Choice and Alternative: (이)나 / 거나

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TL;DR

Use (이)나 [(i)na] to connect noun choices: “A or B.”

Use -거나 [-geo-na] to connect verb/adjective choices: “do A or do B / be A or be B.”

Both often mean the choice is open, flexible, or “either one is okay.”

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Iru Helper Note

If you want quick noun, verb-stem, or sentence-building support while practicing this lesson, open

Korean Helper Widgets. This grammar becomes much easier when you can quickly identify whether you are connecting nouns or actions.

Big Picture

English uses “or” for many things:

coffee or tea

go or stay

on Saturday or Sunday

read or watch a movie

Korean splits this idea into different patterns depending on what you connect.

Pattern	Use it with	Meaning	Example
N이나 / N나	Nouns	or; either; maybe even	커피나 차 [keo-pi-na cha] — coffee or tea
V-거나 / A-거나	Verb/adjective stems	do/be A or do/be B	가거나 쉬어요 [ga-geo-na swi-eo-yo] — go or rest

Core Pattern 1 — Noun Choice: (이)나

Use (이)나 after nouns when choosing between noun options.

Form

Noun ending in a consonant + 이나 [i-na]

Noun ending in a vowel + 나 [na]

Noun	Ending	Form	Meaning
물 [mul]	consonant	물이나 [mu-ri-na]	water or something like that
커피 [keo-pi]	vowel	커피나 [keo-pi-na]	coffee or something like that
책 [chaek]	consonant	책이나 [chae-gi-na]	a book or something like that
영화 [yeong-hwa]	vowel	영화나 [yeong-hwa-na]	a movie or something like that

Basic noun-choice examples

커피나 차를 마실까요?

[keo-pi-na cha-reul ma-sil-kka-yo]

Shall we drink coffee or tea?

토요일이나 일요일에 만나요.

[to-yo-il-i-na i-ryo-il-e man-na-yo]

Let’s meet on Saturday or Sunday.

물이나 주스 있어요?

[mu-ri-na ju-seu i-sseo-yo]

Do you have water or juice?

책이나 노트를 가져오세요.

[chae-gi-na no-teu-reul ga-jyeo-o-se-yo]

Please bring a book or a notebook.

Core Pattern 2 — Action or State Choice: -거나

Use -거나 after verb or adjective stems when choosing between actions or states.

Form

Verb/adjective stem + 거나 [geo-na]

No batchim choice is needed.

Dictionary form	Stem	With -거나	Meaning
가다 [ga-da]	가- [ga]	가거나 [ga-geo-na]	go or...
먹다 [meok-da]	먹- [meok]	먹거나 [meok-geo-na]	eat or...
읽다 [ik-da]	읽- [ik]	읽거나 [il-geo-na]	read or...
쉬다 [swi-da]	쉬- [swi]	쉬거나 [swi-geo-na]	rest or...
바쁘다 [ba-ppeu-da]	바쁘- [ba-ppeu]	바쁘거나 [ba-ppeu-geo-na]	be busy or...

Basic action-choice examples

집에서 쉬거나 영화를 봐요.

[ji-be-seo swi-geo-na yeong-hwa-reul bwa-yo]

I rest at home or watch a movie.

버스를 타거나 지하철을 타요.

[beo-seu-reul ta-geo-na ji-ha-cheo-reul ta-yo]

I take the bus or take the subway.

공부하거나 운동할 거예요.

[gong-bu-ha-geo-na un-dong-hal geo-ye-yo]

I will study or exercise.

비싸거나 멀면 안 갈 거예요.

[bi-ssa-geo-na meol-myeon an gal geo-ye-yo]

If it is expensive or far, I won’t go.

How It Works in Sentences

Option A + option B

With nouns, the first option receives (이)나.

커피나 차를 마셔요.

[keo-pi-na cha-reul ma-syeo-yo]

I drink coffee or tea.

친구나 가족에게 물어보세요.

