연결 어미Korean Connectives — All 67
The endings that join two clauses — and, but, so, if, while. Korean puts the join on the first verb rather than between the clauses.
67 connectives across every TOPIK level, easiest first.
1급 연결 어미TOPIK 1 — 6 connectives
-고
A connective ending used when listing more than two equal facts.
-어서
A connective ending used to indicate that the preceding event and the following one happened sequentially.
-으니까
A connective ending used to emphasize that the preceding statement is the cause, reason, or premise for the following statement.
-으러
A connective ending used to express the purpose of an action such as going and coming.
-으려고
A connective ending used to indicate that one has an intention or desire of doing a certain act.
-지만
A connective ending used to recognize the truth of the preceding statement and add facts that are the opposite of it or different.
2급 연결 어미TOPIK 2 — 6 connectives
-거나
A connective ending used when one of either the preceding statement or the following statement can be chosen.
-게
A connective ending used when the preceding statement is the purpose, result, method, amount, etc., of something mentioned in the following statement.
-는데
A connective ending used to talk in advance about a situation to follow.
-다가
A connective ending used when an action or state, etc., is stopped and changed to another action or state.
-으면
A connective ending used to assume an uncertain fact.
-으면서
A connective ending used when more than two actions or states happen at the same time.
3급 연결 어미TOPIK 3 — 15 connectives
-거든
A connective ending used to convey the meaning, "if something is true or turns out to be true."
-느라고
A connective ending used when the action of the preceding statement is the purpose or cause of the following statement.
-는다거나
An expression used to explain something by listing some behaviors as examples.
-는다고
A connective ending used when implying the purpose or intention of a certain action, or the reason or cause of a certain situation.
-다가
A connective ending used when an action or state, etc., is stopped and changed to another action or state.
-도록
A connective ending used when the preceding statement is the purpose, result, method, amount, etc., of something mentioned in the following statement.
-어다가
A connective ending used when one does a certain act and does the following act based on the result of the preceding one.
-어도
A connective ending used when assuming or recognizing the truth of the preceding statement, although it is not related to or does not influence the…
-어야
A connective ending used when the preceding statement is an essential condition for the following statement.
-어야지
A connective ending used when the preceding statement is an essential condition for the following statement.
-었더니
An expression used to indicate that there is a new incident or situation, different from a past one.
-으나
A connective ending used to indicate that the preceding content and the following content are different.
-으니
A connective ending used when the preceding statement is the cause, reason, or premise for the following statement.
-으려면
A connective ending used to assume that one has a purpose or intention of doing a certain act.
-자마자
A connective ending used to indicate that the following event or situation occurs right after the preceding event or situation.
4급 연결 어미TOPIK 4 — 17 connectives
-거니와
(old-fashioned) A connective ending used to recognize the truth of the preceding statement, while indicating there is another relevant fact.
-고도
A connective ending used to express a fact or feeling, and add that there is an opposite or another characteristic in the following statement.
-고서
A connective ending used to emphasize that the preceding statement comes before the following statement, or the preceding statement caused the…
-고자
A connective ending used when the speaker has a certain purpose, intention, hope, etc.
-기에
A connective ending referring to the cause or reason of the following statement.
-는다면
A connective ending used when assuming a certain fact or situation.
-는지
A connective ending used to indicate an ambiguous reason or judgment about the following statement.
-다시피
A connective ending used to mean "as - ."
-더니
A connective ending used when a certain fact or situation happened after a fact or situation in the past.
-더라도
A connective ending used when assuming or recognizing the truth of the preceding statement, but implying that it is not related to or does not…
-던데
A connective ending used to talk in advance about a past situation that is related to the subject in order to say the following statement.
-든지
A connective ending used when choosing one out of two facts.
-듯이
A connective ending used when the following statement is almost the same to the preceding statement.
-으며
A connective ending used to list more than two actions, states, or facts.
-으므로
A connective ending used to indicate a reason or cause.
-을래야
-을수록
A connective ending used to imply that as the extent of the preceding statement becomes larger, that of the following statement also changes…
5급 연결 어미TOPIK 5 — 7 connectives
-고는
A connective ending used when the same event is repeated.
-길래
A connective ending referring to the cause or reason of the following statement.
-느니
A connective ending used when the following statement is better than the preceding statement.
-다가는
A connective ending used when an action or state, etc., is stopped and changed to another action or state.
-을뿐더러
A connective ending used to indicate that another fact exists other than a certain fact.
-을지라도
A connective ending used when presenting or assuming a certain situation and adding a situation that is irrelevant or opposite to it.
-지
A connective ending used to describe contradictory facts.
6급 연결 어미TOPIK 6 — 16 connectives
-거들랑
A connective ending used to mean "if something is true or turns out to be true."
-건대
A connective ending used when the speaker implies in advance that he/she will confess his/her thoughts or hopes, etc., in the following statement.
-건만
A connective ending used when the actual result is different from the result that was anticipated from the preceding statement.
-기로서니
A connective ending used when emphasizing this meaning, "however the preceding statement says so."
-노라면
-느니만큼
A connective ending used when admitting to the truth of the preceding statement and saying that it is the cause or reason for the following statement.
-는다고
A connective ending used when implying the purpose or intention of a certain action, or the reason or cause of a certain situation.
-되
A connective ending used when connecting contradictory facts.
-디
A connective ending used when repeating a part of words that expresses state and emphasizing its meaning.
-으련마는
A connective ending used when the speaker anticipates and assumes a certain situation of which some conditions are met, but the following content is…
-은들
A connective ending used when a result is different from what was anticipated, even if that situation was a presumable outcome.
-을라치면
A connective ending used when making the preceding statement into the premise of the following statement through a previous experience.
-을망정
A connective ending used when recognizing the truth of the preceding negative fact, and adding another fact that is the opposite of it.
-이라야
A postpositional particle used when the thing is only possible as a precondition of something.
-자니
An expression used to indicate that the speaker is surprised or impressed by a recommendation or suggestion heard.
-자면
A connective ending used to assume a certain intention or thought.
자주 묻는 질문Common questions
How many Korean connectives are there?
The dictionary grades 67 of them across the six TOPIK levels, 6 at 1급, 6 at 2급, 15 at 3급, 17 at 4급, 7 at 5급, 16 at 6급. That is the graded set, not the complete set — but a learner who knows these has met every one that appears on a TOPIK paper.
What is a connective in Korean?
The endings that join two clauses — and, but, so, if, while. Korean puts the join on the first verb rather than between the clauses.
Grammar definitions, usage notes and examples from the 국립국어원 한국어기초사전, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.