-아/어 가지고
a/eo gajida
Grammar · 2 senses
because - the spoken reason
Examples
길이 막혀 가지고 늦었어요.
I was late because the traffic was bad.
돈이 없어 가지고 못 샀어요.
I couldn't buy it because I had no money.
When you'd hear it
This causal pattern is common in everyday conversation, especially when explaining a situation or result in a casual or polite spoken style. It appears often in dramas and workplace talk, but is generally avoided in formal writing, where -아서/어서 or -기 때문에 is more typical.
What learners get wrong
The same shape giving a reason rather than a sequence: 시간이 없어 가지고 못 갔어요. Interchangeable with -아/어서 in that role and equally casual. Like -아/어서 it will not head a command or a suggestion.
and then - carrying the first into the second
Examples
재료를 사 가지고 집에서 요리했어요.
I bought the ingredients and cooked at home.
옷을 갈아입어 가지고 나갔어요.
I got changed and then went out.
When you'd hear it
This is common in conversational Korean, including dramas, everyday speech, and casual workplace talk. It is less common in formal writing, where -아/어서 or -고 is often preferred.
What learners get wrong
The spoken cousin of -아/어서: the first action is done and its result carries into the second. 돈을 벌어 가지고 여행을 갈 거예요. Casual, and very common in speech; in writing -아/어서 is the form to use.
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