The particles 와/과 (wa/gwa) connect nouns meaning "and" or "with." They're the formal/written versions of connective particles, commonly seen in official documents, news, and formal speech.
Form
- 와 (wa) - after vowels
- 과 (gwa) - after consonants
Two Main Functions
1. Connecting Nouns (And)
Links two or more nouns in a list.
Examples:
- 사과와 바나나 (sagwa-wa banana) - apples and bananas
- 책과 공책 (chaek-gwa gongchaek) - books and notebooks
- 친구와 선생님 (chingu-wa seonsaengnim) - friend and teacher
- 한국과 일본 (Hanguk-gwa Ilbon) - Korea and Japan
2. Accompaniment (With)
Indicates doing something together with someone or something.
Examples:
- 친구와 영화를 봤어요. (Chingu-wa yeonghwa-reul bwasseoyo.) - Watched a movie with friend.
- 가족과 여행했어요. (Gajok-gwa yeohaenghaesseoyo.) - Traveled with family.
- 선생님과 이야기했어요. (Seonsaengnim-gwa iyagihaesseoyo.) - Talked with teacher.
Connecting Nouns in Detail
Simple Lists
Two items:
- 빵과 우유 (bread and milk)
- 커피와 차 (coffee and tea)
- 남자와 여자 (man and woman)
Multiple items (use 와/과 between each):
- 사과와 배와 포도 (apples and pears and grapes)
Or with last item only:
- 사과, 배, 포도와 수박 (apples, pears, grapes and watermelon)
People
Connecting people:
- 엄마와 아빠 (mom and dad)
- 형과 동생 (older brother and younger sibling)
- 친구와 선생님 (friend and teacher)
Places
Connecting locations:
- 서울과 부산 (Seoul and Busan)
- 학교와 집 (school and home)
- 한국과 미국 (Korea and America)
Abstract Nouns
Concepts and ideas:
- 사랑과 평화 (love and peace)
- 자유와 책임 (freedom and responsibility)
- 과거와 현재 (past and present)
Accompaniment in Detail
With People
Indicates doing something together:
- 친구와 공부했어요. (Studied with friend.)
- 가족과 저녁을 먹었어요. (Ate dinner with family.)
- 동생과 놀았어요. (Played with younger sibling.)
- 선생님과 만났어요. (Met with teacher.)
Grammatical Structure
[Person + 와/과] + [Activity]
The particle marks who accompanies you in the activity:
- 친구와 영화를 봐요. (Watch movie with friend.)
- 언니와 쇼핑해요. (Shop with older sister.)
와/과 vs 하고
와/과 is more formal/written:
- 친구와 공부했어요. (Studied with friend.) - formal/written
- Used in: News, official documents, formal writing
하고 is more casual/spoken:
- 친구하고 공부했어요. (Studied with friend.) - casual/spoken
- Used in: Daily conversation, informal contexts
See "하고 (hago)" article for detailed comparison.
Common Patterns
Pattern 1: Noun + And + Noun
[Noun + 와/과] + [Noun]
- 책과 펜 (book and pen)
- 밥과 김치 (rice and kimchi)
Pattern 2: Person + With + Activity
[Person + 와/과] + [Verb]
- 친구와 놀았어요. (Played with friend.)
- 엄마와 이야기했어요. (Talked with mom.)
Pattern 3: Multiple Items
[A + 와/과] + [B + 와/과] + [C]
- 빵과 우유와 계란 (bread and milk and eggs)
Or shortened:
- 빵, 우유, 계란 (bread, milk, eggs) - commas in writing
In Different Sentence Types
As Subject
Connected nouns as subject:
- 개과 고양이가 있어요. (There are dogs and cats.)
- 친구와 동생이 왔어요. (Friend and younger sibling came.)
Note: Multiple subjects typically use 이/가 once at the end.
As Object
Connected nouns as object:
- 사과와 배를 샀어요. (Bought apples and pears.)
