Learn Hardcore Korean: • bihaenggireul gidarimyeonseo saramdeureul bwayo. - While waiting for the plane, I watch people.

-면서 is a connective ending that indicates two actions happen at the same time. In 비행기를 기다리면서 사람들을 봐요, it means “while waiting (for the plane), (I) look at people.”

How is -면서 formed from a verb stem? Why do we say 기다리면서 and not something else?

The pattern is verb stem + (으)면서.

If the verb stem ends in a vowel, you drop 으 and just add -면서:
기다리다 → 기다리 + 면서 → 기다리면서
If the stem ends in a consonant, you keep 으:
쓰다 → 쓰 + 으면서 → 쓰으면서 (often contracts to 쓰면서)

Why isn’t there a polite ending like -요 on 기다리면서?

When you connect verbs with -면서, that clause becomes a sub-clause and doesn’t take its own sentence-ending marker. Only the final verb, 봐요, is conjugated with -요 to show politeness.

What’s the difference between using -면서 and -고 to connect two verbs?

-면서 specifically emphasizes that both actions occur simultaneously: “while doing A, do B.”
-고 is more neutral—it can list actions or imply sequence (“A and then B”) but doesn’t stress simultaneity.
So 기다리면서 봐요 = “I look at people as I wait.”
기다리고 봐요 = “I wait and then I look” or simply “I wait and look,” less focused on “at the same time.”

Can I use -아서/어서 instead of -면서 to say “while waiting”?

No. -아서/어서 mainly indicates cause-effect or sequence (“because A, then B”). It doesn’t naturally express true simultaneity. To say “while waiting,” you need -면서.

Why do we say 사람들을 instead of just 사람들?

보다 is a transitive verb (“to see/look at”), so its object must take the object particle -을/를.

사람들 ends in a consonant, so you add -을 → 사람들을 봐요 (“(I) look at people”).

Who is doing these actions? Why isn’t there a subject in the sentence?

Korean often omits the subject when it’s clear from context. Here the implied subject is I (or “we,” depending). If you want to be explicit, you can add:
저는 비행기를 기다리면서 사람들을 봐요
(저는 = “as for me”).

Why is 봐요 used instead of 보고 있어요? Do they mean the same thing?

봐요 is the simple present polite form of 보다. It can express a habitual or ongoing action: “I look (at people).”
보고 있어요 is the progressive form: “I am looking (right now).” Use it when you want to stress that you are in the middle of watching at this very moment.

What level of politeness is 봐요, and how would I change it for more formal or more casual speech?

봐요 is polite informal (used in everyday conversation).
For more formal/written style, use -습니다:
비행기를 기다리면서 사람들을 봅니다.
For casual/informal (with close friends), drop -요:
비행기를 기다리면서 사람들을 봐.