와/과 and with Particle: Meaning, Rules and Examples

What you'll learn

• Attach 와 or 과 to a noun, depending on its last sound.
• Say "A and B" and "with A" in a formal register.
• Keep 와/과 for nouns and use -고 for verbs.
• Decide when 와/과 is the right choice and when 하고 or (이)랑 fits better.

Before you start: you should know the possessive particle (see possessive particle 의) and what a final consonant is. Time: about 20 minutes.

What Does the 와/과 and with Particle Mean?

The 와/과 and with particle means "and" when it joins two nouns and "with" when the first noun is a companion in an action. A particle (조사, josa) is a short word that attaches to the end of a noun and shows its job in the sentence. The slash in 와/과 means that Korean has two forms of one particle, and the last sound of the noun decides which one to use.

와/과 is the formal member of a trio. (이)랑 is casual and spoken, 하고 is neutral and spoken, and 와/과 is formal and written. A newspaper headline, a school essay and a company announcement all choose 와/과.

Register is the level of formality of a word or style, and it is separate from politeness. A sentence ending in -아요 is polite but not formal. 와/과 raises the formality of the whole sentence, so it pairs well with the formal 합니다 ending.

A First Example

Listen to each sentence at normal speed, then slowly.

1. 빵과 우유를 샀어요. (ppanggwa uyureul sasseoyo) "I bought bread and milk."

Pronunciation: [빵과 우유를 사써요]. 빵 (bread) ends in the consonant ㅇ (the "ng" sound), so the particle is 과. The object particle 를 goes on 우유 (milk), the last noun, and 샀어요 sounds like [사써요].

2. 친구와 영화를 봐요. (chinguwa yeonghwareul bwayo) "I watch a movie with a friend."

Pronunciation: [친구와 영화를 봐요]. The spelling and the sound match. 친구 (friend) ends in a vowel, so the particle is 와. Here 와 means "with": the friend watches the movie alongside the speaker.

One sentence used 과 and the other used 와. The rule that decides between them is next.

How Does the 와/과 and with Particle Work?

The 와/과 and with particle works by checking the last sound of the noun. After a vowel it takes 와. After a final consonant (받침, batchim) it takes 과. The noun itself never changes.

This runs the opposite way from 이/가 and 을/를. With those particles, a noun ending in a consonant takes the form that starts with a vowel (책이, 책을). With 와/과, it takes 과, the form that starts with a consonant. (이)랑 follows the familiar pattern: 친구랑, 책이랑. Learners who know one rule often swap the forms, so say the pairs aloud until they feel automatic: 친구와, 책과, 친구랑, 책이랑.

Pronunciation also changes. When 과 follows a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ sound, the ㄱ of 과 becomes tense. The Standard Pronunciation Rules (표준 발음법, Article 23) describe this pattern as tensification. Tense means pronounced with a tight throat and no puff of air, written ㄲ.

Pattern Table

Three details make the table easy to apply.

1. ㄹ is a consonant. 물 ends in ㄹ, so it takes 과: 물과. (으)로 has a special rule for ㄹ, but 와/과 does not.
2. Tensing happens only after ㄱ, ㄷ and ㅂ sounds. After ㅇ, ㅁ, ㄴ and ㄹ, the ㄱ of 과 stays plain: 빵과, 선생님과, 물과.
3. Other particles go on the last noun. In "A and B" the subject, topic or object particle sits after B only: 빵과 우유를 샀어요, not 빵을과 우유를.

After the form, the next section builds a full sentence one piece at a time.

Worked Example: Saying "I Bought Bread and Milk"

To say "I bought bread and milk", write 빵과 우유를 샀어요. Put the first food with 과 attached, then the second food with its object particle, then the verb. Use these steps to build any "A and B" sentence.

1. Choose the meaning. The meaning is "and", because bread and milk are two things bought together.
2. Look at the last sound of the first noun. 빵 ends in the consonant ㅇ.
3. Pick the form. A consonant takes 과: 빵과.
4. Add the second noun and its particle. 우유 ends in a vowel, so the object particle is 를: 우유를.
5. Finish with the verb. The past polite form of 사다 ("to buy") is 샀어요.

