-고 있다 expresses actions currently in progress, equivalent to English "-ing" forms (I am doing, I am eating). It emphasizes that an action is ongoing right now or over a period.
Basic Pattern
Formula: Verb Stem + 고 있다
Simple attachment:
- 가다 → 가고 있다 (am going)
- 먹다 → 먹고 있다 (am eating)
- 읽다 → 읽고 있다 (am reading)
Then conjugate 있다 for politeness/tense:
- 있어요 (present polite)
- 있습니다 (present formal)
- 있어 (present casual)
- 있었어요 (past polite)
Present Progressive Forms
Informal Polite: -고 있어요
Most common form:
- 가다 → 가고 있어요 (am going)
- 먹다 → 먹고 있어요 (am eating)
- 공부하다 → 공부하고 있어요 (am studying)
- 보다 → 보고 있어요 (am watching)
- 듣다 → 듣고 있어요 (am listening)
Formal Polite: -고 있습니다
Business/formal settings:
- 가고 있습니다 (am going)
- 먹고 있습니다 (am eating)
- 일하고 있습니다 (am working)
Casual: -고 있어
With close friends:
- 가고 있어 (am going)
- 먹고 있어 (am eating)
- 뭐 하고 있어? (What are you doing?)
Basic Usage
Currently Happening Action
Right now at this moment:
- 지금 밥 먹고 있어요 (I'm eating right now)
- 친구를 기다리고 있어요 (I'm waiting for a friend)
- TV를 보고 있어요 (I'm watching TV)
Emphasizes the action is in progress
Ongoing Activity
Over a period of time:
- 한국어를 공부하고 있어요 (I'm studying Korean - ongoing)
- 운동하고 있어요 (I'm exercising - these days)
- 일하고 있어요 (I'm working - currently employed)
Progressive vs Simple Present
Key Difference
Simple present (먹어요):
- General/habitual action
- Can include present moment
- More neutral
Progressive (먹고 있어요):
- Emphasizes ongoing action
- Right now or current period
- More specific
Comparison Examples
Simple: 한국어를 공부해요
- Translation: "I study Korean"
- General statement
Progressive: 한국어를 공부하고 있어요
- Translation: "I'm studying Korean"
- Currently ongoing
Simple: 영화를 봐요
- Translation: "I watch movies / I'm watching a movie"
- Context determines
Progressive: 영화를 보고 있어요
- Translation: "I'm watching a movie (right now)"
- Clearly ongoing now
Common Verbs with -고 있다
Action Verbs
| Dictionary | Meaning | -고 있어요 | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 가다 | go | 가고 있어요 | am going |
| 오다 | come | 오고 있어요 | am coming |
| 먹다 | eat | 먹고 있어요 | am eating |
| 마시다 | drink | 마시고 있어요 | am drinking |
| 보다 | see/watch | 보고 있어요 | am watching |
| 듣다 | listen | 듣고 있어요 | am listening |
| 읽다 | read | 읽고 있어요 | am reading |
| 쓰다 | write | 쓰고 있어요 | am writing |
| 자다 | sleep | 자고 있어요 | am sleeping |
| 일하다 | work | 일하고 있어요 | am working |
State Verbs (Limited Use)
Generally NOT used with progressive:
- 있다 (exist) - ❌ 있고 있어요
- 없다 (not exist) - ❌ 없고 있어요
- 좋다 (good) - ❌ 좋고 있어요
- 크다 (big) - ❌ 크고 있어요
Exception: When describing change
- 좋아지고 있어요 (is getting better)
- 커지고 있어요 (is getting bigger)
Past Progressive: -고 있었어요
Was/Were -ing
Formula: Verb stem + 고 있었어요
Examples:
- 가고 있었어요 (was going)
- 먹고 있었어요 (was eating)
- 공부하고 있었어요 (was studying)
- 자고 있었어요 (was sleeping)
Usage
Action in progress at past time:
- 그때 뭐 하고 있었어요? (What were you doing then?)
- 집에서 TV를 보고 있었어요 (I was watching TV at home)
- 친구를 기다리고 있었어요 (I was waiting for a friend)
Questions with -고 있다
Present Progressive Questions
Rising intonation:
- 뭐 하고 있어요? (What are you doing?)
- 어디 가고 있어요? (Where are you going?)
- 무슨 책 읽고 있어요? (What book are you reading?)
Most common question about current activity
Past Progressive Questions
- 그때 뭐 하고 있었어요? (What were you doing then?)
- 왜 울고 있었어요? (Why were you crying?)
Negative Progressive
안 -고 있다
Not doing:
- 안 가고 있어요 (am not going)
- 안 먹고 있어요 (am not eating)
Less common - usually just use simple negative:
- 안 가요 (not going - simpler)
-지 않고 있다
Alternative negative:
- 가지 않고 있어요 (am not going)
- 일하지 않고 있어요 (am not working)
Honorific Progressive
-고 계시다
Special honorific form for respected subjects:
Instead of: 있다 Use: 계시다
Examples:
- 가고 계세요 (is going - honored)
- 기다리고 계세요 (is waiting - honored)
- 일하고 계십니다 (is working - honored, formal)
Common usage:
- 할머니가 주무시고 계세요 (Grandmother is sleeping)
- 선생님이 설명하고 계세요 (Teacher is explaining)
Common Expressions
뭐 하고 있어요?
