Grammar
-거나
Meaning
Beginner-geona
Connects two verbs, adjectives, or clauses to mean 'or,' showing that either one of two actions or states applies, happens, or is chosen — not both at once.
Form
Attach directly to the plain verb or adjective stem, with no tense marker before it: stem + 거나. E.g., 가다 → 가거나, 먹다 → 먹거나, 피곤하다 → 피곤하거나. Repeat for more than two options: A거나 B거나 (C거나). Tense and formality are usually marked only on the final verb of the sentence.
Examples
자전거를 타거나 돗자리를 펴고 피크닉을 합니다.
People ride bicycles or spread out mats for a picnic.
From: Hangang Park: Seoul's River Escape for Picnics and Ramen
주말에는 영화를 보거나 책을 읽어요.
On weekends, I watch a movie or read a book.
피곤하거나 아프면 집에서 쉬세요.
If you're tired or sick, rest at home.
Common mistakes & nuance
거나 usually attaches to the plain (non-past) stem; it doesn't normally follow -았/었 except in a few fixed expressions like 했거나 안 했거나 ('whether or not [someone] did it'). Don't confuse -거나 with -고 (and) — 거나 presents alternatives, only one of which is true.
Similar grammar
- -고
-고 lists two things that both happen or are both true ('and'). -거나 presents them as alternatives, where typically only one applies ('or').