You'll know it worked when the first noun carries 과, only the last noun carries the object particle, and the verb comes last. Common mistake at this step: writing 빵와 because 와 looks more common. After a consonant, the form is 과.

For a formal version, change only the ending: 빵과 우유를 샀습니다 ([빵과 우유를 삳씀니다]). The particle stays the same, and the ending moves from polite to formal. The lesson on which Korean speech level to use explains the endings.

How Is 와/과 Different from 하고 and (이)랑?

와/과, 하고 and (이)랑 all mean "and" or "with". They differ in register and in shape. 와/과 is formal, 하고 is neutral and (이)랑 is casual.

The meaning stays the same in all three examples: "I went with my younger sibling". The neighbouring lessons explain the other two particles: 하고 and with particle and (이)랑 and with particle. The comparison 와/과 vs 하고 vs (이)랑 gives a decision rule for all three.

An expert rule of thumb: if you would write the sentence in a report, choose 와/과. If you would say it to a friend, choose (이)랑. After the comparison, the next section covers where 와/과 works and where it does not.

When Do You Use 와/과, and When Not?

Use 와/과 to join nouns in formal writing and speech, and use another form for verbs, clauses and casual talk. Five patterns cover most of what you will read.

1. Joining two nouns. 한국어와 영어 means "Korean and English". The particle goes between the nouns, and later particles attach to the last one: 한국어와 영어를 공부합니다 ("I study Korean and English").
2. Doing something together. 친구와 함께 갔습니다 means "I went together with a friend". The word 함께 ("together") often follows 와/과.
3. Verbs that need a partner. Some verbs naturally take "with someone": 만나다 (to meet), 결혼하다 (to marry), 이야기하다 (to talk). Example: 선생님과 이야기했습니다 ("I talked with the teacher").
4. Comparing. With 같다 ("to be the same") and 다르다 ("to be different"), the thing compared takes 와/과: 한국어는 영어와 달라요 ("Korean is different from English"). Casual speech uses (이)랑 or 하고 in the same slot.
5. Joining the subject. 철수와 영희가 왔어요 means "Cheolsu and Yeonghui came". The subject particle 가 attaches to the last noun, 영희.

Written lists have one more habit. Formal prose often uses commas and puts 와/과 only before the last item: 사과, 배와 귤 ("apples, pears and mandarins"). A spoken list often repeats 하고 or 랑 after every noun instead.

Particles can stack after 와/과. Adding 도 gives 친구와도 ("with the friend too"). The lesson on the also particle 도 explains the pattern.

Honest limits of 와/과.

• Nouns only. 와/과 never joins verbs or adjectives. Korean uses the ending -고 for that: 먹고 마셔요 ("I eat and drink"). Between two full sentences, the connecting word 그리고 ("and, and then") starts the second sentence.
• Casual talk. In a chat with a friend, 와/과 can sound stiff, even with a polite ending.
• Possessive and "of" meanings. 와/과 never means "of" or "'s". That job belongs to 의, covered in possessive particle 의.

These limits lead directly to the errors learners make most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with 와/과?

Five mistakes cover most errors. Each follows the pattern "learners often assume X, but actually Y, because Z."

1. Swapping 와 and 과. Learners often write 책와 or 친구과 because the pair looks interchangeable. Actually 와 follows a vowel and 과 follows a consonant, so write 책과 and 친구와.
2. Joining verbs with 와/과. Learners often write 먹과 마셔요 for "eat and drink". Actually 와/과 attaches to nouns, so verbs use -고 on the stem: 먹고 마셔요.
3. Putting the object particle on both nouns. Learners often say 빵을과 우유를. Actually 와/과 already links the nouns, so only the last noun takes 를: 빵과 우유를.
4. Mixing formal and casual. Learners often write 동생과 갔어 for a casual sentence. Actually the particle is formal and the ending is casual, which can read as mismatched, so match them: 동생과 갔다 in writing or 동생이랑 갔어 in speech.
5. Treating formal as polite. Learners often use 와/과 in speech to sound respectful. Actually politeness comes from the ending (-요 or -습니다), and 와/과 only adds formality, so a chat with a teacher can use 선생님하고 이야기해요 comfortably.

