과, 하고, (이)랑)¶

Quick Reference

와/과: formal "and/with" (written Korean, formal speech)
하고: neutral "and/with" (standard spoken Korean)
(이)랑: casual "and/with" (informal, close relationships)
All three have identical meaning but different formality levels
받침 rule: 와/랑 (no 받침), 과/이랑 (with 받침)
Can connect nouns or indicate accompaniment

Detailed Explanation¶

Three Levels of Formality¶

Korean has three main particles for "and" or "with," distinguished solely by formality level.

Particle	Formality	Context	받침 Rule
와/과	Formal	Writing, formal speech, presentations	와 (no 받침), 과 (받침)
하고	Neutral	Everyday conversation, polite but comfortable	No distinction
(이)랑	Casual	Close friends, family, children	랑 (no 받침), 이랑 (받침)

와/과 (Formal)¶

Used in formal writing and formal speech situations.

Formation: - Noun without 받침 + 와 - Noun with 받침 + 과

Examples:

친구와 (with friend)
선생님과 (with teacher)
사과와 배 (apples and pears)
학생과 선생님 (students and teachers)

When to use: - Academic papers - Business documents - News articles - Formal presentations - Official announcements

하고 (Neutral/Standard)¶

Most common in everyday spoken Korean.

Formation: - Noun + 하고 (no 받침 distinction)

Examples:

친구하고 (with friend)
선생님하고 (with teacher)
사과하고 배 (apples and pears)
어머니하고 아버지 (mother and father)

When to use: - Daily conversations - Polite but not overly formal situations - Speaking with classmates, colleagues - Most versatile particle

(이)랑 (Casual)¶

Used with close friends, family, or when speaking casually.

Formation: - Noun without 받침 + 랑 - Noun with 받침 + 이랑

Examples:

친구랑 (with friend)
언니랑 (with older sister)
사과랑 배 (apples and pears)
오빠랑 동생 (older brother and younger sibling)

When to use: - Close friends - Family members - Speaking to children - Very casual situations

Two Functions¶

All three particles serve two functions:

1. Connecting nouns ("and"): - 사과와 바나나 (apples and bananas) - 책하고 공책 (book and notebook) - 커피랑 빵 (coffee and bread)

2. Indicating accompaniment ("with"): - 친구와 영화를 봤어요. (I watched a movie with a friend.) - 가족하고 저녁을 먹었어요. (I ate dinner with my family.) - 동생이랑 놀았어요. (I played with my younger sibling.)

Choosing the Right Level¶

Formal (와/과):

교수님과 상담했습니다. (I consulted with the professor.)
한국과 미국 (Korea and America)

Neutral (하고):

친구하고 쇼핑했어요. (I went shopping with a friend.)
커피하고 빵을 샀어요. (I bought coffee and bread.)

Casual (이랑/랑):

언니랑 영화 봤어. (I watched a movie with my older sister.)
이거랑 저거 다 줘. (Give me this and that.)

Multiple Items¶

When listing multiple items, you can: - Use the particle after each item - Use the particle only after the last item - Mix particles (though style consistency is better)

Examples:

Full particles:
사과와 배와 바나나 (apples and pears and bananas)

Last item only:
사과, 배, 바나나하고 포도 (apples, pears, bananas, and grapes)

Natural spoken form:
사과, 배, 바나나 이런 거 (apples, pears, bananas, things like that)

와/과 vs 하고 vs (이)랑 Summary¶

Same meaning, different formality: - 친구와 갔어요. (formal) - 친구하고 갔어요. (neutral) ← most common in speech - 친구랑 갔어요. (casual)

All three sentences mean "I went with a friend," but the social context differs.