[chin-gu-na ga-jo-ge-ge mu-reo-bo-se-yo]

Ask a friend or family member.

오늘이나 내일 전화할게요.

[o-neu-ri-na nae-il jeon-hwa-hal-ge-yo]

I’ll call today or tomorrow.

With verbs and adjectives, the first action/state receives -거나.

먹거나 마셔요.

[meok-geo-na ma-syeo-yo]

I eat or drink.

읽거나 써요.

[il-geo-na sseo-yo]

I read or write.

춥거나 더우면 말해 주세요.

[chup-geo-na deo-u-myeon mal-hae ju-se-yo]

If it is cold or hot, please tell me.

More than two options

You can repeat the pattern for several choices.

커피나 차나 주스를 마셔요.

[keo-pi-na cha-na ju-seu-reul ma-syeo-yo]

I drink coffee, tea, or juice.

공부하거나 일하거나 쉬어요.

[gong-bu-ha-geo-na il-ha-geo-na swi-eo-yo]

I study, work, or rest.

집에 있거나 카페에 가거나 산책해요.

[ji-be it-geo-na ka-pe-e ga-geo-na san-chaek-hae-yo]

I stay home, go to a café, or take a walk.

General Formation Rule

Nouns: (이)나

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Noun ending in a consonant: N + 이나

책이나 [chae-gi-na] — a book or...

물이나 [mu-ri-na] — water or...

주말이나 [ju-ma-ri-na] — the weekend or...

Noun ending in a vowel: N + 나

커피나 [keo-pi-na] — coffee or...

영화나 [yeong-hwa-na] — a movie or...

친구나 [chin-gu-na] — a friend or...

Verbs and adjectives: -거나

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Verb/adjective stem + 거나

가다 → 가거나 [ga-da → ga-geo-na] — go or...

먹다 → 먹거나 [meok-da → meok-geo-na] — eat or...

읽다 → 읽거나 [ik-da → il-geo-na] — read or...

좋다 → 좋거나 [jo-ta → jo-ko-na] — be good or...

바쁘다 → 바쁘거나 [ba-ppeu-da → ba-ppeu-geo-na] — be busy or...

Cross-Check Note

Korean grammar references describe forms like 이나 [i-na] and 나 [na] as particles that attach to nouns, while -거나 [-geo-na] is an ending that attaches to verb or adjective stems. That is the main reason this lesson separates noun choices from action/state choices.

Nuance Notes

(이)나 can feel casual or “anything like that”

Sometimes (이)나 does not mean a strict A/B choice. It can feel like “or something,” “at least,” or “something simple.”

커피나 마실까요?

[keo-pi-na ma-sil-kka-yo]

Shall we drink coffee or something?

밥이나 먹어요.

[ba-bi-na meo-geo-yo]

Let’s just eat something / at least eat.

영화나 볼까요?

[yeong-hwa-na bol-kka-yo]

Shall we watch a movie or something?

This “or something / at least” feeling is common in everyday Korean.

-거나 often means either action is possible

집에 가거나 카페에 갈 거예요.

[ji-be ga-geo-na ka-pe-e gal geo-ye-yo]

I’ll go home or go to a café.

오늘 하거나 내일 할게요.

[o-neul ha-geo-na nae-il hal-ge-yo]

I’ll do it today or tomorrow.

The speaker may not be deciding yet. The sentence leaves the choices open.

아니면 is a separate “or / otherwise”

Use 아니면 [a-ni-myeon] when you want a clearer “or else / if not.”

커피를 마실래요? 아니면 차를 마실래요?

[keo-pi-reul ma-sil-lae-yo a-ni-myeon cha-reul ma-sil-lae-yo]

Do you want to drink coffee? Or tea?

지금 갈까요? 아니면 나중에 갈까요?

[ji-geum gal-kka-yo a-ni-myeon na-jung-e gal-kka-yo]

Shall we go now? Or shall we go later?

아니면 can stand between full questions or full clauses. (이)나 and -거나 attach directly to the option before them.