A reliable self-check: find the particle, then look at the word after it. If a noun follows, 와/과 is possible. If a verb follows, you need -고.

Practice and Answers

Try all four items before you read the answers. Each answer has audio, normal and slow.

1. Choose the form. Fill the blank with 와 or 과: 책( ) 가방. ("a book and a bag")
2. Fix the error. 우유과 빵을 샀어요. ("I bought milk and bread.")
3. Translate. "I went to school with a friend." Use 와/과 and a formal ending.
4. Write your own. Write one formal sentence about doing something with a younger sibling, using 와/과.

Answer Key

1. 책과 가방. (chaekgwa gabang) Sounds like [책꽈 가방]. 책 ends in the consonant ㄱ, so the form is 과, and the ㄱ of 과 becomes tense.

2. 우유와 빵을 샀어요. (uyuwa ppangeul sasseoyo) Sounds like [우유와 빵을 사써요]. 우유 ends in a vowel, so the form is 와.

3. 친구와 학교에 갔습니다. (chinguwa hakgyoe gatseumnida) Sounds like [친구와 학꾜에 갇씀니다]. 친구 ends in a vowel, so the form is 와, and the formal ending is 갔습니다.

4. Sample answer: 동생과 영화를 봅니다. (dongsaenggwa yeonghwareul bomnida) "I watch a movie with my younger sibling." Sounds like [동생과 영화를 봄니다]. 동생 ends in the consonant ㅇ, so the form is 과.

If an item went wrong, return to the pattern table and say each noun aloud. Then continue with the next lessons.

Next Lessons and Where to Go from Here

After the 와/과 and with particle, the natural next lesson is 하고 and with particle, the neutral spoken form that never changes shape. For the casual form, read (이)랑 and with particle, and for all three side by side, use 와/과 vs 하고 vs (이)랑. The set also includes the Korean possessive pronouns 내 제 네 lesson, and the whole group lives under possessive and linking particles.

For practice, use the grammar quizzes. This page uses Revised Romanization only as a learning aid; the Hangul is the reference. The whole lesson fits in one sentence: the 와/과 and with particle is the formal "and" and "with", and it takes 와 after a vowel and 과 after a consonant.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does 와/과 Mean?

와/과 is a formal particle that means "and" between two nouns or "with" a companion. 빵과 우유 means "bread and milk", and 친구와 영화를 봐요 means "I watch a movie with a friend". It is common in writing, news, speeches and other formal settings.

How Do I Form 와/과?

Look at the last sound of the noun. After a vowel, use 와: 친구와, 우유와. After a consonant, use 과: 빵과, 책과, 물과. Unlike 이/가 or 을/를, the form after a consonant is the one that starts with a consonant (과), which is why learners often swap them. The noun itself never changes.

What Is the Most Common Mistake with 와/과?

The most common mistake is the wrong form for the last sound, such as 책와 or 친구과. Learners also try to use 와/과 to join verbs, as in 먹과 마셔요. It joins nouns only; verbs take the ending -고, so the correct sentence is 먹고 마셔요.

Can 와/과 Join More than Two Nouns?

Yes. Repeating the particle works, as in 사과와 배와 귤 ("apples, pears and mandarins"), but it sounds heavy. Formal writing often separates the items with commas and puts 와/과 before the last one only: 사과, 배와 귤. The form still follows the noun just before it, so 배 takes 와.

Do I Use 와/과 in Speech, Writing or Both?

Both, but writing is its home. Essays, news, reports and presentations use 와/과, and formal speech such as announcements uses it with the 합니다 style. Everyday conversation prefers 하고 or (이)랑. Using 와/과 in a chat can sound stiff, even if the verb ending is polite.