And (와/과)

와 and 과 are particles that connect two or more nouns, meaning 'and' or 'with.' Use 와 after a noun ending in a vowel and 과 after a noun ending in a consonant.

For example, '사과와 바나나' (apples and bananas) uses 와 because 사과 ends in a vowel. '빵과 우유' (bread and milk) uses 과 because 빵 ends in a consonant. These particles are somewhat formal and are more commonly used in writing.

In spoken Korean, 하고 and (이)랑 are more commonly used instead of 와/과. However, 와/과 appears frequently in textbooks, news, and formal writing, so it is important to learn. All three forms (와/과, 하고, (이)랑) have the same meaning but differ in formality.