-는고/(으)ㄴ고
neun-go/(eu)n-go
Grammar · 2 senses
I wonder, Assuming
Examples
얼마나 훌륭한 일인고!
What a wonderful thing!
일이 해결이 되다니 이 얼마나 좋은고?
Isn't it wonderful that the problem has been solved?
내가 왜 그런 말을 했는고.
Why did I say that?
When you'd hear it
This is strongly old-fashioned and literary, appearing in historical dramas, classical-style writing, and deliberately dramatic speech rather than ordinary modern conversation. It often gives a line a rhetorical or exclamatory flavor.
What learners get wrong
Learners may mistake 고 for the everyday connective ending meaning “and.” Here it is part of an archaic sentence ending, so it should not be used in place of modern question forms such as -는가 or -는지.
Soft question
Examples
선물로 무엇이 좋은고?
What would be a good gift?
이게 누구 것인고?
Whose is this?
무엇을 바라는고?
What are you hoping for?
When you'd hear it
This ending is old-fashioned and literary, appearing in historical dramas, folktales, classical-style writing, and playful imitations of those styles. It is not typical in ordinary conversation or routine workplace speech.
What learners get wrong
Learners often use it as if it were a normal modern question ending; modern Korean usually uses forms such as -는가 or a standard polite question instead. Its archaic, stylized tone is the main way to distinguish it from those endings.
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