Progressive -고 있다

What it means

-고 있다 means "be doing". It shows that an action is happening right now, or was happening at a certain moment in the past. It works like "-ing" in English.

How to make it

• Action verb stem + 고 있다 (no sound change): 먹다 → 먹고 있어요 (I am eating)
• Past: stem + 고 있었다: 공부하다 → 공부하고 있었어요 (I was studying)
• Honorific (for elders): stem + 고 계시다: 읽다 → 읽고 계세요 (아버지가 신문을 읽고 계세요)
• Only action verbs, never adjectives: 예쁘다 → ✗ 예쁘고 있어요

When to use it

• An action happening now: 지금 숙제를 하고 있어요. (I'm doing my homework now.)
• An action in progress at a past moment: 전화했을 때 뭐 하고 있었어요? (What were you doing when I called?)
• Talking politely about an elder: 할머니께서 주무시고 계세요. (Grandmother is sleeping.)
• A continuing state with wearing verbs (입다, 신다, 쓰다): 그 사람은 빨간 모자를 쓰고 있어요. (That person is wearing a red hat.)

Compare

• -고 있어요 vs -아/어요: 지금 먹고 있어요 stresses "right now, in the middle of it". 먹어요 can mean a habit or the present in general.
• -고 있다 vs -아/어 있다: -아/어 있다 shows a state that remains after an action is finished: 의자에 앉아 있어요 (He is seated.), 문이 열려 있어요 (The door is open.).
• With wearing verbs, 옷을 입고 있어요 can mean "is wearing" (a state) or "is putting on" (an action). The context tells you which.

Common mistakes

• ❌ 날씨가 춥고 있어요 → ✅ 날씨가 추워요 (춥다 is an adjective, so no -고 있다)
• ❌ 의자에 앉고 있어요 (to mean "is seated") → ✅ 의자에 앉아 있어요 (a state after sitting down → -아/어 있다)
• ❌ 할머니가 자고 있어요 → ✅ 할머니께서 주무시고 계세요 (for elders, use 께서, 주무시다 and -고 계시다 to be polite)