Conjunctive Adverbs (and, so, but)

What are Conjunctive Adverbs?

In Korean, conjunctive adverbs ( 접속 부사 ) are words that create a logical link between two separate, complete sentences. They are typically placed at the very beginning of the second sentence to show how it relates to the first one.

For example:

Sentence 1: 비가 와요. (It's raining.)

Sentence 2: 그래서 우산을 챙겼어요. (So, I brought an umbrella.)

This is different from connecting endings ( 연결 어미 ) like -고 (and) or -지만 (but), which join two parts into a single, longer sentence. We'll cover those in the next lesson!

Using 그리고 (and / and then)

그리고 is one of the most basic connectors. It has two primary functions that are very similar to 'and' and 'and then' in English.

1. Listing Items or Facts

Use 그리고 to add another piece of related information.

저는 학생입니다. 그리고 한국어를 공부합니다.

I am a student. And I study Korean.

책을 읽어요. 그리고 음악을 들어요.

I read books. And I listen to music.

2. Showing Sequence

Use 그리고 to show that one action happened after another.

어제 친구를 만났어요. 그리고 같이 영화를 봤어요.

I met a friend yesterday. And then we watched a movie together.

For a clearer sense of 'after that', you can also use 그리고 나서 or 그 다음에 .

Using 그래서 (so / therefore)

그래서 is used to connect a cause (or reason) with its effect (or result). The first sentence states the 'why', and the second sentence, starting with 그래서 , states the 'what happened'.

The structure is always: [Cause]. 그래서 [Effect].

어제 잠을 못 잤어요. 그래서 오늘 피곤해요.

I couldn't sleep yesterday. So , I'm tired today.

날씨가 추워요. 그래서 두꺼운 옷을 입었어요.