’ links actions in sequence. Today, let’s look at another connective ending that also indicates a sequence: -아서/-어서.

Both ‘-고’ and ‘-아서/-어서’ can link actions or events in order, and at first, they might feel interchangeable. But here’s an important difference.

Take a look at some examples:

• 여기까지 택시 타고 왔어요.
  I came here by taxi.
  
• 오늘 추워요. 옷 많이 입고 오세요.
  It’s cold today. Make sure you dress in layers.
  
• 우리는 앉아서 이야기했어요.
  We sat down and talked.
  
• 편의점에 가서 물 좀 사 와.
  Go get some water at the convenience store.

“-고” puts more emphasis on the process rather than the resulting state. It simply tells you that the action happened, but it doesn’t guarantee that the result stayed that way.

For example, “여기까지 택시 타고 왔어요” confirms that the person took a taxi at some point, but we don’t know if they actually arrived here by taxi or switched to another ride.

And “옷 많이 입고 오세요” tells someone to put on layers before coming, but it doesn’t imply that they kept all those layers on once they arrived.

By contrast, “-아서/-어서” sets up a background condition or state in which the main action takes place. So “앉아서 이야기했어요” tells us the conversation happened while staying seated, and “편의점에 가서 물 좀 사 와” means the person is to buy water while at the convenience store.

If this still feels tricky, how about this?

“편의점에 가서 물 좀 사 와” can be shortened to “편의점에서 물 좀 사 와.” The first focuses more on the action, while the second focuses on the place.

You can see this even in common expressions like: “축하해 주셔서 감사합니다.”

If you translate it literally, it fits more with something like “I appreciate that you celebrated me.”

The connective ending “-아서/-어서” here expresses the background action that creates the situation in which the main clause happens. You know that the main clause in Korean always comes at the end.

And this isn’t all. There’re more coming.
See you in the next one!