When to Use¶

Use 와/과 when: - Writing essays, reports, emails - Formal speeches or presentations - News or official contexts - Want to sound more educated or polished

Use 하고 when: - Everyday conversations - Not sure which formality to use (safest choice) - Speaking with acquaintances or colleagues - Polite but natural situations

Use (이)랑 when: - Talking to close friends - Family conversations - Speaking to or about children - Very casual, comfortable contexts

Examples¶

Formal contexts (와/과): - 보고서와 발표 자료를 준비했습니다. (I prepared the report and presentation materials.) - 한국과 일본의 관계 (The relationship between Korea and Japan) - 학생과 학부모님이 참석했습니다. (Students and parents attended.)

Neutral contexts (하고): - 어제 친구하고 영화를 봤어요. (I watched a movie with a friend yesterday.) - 빵하고 우유를 샀어요. (I bought bread and milk.) - 선생님하고 이야기했어요. (I talked with the teacher.)

Casual contexts ((이)랑): - 언니랑 쇼핑했어. (I went shopping with my older sister.) - 너랑 나랑 친구야. (You and I are friends.) - 이거랑 저거 다 먹었어. (I ate this and that - everything.)

Dialogue (neutral - 하고):

A: 주말에 뭐 했어요?
B: 친구하고 카페에 갔어요.
A: 뭐 마셨어요?
B: 커피하고 케이크를 먹었어요.

A: What did you do on the weekend?
B: I went to a cafe with a friend.
A: What did you drink?
B: I had coffee and cake.

Dialogue (casual - 랑):

A: 어제 누구랑 놀았어?
B: 동생이랑 영화 봤어.
A: 재미있었어?
B: 응, 팝콘이랑 콜라도 먹었어.

A: Who did you hang out with yesterday?
B: I watched a movie with my younger sibling.
A: Was it fun?
B: Yeah, I also had popcorn and cola.

Practice¶

Complete with the most appropriate particle: 저는 어머니 ______ 시장에 갔어요. (I went to the market with my mother.) [neutral/polite]
Complete: 사과 ______ 배를 샀습니다. (I bought apples and pears.) [formal writing]
Which is most casual: (a) 친구와 (b) 친구하고 (c) 친구랑?
Complete: 오빠 ______ 게임했어. (I played games with my older brother.) [casual]
Fix the formality: In a business email, "고객님하고 미팅" should be changed to...?
Translate (neutral): I studied with my friend.
Complete: 한국어 ______ 영어를 공부해요. (I study Korean and English.) [neutral]
Which 받침 rule applies to 랑? (a) 랑 for no 받침 (b) 랑 for 받침
Create a sentence using 하고 to list three things you need to buy.
Rewrite this sentence in casual form: 저는 친구와 저녁을 먹었어요.

Show Answers

1. 하고 (neutral/polite, appropriate for everyday conversation about family) Note: 랑 would also be acceptable if speaking very casually 2. 와 or 과 - 사과와 배를 샀습니다. (formal, no 받침) Note: If you wanted to use both, it would be different fruits, but the question asks for one particle 3. (c) 친구랑 is most casual 4. 랑 or 이랑 - 오빠랑 게임했어. (casual, no 받침 on 오빠) 5. 고객님과 미팅 or 고객님과의 미팅 (Use formal 과 instead of neutral 하고 in business contexts) 6. 저는 친구하고 공부했어요. Alternative: 친구하고 같이 공부했어요. (with 같이 "together") 7. 하고 8. (a) is partially correct - the rule is: - 랑 for nouns without 받침 - 이랑 for nouns with 받침 9. Example answers: - 빵하고 우유하고 계란을 사야 해요. (I need to buy bread, milk, and eggs.) - 사과하고 바나나하고 포도를 살 거예요. (I'm going to buy apples, bananas, and grapes.) - 노트하고 펜하고 책을 사야 돼요. (I need to buy a notebook, pen, and book.) 10. 나는 친구랑 저녁 먹었어. Alternative: 저는 친구랑 저녁을 먹었어요. (slightly less casual) Changes made: - 저는 → 나는 or keep 저는 (depending on casualness level) - 와 → 랑 (casual particle) - 먹었어요 → 먹었어 (casual ending)