Coming & Going 와요, 가요, 다녀요

In Korean the words 와요 (wayo = come), 가요 (gayo = go), and 다녀요 (danyeoyo = go to and from regularly) are used differently from their English equivalents.

If you meet some classmates in the street and they ask where you are going, you reply ‘집에 가요’ (jibe gayo = I am going home). However if speaking on the phone to someone who is at home, a Korean will say ‘지금 집에 가요’ (jigeum jibe gayo = I am going home), whereas in English you would say, ‘I am coming home now.’ This is because in Korean the use of 와요 and 가요 depends on your location (the speaker’s location), rather than the location of the person to whom you are speaking.

Finally, in English we might ask, ‘Which university do you go to?’ However, in Korean this would be, ‘어느 학교에 다녀요?’ (eoneu hakgyoe danyeoyo). The verb 다녀요 (danyeoyo = go) is used when you go somewhere on a regular basis. It implies a process of going to and from that place repeatedly. So, let me simplifies at below examples about the difference between 다녀요 (danyeoyo = go) and 가요 (gayo = go), even though they bring out similar meaning.

1) 다녀요 (danyeoyo = go)

어느 병원에 다녀요?                                      Which hospital do you go to?

Eoneu pyeongwone danyeoyo?

The word in this sentence is used only to ask someone who’s always or repeatedly going to that place. As in the question above, it ask about going to hospital. Of course, this kind of question is only to be asked at a doctor or nurse or someone else that repeatedly going to and from the hospital.

2) 가요 (gayo = go)

어느 병원에 가요?                                        Which hospital are you going to?

Eoneu pyeongwone gayo?

This kind of question is used to refer to a single trip. It implies that at present you are on your way to the hospital.

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Situation Dialogue 3

Study the conversation below :

Romanisation and Translation

Paul sees Hyeonu on campus.

폴       :   현우야, 어디 가냐?              Hyeonu, where are you going?

               Hyeonuya, eodi ganya?

현우  :   폴이구나!                             Oh, it’s you, Paul!

               Paulikuna.

              수영장에 가.                        I’m going to the swimming pool.

              Suyongjange ga.

              넌?                                       You?

              Neon?

폴       :   한국어 수업.                        Korean class.

               Hangugeo sueop.

현우  :   그래? 열심히 해!                   Really? Work hard!

              Geurae? Yeolshimi hae!

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Topic Particle +은/는

When the topic particle +은/는 (+eun/neun) is added to a noun, its general meaning is like the English ‘as for (noun)’ or ‘with regard to (noun)’. +은/는 can be used in many ways. In this section we will use it to describe what one person (or one subject) is doing in contrast to another.

Rules:

1)  If the noun ends in a vowel, add +는.

     저  +  는    → 저는 (I or Me)                                       Writing

    Jeo   Neun      Jeoneun

     저  +  ㄴ    → 전 (I or Me)                                          Speaking

    Jeo       N          Jeon

2)  If the noun ends in a consonant, add +은.

     책    +   은  → 책은 (Book)

  Chaek    Eun      Chaegeun

Examples :

폴은 한국어 공부해요.                                Paul is studying Korean.

Pauleun Hangugeo kongbuhaeyo.

저는 사회학 공부해요.                                I am studying sociology.

Jeoneun sahoehak kongbuhaeyo.

폴은 샌드위치 좋아해요.                           Paul likes sandwiches.

Pauleun saendeuwichi joahaeyo.

하지만 수미는 안 좋아해요.                      But Sumi doesn’t.

Hajiman Sumineun anjoahaeyo.

폴은 호주 사람이에요.                               Paul is an Australian.

Pauleun Hoju saramieyo.

수미는 한국 사람이에요.                           Sumi is a Korean.

Sumineun Hanguk saramieyo.

폴은 서점에 가요.                                      Paul is going to the bookshop.

Pauleun seojeome gayo.

수미는 은행에 가요.                                  Sumi is going to the bank.

Sumineun eunhaenge gayo.

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Destination Particle +에 ‘to’

When you want to say that you are going somewhere, you can use :

1)   Place +에 가                (Casual)

               + (e ga)

2)   Place +에 가요             (Polite)

               + (e gayo)

+에 (+e) is equivalent to the English ‘to’. However, in English the ‘to’ in “I’m going to school” comes before the place ‘school’. In Korean, +에 (+e) is added at the end of the place word. Since +에 (+e) is a postposition, there is no space between it and the place word, as explained previously. ***See ‘Spaces Between Words’ in Unit 3. Study the examples below :

1)   학교에 가요.                                                     I’m going to school.

       Hak-kyo-e ga-yo.

2)   A: 어디 가요?                                                    Where are you going?

           Eo-di ga-yo?

       B: 집에 가요.                                                    I’m going home.

           Jib-e ga-yo.

3)   A: 어디(에) 가세요?                                          Where are you going?

           Eo-di-(e) ga-se-yo?

       B: 학교(에) 가요.                                              I’m going to school.

            Hak-kyo-(e) ga-yo.

***Note 1 : +에 is also different from the English ‘to’ in that it can be omitted in colloquial speech as long as the context does not make the meaning less clear. However, +에 cannot be omitted when the word to which +에 is attached consists of a single syllable, for example : 집, 강, 산, and so on.

***Note 2 : 에 sound as ‘e’ in set.

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Situation Dialogue 2

Study the conversation below :

Romanisation and Translation

Minseo and Jihun are at a bus stop near university.

지훈  :   민서야, 어디 가?                     Hey Minseo, where are you going?

              Minseoya, eodi ga?

민서  :   강남역에.                                Gangnam station.

             Gangnamyeoge.

지훈  :   아, 그래?                                 Oh, is that so?

              A, keurae?

민서  :   넌?                                           You?

              Neon?

지훈  :   난 집에 가.                              Going home.

              Nan jibe ga.

민서  :   잘 가.                                       Go well.

              Jal ga.

지훈  :   너도.                                        You too.

              Neodo.

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어디 가(세요)? as a Greeting

In Australian English we often say ‘Where are you going?’ as a greeting, but it’s not a very serious question and a simple ‘good’ or ‘not bad’ is enough to reply politely, even if you’ve had a really bad day. Similarly, Koreans use 어디 가? (Eodi ga = Are you going somewhere?) as a greeting. You don’t need to give a specific answer and can just say 응, 어디 좀... (Eung, eodi jom… = Yeah, just somewhere...)

Different ways of saying “Are you going somewhere?” in Korean are shown below :

어디 가? Eodi ga?	Casual
어디 가요? Eodi gayo?	Polite
어디 가세요? Eodi gaseyo?	Honorific

Note that the intonation pattern changes for 어디 (Eodi = Where) depending on whether you are using it as “where?” or “somewhere” as shown in the diagram below :

When we use 어디 가? (Eodi ga?) as “Where are you going?”, the intonation of the last syllable ‘가 (ga)’ rises slightly and then falls. On the other hand, when we use 어디 가? (Eodi ga) as “Are you going somewhere?”, the intonation of the last syllable ‘가 (ga)’ rises steeply.

If you can’t differentiate between these two questions, the best strategy is to just reply 어디 좀... (Eodi jom… = Just somewhere...) because someone who is not very close to you will not ask “Where are you going?” in Korean.

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