-고 있다 expresses the progressive aspect, meaning "be doing" or "be in the process of." It indicates that an action is currently ongoing or that a state is being maintained. This is the Korean equivalent of the English "-ing" progressive form.
Structure
Verb stem + -고 있다
Breakdown:
- -고: Connective ending
- 있다: To exist/be
Literal meaning: "Existing while doing..." → "Be doing/in the process of"
Formation Rules
All Verbs: -고 있다
Action verbs:
- 먹다 → 먹고 있다 (be eating)
- 가다 → 가고 있다 (be going)
- 공부하다 → 공부하고 있다 (be studying)
- 일하다 → 일하고 있다 (be working)
- 보다 → 보고 있다 (be watching/seeing)
- 읽다 → 읽고 있다 (be reading)
하다 verbs:
- 하다 → 하고 있다 (be doing)
- 운동하다 → 운동하고 있다 (be exercising)
- 요리하다 → 요리하고 있다 (be cooking)
- 생각하다 → 생각하고 있다 (be thinking)
Core Meaning: Ongoing Action
Currently in Progress
Action happening right now:
- 지금 밥 먹고 있어요 (I'm eating right now)
- 친구를 기다리고 있어요 (I'm waiting for a friend)
- 한국어를 공부하고 있어요 (I'm studying Korean)
- 영화를 보고 있어요 (I'm watching a movie)
Continuous State
Maintained condition or state:
- 서울에 살고 있어요 (I'm living in Seoul)
- 회사에서 일하고 있어요 (I'm working at a company)
- 대학교에 다니고 있어요 (I'm attending university)
- 한국어를 배우고 있어요 (I'm learning Korean - ongoing process)
Two Types of Meaning
Type 1: Momentary Action in Progress
Action happening at this moment:
- 지금 뭐 하고 있어요? (What are you doing right now?)
- 공부하고 있어요 (I'm studying)
- 운동하고 있어요 (I'm exercising)
- 요리하고 있어요 (I'm cooking)
Type 2: Extended State/Habit
Ongoing situation or extended period:
- 한국에 살고 있어요 (I'm living in Korea)
- 회사에 다니고 있어요 (I'm going to work / I work at a company)
- 한국어를 배우고 있어요 (I'm learning Korean - as an ongoing thing)
- 다이어트하고 있어요 (I'm on a diet)
Politeness Levels
Formal (합니다체)
- 먹고 있습니다 (am eating)
- 공부하고 있습니다 (am studying)
- 일하고 있습니다 (am working)
Polite (해요체)
- 먹고 있어요 (am eating)
- 공부하고 있어요 (am studying)
- 일하고 있어요 (am working)
Casual (반말)
- 먹고 있어 (am eating)
- 공부하고 있어 (am studying)
- 일하고 있어 (am working)
Tense Conjugations
Present Progressive
Polite: -고 있어요
- 먹고 있어요 (am eating)
- 가고 있어요 (am going)
- 보고 있어요 (am watching)
Past Progressive
Polite: -고 있었어요
- 먹고 있었어요 (was eating)
- 가고 있었어요 (was going)
- 보고 있었어요 (was watching)
Note: "Was doing" at a specific past moment
Future Progressive
Polite: -고 있을 거예요
- 먹고 있을 거예요 (will be eating)
- 가고 있을 거예요 (will be going)
- 보고 있을 거예요 (will be watching)
Note: Less common, usually present progressive is used for future
Common Usage Patterns
What are you doing?
Asking about current activity:
- 뭐 하고 있어요? (What are you doing?)
- 지금 어디 가고 있어요? (Where are you going now?)
- 무슨 책 읽고 있어요? (What book are you reading?)
Ongoing Activities
Extended actions:
- 한국어를 공부하고 있어요 (I'm studying Korean - ongoing)
- 운동하고 있어요 (I'm exercising - regularly)
- 다이어트하고 있어요 (I'm dieting)
- 영어를 배우고 있어요 (I'm learning English)
Current State
Where you are or what you're doing:
- 집에서 쉬고 있어요 (I'm resting at home)
- 카페에서 기다리고 있어요 (I'm waiting at the cafe)
- 회의하고 있어요 (I'm in a meeting)
- 전화하고 있어요 (I'm on the phone)
Common Expressions
Daily Activities
- 밥 먹고 있어요 (eating a meal)
- 일하고 있어요 (working)
- 공부하고 있어요 (studying)
- 쉬고 있어요 (resting)
- 자고 있어요 (sleeping)
Movement and Location
- 가고 있어요 (going)
- 오고 있어요 (coming)
- 걷고 있어요 (walking)
- 서 있어요 (standing)
- 앉아 있어요 (sitting)
Waiting and Expecting
- 기다리고 있어요 (waiting)
- 찾고 있어요 (looking for)
- 생각하고 있어요 (thinking)
- 고민하고 있어요 (pondering/worrying)
Long-term States
- 살고 있어요 (living)
- 다니고 있어요 (attending/going to)
- 배우고 있어요 (learning)
- 일하고 있어요 (working - as a job)
Negative Forms
Not Doing (Present)
안 -고 있다:
- 안 먹고 있어요 (am not eating)
- 안 가고 있어요 (am not going)
-지 않고 있다:
- 먹지 않고 있어요 (am not eating)
- 가지 않고 있어요 (am not going)
Wasn't Doing (Past)
안 -고 있었다:
- 안 먹고 있었어요 (wasn't eating)
- 안 공부하고 있었어요 (wasn't studying)
Question Forms
What are you doing?
