Ongoing actions and states

The polite present already covers what is happening now: 지금 뭐 해요? "what are you doing now?" To stress that something is under way, Korean has -고 있다.

-고 있다: is doing

The verb stem with -고 있어요 means "is doing". It works for the past too: -고 있었어요 "was doing".

• 지금 밥을 먹고 있어요.
  jigeum babeul meokgo isseoyo.
  I'm eating right now.
• 밖에 비가 오고 있어요.
  bakke biga ogo isseoyo.
  It's raining outside.
• 전화했을 때 자고 있었어요.
  jeonhwahaesseul ttae jago isseosseoyo.
  I was asleep when you called.

It also tells something going on over a stretch of time: 요즘 한국어를 배우고 있어요 "these days I'm learning Korean". For someone you honour, 있다 becomes 계시다: 할아버지는 신문을 읽고 계세요 "Grandfather is reading the paper".

Only verbs take -고 있다; adjectives already describe a state.

-아/어 있다: is in a state

Verbs of change, like sitting down, opening or arriving, describe the state they leave with the 아/어 form and 있다:

• 문이 열려 있어요.
  muni yeollyeo isseoyo.
  The door is open.
• 아이들이 의자에 앉아 있어요.
  aideuri uijae anja isseoyo.
  The children are sitting on chairs.

Wearing

Verbs of putting on clothes use -고 있다 for the state of wearing: 입고 있어요 "is wearing" (clothes), 쓰고 있어요 (a hat or glasses), 신고 있어요 (shoes).

• 빨간 모자를 쓰고 있어요.
  ppalgan mojareul sseugo isseoyo.
  She's wearing a red hat.