- 책과 공책을 읽어요. (Read books and notebooks.)
As Topic
Connected nouns as topic:
- 한국과 일본은 가까워요. (Korea and Japan are close.)
- 커피와 차는 맛있어요. (Coffee and tea are delicious.)
Special Uses
Contrast/Comparison
와/과 can emphasize comparison:
- 이것과 저것 중에 뭐가 좋아요? (Between this and that, which is good?)
- 여름과 겨울 중에 뭐가 좋아요? (Between summer and winter, which do you like?)
Official Names
Common in formal names and titles:
- 대한민국과 미합중국 (Republic of Korea and United States)
- 남성과 여성 (males and females)
- 부모와 자녀 (parents and children)
Position in Sentence
와/과-connected nouns function as a unit:
Subject position:
- 친구와 동생이 집에 있어요. (Friend and sibling are at home.)
Object position:
- 빵과 우유를 샀어요. (Bought bread and milk.)
Location (less common):
- 서울과 부산에 갔어요. (Went to Seoul and Busan.)
Complete vs Partial Lists
Complete List (와/과)
Implies all items in the group:
- 사과와 배를 샀어요. (Bought apples and pears.) - only these two
Partial List (use 등 or other markers)
When listing examples from a larger set:
- 사과, 배, 포도 등 (apples, pears, grapes, etc.)
- Use commas for partial lists
Formality Levels
Very Formal/Written
와/과 is preferred:
- Academic papers
- News articles
- Official documents
- Formal speeches
Conversational
하고 is more natural:
- Daily conversation
- Casual writing
- Texting/messaging
Both acceptable in:
- Neutral polite conversation
- Semi-formal contexts
Common Expressions
와/과 함께 (wa/gwa hamkke) - together with
- 친구와 함께 갔어요. (Went together with friend.)
와/과 같이 (wa/gwa gachi) - together with / like
- 가족과 같이 먹어요. (Eat together with family.)
Multiple Particles
Can combine with other particles:
와/과 + 는/은 (topic):
- 친구와는 자주 만나요. (As for with friend, meet often.)
와/과 + 를/을 (object, rare):
- Usually the connected nouns take 를/을 together
- 사과와 배를 샀어요. (Bought apples and pears.)
Alternatives for Lists
Using Commas
In writing, commas can replace some 와/과:
Full particles:
- 사과와 배와 포도 (apples and pears and grapes)
Commas:
- 사과, 배, 포도 (apples, pears, grapes)
Mixed:
- 사과, 배와 포도 (apples, pears and grapes)
Using 나 (or)
For alternatives rather than additions:
- 사과나 배 (apples or pears) - NOT 와/과
With Different Noun Types
Common Nouns
- 책과 펜 (book and pen)
- 개와 고양이 (dog and cat)
Proper Nouns
- 민수와 수진 (Minsu and Sujin)
- 서울과 부산 (Seoul and Busan)
Pronouns
Less common with pronouns; use names/titles:
Awkward:
- 나와 너 (me and you)
Better:
- 우리 (we/us)
- 저와 친구 (me and friend)
Comparison Table
| Particle | Formality | Common Usage |
|---|---|---|
| 와/과 | Formal/Written | News, documents, formal speech |
| 하고 | Casual/Spoken | Daily conversation |
| (이)랑 | Very Casual | Close friends, children |
Key Points
- ✅ Form: 와 after vowels, 과 after consonants
- ✅ Two functions: Connect nouns (and), accompaniment (with)
- ✅ Formality: Formal/written style
- ✅ Casual equivalent: 하고
- ✅ Lists: Can connect multiple nouns
- ✅ With people: Indicates doing together
- ✅ Common in: News, documents, formal contexts
Understanding 와/과 is essential for formal Korean and reading official texts. While 하고 is more common in speech, 와/과 appears frequently in written Korean and formal situations.