Present progressive questions:
- 뭐 하고 있어요? (What are you doing?)
- 어디 가고 있어요? (Where are you going?)
- 누구를 기다리고 있어요? (Who are you waiting for?)
- 무엇을 보고 있어요? (What are you watching?)
Were you doing?
Past progressive questions:
- 뭐 하고 있었어요? (What were you doing?)
- 어디 가고 있었어요? (Where were you going?)
Special Cases: -아/어 있다
State Resulting from Action
-아/어 있다: Resulting state (different from -고 있다)
Difference:
-
-고 있다: Ongoing action
- 입고 있어요 (am wearing / in the process of putting on)
- 앉고 있어요 (am sitting down - in the act)
-
-아/어 있다: Resulting state
- 입어 있어요 (am wearing - state of having worn)
- 앉아 있어요 (am sitting - state of being seated)
Common with stative verbs:
- 서다 → 서 있어요 (am standing - state)
- 앉다 → 앉아 있어요 (am sitting - state)
- 살다 → 살아 있어요 (am alive - state)
- 열다 → 열어 있어요 (is open - state)
Contractions in Casual Speech
Common Shortenings
-고 있어 → -고 있어 (no major contraction in writing)
But in very casual speech:
- 뭐 하고 있어? → 뭐 하고 있어? (what are you doing?)
- Can sound like: 뭐 하고 이써?
Some dialects drop particles:
- 밥 먹고 있어 → 밥 먹고 있어
Verb Compatibility
Works with Most Action Verbs
Compatible:
- 먹다, 가다, 오다, 보다, 듣다, 읽다, 쓰다, 말하다, 일하다, 공부하다, etc.
Less Natural with Stative Verbs
Stative verbs don't usually take -고 있다:
- ❌ 좋고 있어요 (being good - unnatural)
- ❌ 크고 있어요 (being big - unnatural)
- ✅ 크고 있어요 (growing - if 크다 means "grow," then acceptable)
Exception: When stative verbs describe change/process
- 좋아지고 있어요 (is getting better - ✅)
- 커지고 있어요 (is growing/getting bigger - ✅)
Perspective and Usage
When to Use -고 있다
Use when:
- Describing action happening right now
- Talking about ongoing activities or states
- Answering "What are you doing?"
- Expressing continuous processes
Don't use when:
- Describing completed actions (use past tense)
- Stating facts or habits without emphasis on "currently" (use simple present)
- With pure stative verbs (use simple present)
Simple Present vs Progressive
Compare:
-
Simple present (habitual/general):
- 매일 운동해요 (I exercise every day)
- 한국어를 공부해요 (I study Korean)
-
Progressive (ongoing now/currently):
- 지금 운동하고 있어요 (I'm exercising right now)
- 한국어를 공부하고 있어요 (I'm studying Korean - ongoing)
Summary Table
| Action | Progressive Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다 | 먹고 있어요 | Am eating |
| 가다 | 가고 있어요 | Am going |
| 공부하다 | 공부하고 있어요 | Am studying |
| 일하다 | 일하고 있어요 | Am working |
| 기다리다 | 기다리고 있어요 | Am waiting |
| 살다 | 살고 있어요 | Am living |
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Progressive aspect: "Be doing" or "in the process of"
- ✅ Verb + -고 있다: Works with action verbs
- ✅ Two meanings: Current action or ongoing state
- ✅ Different from -아/어 있다: Action vs resulting state
- ✅ Very common: Essential for describing what you're doing
- ✅ Past form: -고 있었다 (was doing)
-고 있다 is one of the most essential patterns in Korean for expressing ongoing actions and continuous states. It's crucial for natural conversation when describing what you or others are currently doing.