-든지 is stronger “any choice is fine”

You may later see -든지 [-deun-ji], which means “whether A or B / whichever.” It often feels broader than -거나.

가거나 말거나 하세요.

[ga-geo-na mal-geo-na ha-se-yo]

Go or don’t go.

가든지 말든지 하세요.

[ga-deun-ji mal-deun-ji ha-se-yo]

Go or don’t go; either way is up to you.

For this lesson, focus on the everyday pair: noun (이)나 and verb/adjective -거나.

Common Pitfalls

1. Do not use -거나 directly after a noun

커피거나 차를 마셔요.

[keo-pi-geo-na cha-reul ma-syeo-yo] ❌

커피나 차를 마셔요.

[keo-pi-na cha-reul ma-syeo-yo] ✅

I drink coffee or tea.

Use (이)나 for noun choices.

2. Do not use (이)나 directly after a verb stem for action choice

가나 쉬어요.

[ga-na swi-eo-yo] ❌ for “go or rest”

가거나 쉬어요.

[ga-geo-na swi-eo-yo] ✅

I go or rest.

Use -거나 for verb/adjective choices.

3. Remember the noun batchim choice

물나 [mul-na] ❌

물이나 [mu-ri-na] ✅ — water or...

커피이나 [keo-pi-i-na] ❌

커피나 [keo-pi-na] ✅ — coffee or...

4. Do not over-translate every English “or”

English “or” can connect many grammar types. Korean chooses the pattern based on the Korean structure.

Noun choice: 토요일이나 일요일 [to-yo-il-i-na i-ryo-il] — Saturday or Sunday

Action choice: 토요일에 가거나 일요일에 가요 [to-yo-i-re ga-geo-na i-ryo-i-re ga-yo] — I go on Saturday or Sunday

Full question choice: 토요일에 갈까요? 아니면 일요일에 갈까요? [to-yo-i-re gal-kka-yo a-ni-myeon i-ryo-i-re gal-kka-yo] — Shall we go on Saturday? Or Sunday?

Mini Examples

물이나 차를 마셔요.

[mu-ri-na cha-reul ma-syeo-yo]

I drink water or tea.

친구나 가족에게 전화하세요.

[chin-gu-na ga-jo-ge-ge jeon-hwa-ha-se-yo]

Call a friend or family member.

집에서 쉬거나 책을 읽어요.

[ji-be-seo swi-geo-na chae-geul il-geo-yo]

I rest at home or read a book.

비가 오거나 눈이 오면 집에 있을 거예요.

[bi-ga o-geo-na nu-ni o-myeon ji-be i-sseul geo-ye-yo]

If it rains or snows, I’ll stay home.

오늘이나 내일쯤 알려 주세요.

[o-neu-ri-na nae-il-jjeum al-lyeo ju-se-yo]

Please let me know today or around tomorrow.

Try this exercise

Choose (이)나 [(i)na] or -거나 [-geo-na].

커피＿＿＿＿ 차를 마실까요?

[keo-pi＿＿＿＿ cha-reul ma-sil-kka-yo]

Shall we drink coffee or tea?

집에 가＿＿＿＿ 카페에 갈 거예요.

[ji-be ga＿＿＿＿ ka-pe-e gal geo-ye-yo]

I’ll go home or go to a café.

토요일＿＿＿＿ 일요일에 만나요.

[to-yo-il＿＿＿＿ i-ryo-il-e man-na-yo]

Let’s meet on Saturday or Sunday.

Answers

커피나 차를 마실까요?

[keo-pi-na cha-reul ma-sil-kka-yo]

Shall we drink coffee or tea?

집에 가거나 카페에 갈 거예요.

[ji-be ga-geo-na ka-pe-e gal geo-ye-yo]

I’ll go home or go to a café.

토요일이나 일요일에 만나요.

[to-yo-il-i-na i-ryo-il-e man-na-yo]

Let’s meet on Saturday or Sunday.

