HYEJU LANGUAGE LAB · INTERMEDIATE 35 · LESSON 120

-(으)ㄹ 겸 / N 겸 Nalso to… / as well as… / N-and-N

-(으)ㄹ 겸 says you do something for two (or more) purposes at the same time: 운동도 할 겸 걸어왔어요 (I walked here, partly to get some exercise too). With nouns, N 겸 N means one thing works as two: 아침 겸 점심 (breakfast-and-lunch, brunch).

Listening speed

Listen buttons use your device’s Korean voice. A Korean voice must be installed and available to the browser.

A situation you already know

A friend is surprised that you walked 40 minutes to meet her.

운동도 할 겸 바람도 쐴 겸 걸어왔어요.

I walked here to get some exercise and some fresh air.

One action (walking) had two purposes. Each purpose gets -(으)ㄹ 겸, and 도 is very common.

Build the form

FORM IN MOTION

Try an expression

하다 → 하 + ㄹ 겸 → 운동도 할 겸Complete expression
쐬다 → 쐬 + ㄹ 겸 → 바람도 쐴 겸Complete expression
읽다 → 읽 + 을 겸 → 책도 읽을 겸Complete expression
만들다 (ㄹ) → 만들 + 겸 → 친구도 만들 겸Complete expression
아침 / 점심 → N + 겸 + N → 아침 겸 점심Complete expression

Vowel stem + -ㄹ 겸, consonant stem + -을 겸: 할 겸, 읽을 겸.
ㄹ stems just add 겸: 만들 겸, 놀 겸.
Two purposes: A도 -(으)ㄹ 겸 B도 -(으)ㄹ 겸 + main verb.
One stated purpose + an unstated main one: 쇼핑도 할 겸 명동에 갔어요 (I went to Myeongdong, also to shop).
N 겸 N: one thing doing two jobs → 거실 겸 서재 (living room and study), 가수 겸 배우.
After 겸 you can add 해서 for a smoother sentence: 운동도 할 겸 해서 걸었어요.

Think in Korean · an English-speaker’s guide

Think of 겸 as “killing two birds with one stone”.
도 is almost always used with -(으)ㄹ 겸 because you are adding purposes: 구경도 할 겸.
겸 comes from the Chinese character 兼 (“combine”). N 겸 N works like English “double as”: a room that doubles as a study.

Six examples in context

친구도 만날 겸 쇼핑도 할 겸 홍대에 갔어요.

I went to Hongdae to meet a friend and do some shopping.

한국어 연습도 할 겸 한국 드라마를 봐요.

I watch Korean dramas, partly to practice Korean too.

늦게 일어나서 아침 겸 점심을 먹었어요.

I woke up late, so I had brunch.

이 방은 손님방 겸 서재로 써요.

We use this room as a guest room and study.

머리도 식힐 겸 잠깐 산책하고 올게요.

I’ll go for a quick walk to clear my head.

그 사람은 가수 겸 배우로 활동하고 있어요.

That person works as both a singer and an actor.

Compare with related patterns

-(으)러 가다

쇼핑하러 명동에 가요.

“I’m going to Myeongdong to shop.” One clear purpose (Lesson 32).

-기 위해(서)

쇼핑하기 위해서 명동에 가요.

“In order to shop.” One formal, focused purpose (Lesson 79).

-(으)ㄹ 겸

쇼핑도 할 겸 명동에 가요.

“Partly to shop as well.” Extra, relaxed purposes added together.

Pattern	Choose it when…
-(으)ㄹ 겸	Several purposes at once
N 겸 N	One thing with two roles
-(으)러 가다/오다	One purpose of going/coming
-기 위해(서)	Formal “in order to”

Common mistakes

운동도 하는 겸 걸었어요.운동도 할 겸 걸었어요.

Use -(으)ㄹ 겸, not -는 겸.

책도 읽을겸 카페에 갔어요.책도 읽을 겸 카페에 갔어요.

Put a space before 겸.

만들을 겸만들 겸

ㄹ stems don’t add 을.

아침과 겸 점심아침 겸 점심

N 겸 N needs no particle.

Mini practice · six questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Translation answers are models; other natural wording is possible.

Fill in the blank구경도 ______ 사진도 찍을 겸 경복궁에 갔어요. (하다)
Check answer
구경도 할 겸 사진도 찍을 겸 경복궁에 갔어요.
Vowel stem → -ㄹ 겸.
Fill in the blank친구들하고 ______ 겸 공원에 갔어요. (놀다)
Check answer
친구들하고 놀 겸 공원에 갔어요.
ㄹ stem → 놀 겸.
Choose the natural form이 공간은 (사무실 겸 / 사무실을 겸) 창고예요.
Check answer
사무실 겸
N 겸 N without particles.
Choose the natural form기분 전환도 (할 겸 / 하러) 머리를 잘랐어요.
Check answer
할 겸
An extra purpose with 도 → -(으)ㄹ 겸.
Fix the mistake살도 빼는 겸 건강도 챙길 겸 수영을 시작했어요.
Check answer
살도 뺄 겸 건강도 챙길 겸 수영을 시작했어요.
빼다 → 뺄 겸.
Say it in KoreanI came to Korea to study and to travel.
Check answer
공부도 할 겸 여행도 할 겸 한국에 왔어요.
Two purposes, each with 도 and -(으)ㄹ 겸.

Today’s key point

Several purposes for one action: A도 -(으)ㄹ 겸 B도 -(으)ㄹ 겸. One thing with two roles: N 겸 N (아침 겸 점심). Never -는 겸.

Keep learning

Hyeju Yoo

M.A. in Korean Language Education · Certified Korean language teacher

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