Progressive Forms¶
Quick Reference
- -고 있다: Ongoing action in progress (like English "-ing")
- -아/어 있다: Resultant state (the result of a completed action persists)
- Key difference: -고 있다 = active process / -아/어 있다 = maintained state
- Both conjugate like 있다 (있어요, 있었어요, 있을 거예요)
Detailed Explanation¶
-고 있다 (Action in Progress)¶
Describes an action that is currently happening or ongoing.
Formation: - Verb stem + -고 있다 - Works with all verbs, no vowel harmony needed
Usage: - Present continuous: "am/is/are doing" - Habitual actions: "have been doing" - Temporary states
Examples:
먹다 → 먹고 있다 (am eating)
공부하다 → 공부하고 있다 (am studying)
가다 → 가고 있다 (am going)
읽다 → 읽고 있다 (am reading)
Conjugations: - Present: -고 있어요 - Past: -고 있었어요 - Future: -고 있을 거예요
-아/어 있다 (Resultant State)¶
Describes the continuing state that results from a completed action.
Formation: - Verb stem + -아/어 + 있다 - Follow vowel harmony (ㅏ/ㅗ → 아 있다, others → 어 있다) - 하다 verbs → 해 있다
Usage: - Result of action remains - State persists over time - Often with verbs of position, attachment, wearing
Common verbs with -아/어 있다:
앉다 → 앉아 있다 (is sitting/seated)
서다 → 서 있다 (is standing)
열다 → 열어 있다 (is open/opened)
닫다 → 닫아 있다 (is closed/shut)
입다 → 입어 있다 (is wearing/dressed in)
쓰다 → 쓰고 있다 (is wearing [hat/glasses])
Key Differences¶
| -고 있다 | -아/어 있다 |
|---|---|
| Active, ongoing action | State resulting from action |
| Process focused | Result focused |
| Can be intentional or not | Usually describes passive state |
| 문을 닫고 있다 (closing the door now) | 문이 닫아 있다 (the door is closed) |
| 앉고 있다 (in the act of sitting down) | 앉아 있다 (is seated) |
When to Use¶
-고 있다: - Describing what someone is doing right now - Asking what's happening - Continuous actions with clear duration - Progressive aspect similar to English "-ing"
-아/어 있다: - Describing static positions or states - Result of an action that persists - States that continue without active effort - Often translated as "is [adjective]" in English
Examples¶
-고 있다 (Actions in Progress): - 지금 뭐 하고 있어요? (What are you doing now?) - 친구를 기다리고 있어요. (I'm waiting for a friend.) - 한국 드라마를 보고 있어요. (I'm watching a Korean drama.) - 비가 오고 있어요. (It's raining.) - 음악을 듣고 있어요. (I'm listening to music.)
-아/어 있다 (Resultant States): - 의자에 앉아 있어요. (I'm sitting on a chair.) - 문이 열어 있어요. (The door is open.) - 벽에 그림이 걸려 있어요. (A picture is hanging on the wall.) - 모자를 쓰고 있어요. (I'm wearing a hat.) - 창문이 닫아 있어요. (The window is closed.)
Comparison:
옷을 입고 있어요. = I'm putting on clothes (action)
옷을 입어 있어요. = I'm wearing clothes (state)
앉고 있어요. = I'm sitting down (action of sitting)
앉아 있어요. = I'm seated (state of being seated)
Dialogue:
A: 지금 뭐 하고 있어요?
B: 책을 읽고 있어요. 소파에 앉아 있어요.
A: 무슨 책이에요?
B: 한국어 교과서예요. 열심히 공부하고 있어요.
A: What are you doing now?
B: I'm reading a book. I'm sitting on the sofa.
A: What book is it?
B: It's a Korean textbook. I'm studying hard.
Practice¶
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Complete: 저는 지금 커피를 ______. (I'm drinking coffee now.) [마시다]
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Complete: 창문이 ______. (The window is open.) [열다]
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Choose: 그는 의자에 (앉고 있어요 / 앉아 있어요).
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Translate: My friend is studying Korean.
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Complete: 아이들이 공원에서 ______. (The children are playing in the park.) [놀다]
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Complete: 그림이 벽에 ______. (The picture is hanging on the wall.) [걸리다]
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Choose: 문을 (닫고 있어요 / 닫아 있어요) means "The door is closed."
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Translate: I was waiting for the bus. (past tense)
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Complete: 안경을 ______ 사람이 선생님이에요. (The person wearing glasses is the teacher.) [쓰다]
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Create two sentences: one using -고 있어요 to describe an action you're doing, and one using -아/어 있어요 to describe a state.