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🎯 Practice Hub — Choice and Alternative: (이)나 / 거나

Exercise 1 — Noun or action?

Decide whether the sentence needs noun-choice (이)나 [(i)na] or action-choice -거나 [-geo-na].

A. 물＿＿＿＿ 주스를 주세요.

[mul＿＿＿＿ ju-seu-reul ju-se-yo]

Please give me water or juice.

B. 먹＿＿＿＿ 마셔요.

[meok＿＿＿＿ ma-syeo-yo]

I eat or drink.

Answer A–B

A. 물이나 주스를 주세요.

[mu-ri-na ju-seu-reul ju-se-yo]

Please give me water or juice.

B. 먹거나 마셔요.

[meok-geo-na ma-syeo-yo]

I eat or drink.

Exercise 2 — Choose 이나 or 나

C. 책＿＿＿＿ 노트를 가져오세요.

[chaek＿＿＿＿ no-teu-reul ga-jyeo-o-se-yo]

Please bring a book or a notebook.

D. 커피＿＿＿＿ 차를 마셔요.

[keo-pi＿＿＿＿ cha-reul ma-syeo-yo]

I drink coffee or tea.

Answer C–D

C. 책이나 노트를 가져오세요.

[chae-gi-na no-teu-reul ga-jyeo-o-se-yo]

Please bring a book or a notebook.

D. 커피나 차를 마셔요.

[keo-pi-na cha-reul ma-syeo-yo]

I drink coffee or tea.

Exercise 3 — Fix the sentence

E. 영화거나 드라마를 봐요.

[yeong-hwa-geo-na deu-ra-ma-reul bwa-yo]

Intended meaning: I watch a movie or a drama.

F. 쉬나 공부해요.

[swi-na gong-bu-hae-yo]

Intended meaning: I rest or study.

Answer E–F

E. 영화나 드라마를 봐요.

[yeong-hwa-na deu-ra-ma-reul bwa-yo]

I watch a movie or a drama.

F. 쉬거나 공부해요.

[swi-geo-na gong-bu-hae-yo]

I rest or study.

Exercise 4 — Translate into Korean

G. I’ll call today or tomorrow.

Vocabulary: 오늘 [o-neul] — today; 내일 [nae-il] — tomorrow; 전화하다 [jeon-hwa-ha-da] — to call

H. I’ll take the bus or walk.

Vocabulary: 버스를 타다 [beo-seu-reul ta-da] — to take the bus; 걷다 [geot-da] — to walk

Answer G–H

G. 오늘이나 내일 전화할게요.

[o-neu-ri-na nae-il jeon-hwa-hal-ge-yo]

I’ll call today or tomorrow.

H. 버스를 타거나 걸을 거예요.

[beo-seu-reul ta-geo-na geo-reul geo-ye-yo]

I’ll take the bus or walk.

Exercise 5 — Choose the best sentence

I. “Shall we eat rice or noodles?”

밥이나 면을 먹을까요? [ba-bi-na myeon-eul meo-geul-kka-yo]

밥거나 면을 먹을까요? [bap-geo-na myeon-eul meo-geul-kka-yo]

J. “If it is hot or cold, tell me.”

덥거나 추우면 말해 주세요. [deop-geo-na chu-u-myeon mal-hae ju-se-yo]

덥이나 추우면 말해 주세요. [deo-bi-na chu-u-myeon mal-hae ju-se-yo]

Answer I–J

I. 밥이나 면을 먹을까요?

[ba-bi-na myeon-eul meo-geul-kka-yo]

Shall we eat rice or noodles?

J. 덥거나 추우면 말해 주세요.

[deop-geo-na chu-u-myeon mal-hae ju-se-yo]

If it is hot or cold, tell me.

Great work. You can now separate noun choices from action and state choices. 🎉

Closing Line

Use (이)나 [(i)na] when the choices are nouns, and use -거나 [-geo-na] when the choices are verbs or adjectives. This one split makes Korean “or” sentences much clearer.