In the middle of doing: -고 있어요

What are you doing right now?

지금 뭐 하고 있어요? — what are you doing right now? 지금 밥을 먹고 있어요 — I’m eating. 책을 읽고 있어요 — I’m reading a book.

Look at the verbs: 하고, 먹고, 읽고. That is the stem + 고 you used in 먹고 싶어요. Only the last word is different: here it is 있어요.

먹고 is pronounced [먹꼬]; 읽고 is [일꼬].

Stem + 고 있어요

The pattern is written -고 있어요: dictionary form minus 다, plus 고 있어요. There is no vowel to choose and no 으.

As with wishes, go back from the 해요 form to the stem. 기다려요 is 기다리다: 친구를 기다리고 있어요 — I’m waiting for a friend. 봐요 is 보다: 영화를 보고 있어요 — I’m watching a film. And 해요 gives 하고 있어요.

The plain form says “now” too

지금 밥을 먹어요 and 지금 밥을 먹고 있어요 can describe the very same moment. This is where Korean and English part ways. English must say “I’m eating” for something happening now; “I eat” would mean a habit. Korean 먹어요 covers both.

So the plain form is always possible. -고 있어요 is the choice when you want to stress that you are in the middle of it. A plain question like 지금 뭐 해요? is often answered that way.

At the office

찾아요 (찾다) is “look for”: 지갑을 찾고 있어요 — I’m looking for my wallet. 통화해요 (통화하다) is “be on the phone”: 민수 씨는 지금 통화하고 있어요. Unlike -고 싶어요, this pattern is fine for describing someone else.

회의 is a meeting and 준비해요 (준비하다) is “prepare”: 회의를 준비하고 있어요 — I’m preparing for a meeting.

찾고 is pronounced [찯꼬].

Only for actions

-고 있어요 needs something that is being done. An adjective describes a state, so it stays in its plain form: 저는 지금 바빠요 — I’m busy right now.

The same goes for 있어요 itself: 지금 집에 있어요 — I’m at home right now. English uses “am” in “am eating”, “am busy” and “am at home” alike. In Korean only the first is -고 있어요.

These days: 요즘

요즘 means “these days, lately”. With -고 있어요 it describes something that is going on over a period, even if you are not doing it this minute: 요즘 한국어를 배우고 있어요 — I’m learning Korean these days. 요즘 운동하고 있어요 — I’ve been exercising lately.

The period includes the present. For a time that is over, or one that has not begun, the pattern does not fit.