Translation: "What are you doing?" Most common way to ask about current activity
Response examples:
- 공부하고 있어요 (I'm studying)
- 영화 보고 있어요 (I'm watching a movie)
- 그냥 쉬고 있어요 (I'm just resting)
기다리고 있어요
Translation: "I'm waiting" Common phrase when waiting for someone
생각하고 있어요
Translation: "I'm thinking" Considering something over time
Special Uses
Continuous State
Wearing/carrying:
- 안경을 쓰고 있어요 (wearing glasses)
- 모자를 쓰고 있어요 (wearing a hat)
- 가방을 들고 있어요 (holding a bag)
Current state resulting from action
Temporary Situation
Not permanent:
- 서울에 살고 있어요 (I'm living in Seoul - temporary feeling)
- 회사에서 일하고 있어요 (I'm working at a company - current job)
Ongoing Project
Long-term activities:
- 책을 쓰고 있어요 (I'm writing a book)
- 프로젝트를 하고 있어요 (I'm doing a project)
- 준비하고 있어요 (I'm preparing)
When NOT to Use
Habitual Actions
Wrong: 매일 운동하고 있어요 (awkward with 매일) Right: 매일 운동해요 (I exercise every day)
Progressive sounds odd with frequency words
Instant Actions
Verbs that happen instantly:
- 도착하다 (arrive) - usually 도착했어요 (arrived)
- 시작하다 (start) - usually 시작했어요 (started)
Not ongoing, so progressive less common
States/Conditions
Adjectives generally don't take progressive:
- Wrong: 예쁘고 있어요
- Right: 예뻐요 (is pretty)
Exception: -아/어지다 (become)
- 예뻐지고 있어요 (is becoming pretty)
Casual Contractions
뭐 하고 있어? → 뭐 하고 있어?
Common casual: 뭐 하고 있어? Very casual: Sometimes shortened in fast speech
Text/Chat Abbreviations
Full: 공부하고 있어요 Casual chat: May see variations, but standard form preferred
Sentence Patterns
Statement Pattern
[Subject] + [Object] + [Verb-고 있어요]
- 저는 한국어를 공부하고 있어요 (I'm studying Korean)
- 친구가 노래를 듣고 있어요 (Friend is listening to music)
- 아이들이 놀고 있어요 (Children are playing)
Question Pattern
[Question word] + [Verb-고 있어요?]
- 뭐 하고 있어요? (What are you doing?)
- 누구를 기다리고 있어요? (Who are you waiting for?)
- 어디 가고 있어요? (Where are you going?)
Location Pattern
[Place]에서 + [Verb-고 있어요]
- 도서관에서 공부하고 있어요 (I'm studying at the library)
- 집에서 쉬고 있어요 (I'm resting at home)
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using with States
Wrong: 좋고 있어요 (is being good) Right: 좋아요 (is good)
States don't take progressive
Mistake 2: Overusing
Unnecessary: 지금 밥을 먹고 있어요 (when 밥 먹어요 is enough) Better: Simple present often sufficient
Use progressive when you want to emphasize "right now"
Mistake 3: With Habitual Markers
Awkward: 매일 운동하고 있어요 Natural: 매일 운동해요
Mistake 4: Forgetting Honorific Form
Wrong: 할아버지가 주무시고 있어요 Better: 할아버지가 주무시고 계세요
Use 계시다 for honored subjects
Practice Sentences
Current Activities
- 지금 뭐 하고 있어요? (What are you doing now?)
- 영화를 보고 있어요 (I'm watching a movie)
- 음악을 듣고 있어요 (I'm listening to music)
- 친구를 기다리고 있어요 (I'm waiting for a friend)
Ongoing Projects
- 한국어를 공부하고 있어요 (I'm studying Korean)
- 책을 읽고 있어요 (I'm reading a book)
- 새 프로젝트를 하고 있어요 (I'm doing a new project)
Past Progressive
- 그때 자고 있었어요 (I was sleeping then)
- 집에서 쉬고 있었어요 (I was resting at home)
- 전화하고 있었어요 (I was calling)
Key Points
- ✅ Pattern: Verb stem + 고 있다
- ✅ Meaning: Action in progress (am/is -ing)
- ✅ Emphasizes: Ongoing nature of action
- ✅ Present: -고 있어요 (most common)
- ✅ Past: -고 있었어요 (was -ing)
- ✅ Questions: 뭐 하고 있어요? (What are you doing?)
- ✅ Honorific: -고 계세요 (for respected subjects)
- ✅ Don't use: With states, habitual actions
- ✅ Simple present: Often sufficient without progressive
-고 있다 adds clarity when you want to emphasize that an action is currently happening or ongoing. While Korean simple present can express current actions, the progressive makes it explicit that something is "right now" or "these days."