Present Continuous

Category
Basic Grammar
Premium
Keyword #
-고 있다, 현재진행형
Lesson
45

TL;DR

  • The present continuous tense in Korean is formed by adding -고 있다 to a verb stem 🎯
  • It describes actions happening right now or ongoing situations, just like "I am eating" or "She is studying" in English 📚
  • You can conjugate it formally or informally by changing 있다 to different forms! ✨

What is -고 있다? 🤔

The -고 있다 structure is how you say someone is currently doing something in Korean! 🏃‍♀️
It's super straightforward: take any verb stem and attach -고 있다 to it. Done! 🎉

How to Form It 🔨

Formula: Verb stem + -고 있다
→ 먹다 (to eat) → 먹고 있다 (am/is/are eating)
→ 자다 (to sleep) → 자고 있다 (am/is/are sleeping)
→ 공부하다 (to study) → 공부하고 있다 (am/is/are studying)
→ 읽다 (to read) → 읽고 있다 (am/is/are reading)
Easy peasy, right? 😊

Example Sentences 💬

→ 저는 지금 밥을 먹고 있어요. (I am eating right now.)
→ 언니가 TV를 보고 있어요. (My older sister is watching TV.)
→ 친구들이 공원에서 놀고 있어요. (My friends are playing in the park.)
→ 비가 오고 있어요. (It is raining.)
→ 뭐 하고 있어요? (What are you doing?)

Formality Levels 🎩

You can adjust the politeness by changing how you conjugate 있다! 💯
Informal (반말):
→ 먹고 있어 (am/is/are eating)
Polite/Casual (존댓말):
→ 먹고 있어요 (am/is/are eating)
Formal (격식체):
→ 먹고 있습니다 (am/is/are eating)

When to Use It ⏰

Use -고 있다 when you want to emphasize that an action is happening right now or is ongoing! 🌊
It's perfect for answering "What are you doing?" or describing a scene unfolding in front of you! 👀

Exceptions ⚠️

There are no major exceptions to this grammar rule! 🎊
However, keep in mind that some Koreans might use the simple present tense where English uses the present continuous, and vice versa. Context is key! 🔑
For example, "I'm going to school tomorrow" might be expressed as "내일 학교에 가요" rather than using -고 있다, since it's a future action, not something happening right now! 🚌
 
Try the following exercise.
Fill in the blanks using -고 있다 to describe what is happening right now. 📝
 
  • 지금 비가 ___. (오다)
      • Answer
      오고 있어요
 
 
  • 친구가 커피를 ___. (마시다)
      • Answer
      마시고 있어요
 
 
  • 학생들이 책을 ___. (읽다)
      • Answer
      읽고 있어요
 
 
  • 엄마가 요리를 ___. (하다)
      • Answer
      하고 있어요
 
 
  • 동생이 음악을 ___. (듣다)
      • Answer
      듣고 있어요
 
 
  • 아빠가 신문을 ___. (보다)
      • Answer
      보고 있어요
 
 
  • 고양이가 ___. (자다)
      • Answer
      자고 있어요
 
 
  • 우리가 한국어를 ___. (공부하다)
      • Answer
      공부하고 있어요
 
 
  • 선생님이 칠판에 ___. (쓰다)
      • Answer
      쓰고 있어요
 
 
  • 아이들이 공원에서 ___. (놀다)
      • Answer
      놀고 있어요
Vocabulary
비 - rain
오다 - to come
커피 - coffee
마시다 - to drink
학생 - student
책 - book
읽다 - to read
엄마 - mom
요리 - cooking
하다 - to do
동생 - younger sibling
음악 - music
듣다 - to listen
아빠 - dad
신문 - newspaper
보다 - to see/watch
고양이 - cat
자다 - to sleep
공부하다 - to study
선생님 - teacher
칠판 - blackboard
쓰다 - to write
아이 - child
공원 - park
놀다 - to play
Common mistakes
  • 🚫 Forgetting to use -고 있다 with action verbs only. State verbs (like 있다, 없다) don't use this form.
  • 🚫 Confusing -고 있다 (present continuous) with -을 거예요 (future tense). Remember: -고 있다 is for actions happening RIGHT NOW.
  • 🚫 Dropping 있다 and just saying -고. You need the full form -고 있다/-고 있어요 to show the action is in progress.
  • 🚫 Using -고 있다 for habitual actions. Use the present tense instead (e.g., 매일 운동해요, not 매일 운동하고 있어요).