Learn Hardcore Korean: gongbureul geumanhago swieoyo.

a plain statement: “I/they rest.”
a soft suggestion: “Let’s rest.”
a gentle directive to the listener. In this sentence after …고, it’s usually a suggestion or polite directive. For clarity:
clear request: 쉬세요.
clear suggestion: 쉴까요?, 쉬죠/쉽시다.
casual: 쉬자.

What does -고 in 그만하고 do?

It’s the verbal connector -고 meaning “and (then), and,” linking two actions: stop studying and then rest. It is not the noun‑linking 하고 used like “A and B” (e.g., 사과하고 배). Here it’s 그만하다 + -고 → 그만하고.

Why is it 공부를 and not 공부하다 before 그만하고?

그만하다 takes an object: “to stop/quit something.” So you say [noun]을/를 그만하다 → 공부를 그만하다. Alternatives:

공부하는 것(을) 그만하고… (nominalized verb)
Using adverb 그만 before a verb: 그만 공부하고 쉬어요 (also common).

What’s the difference between 그만하다, 그만두다, and 멈추다?

그만하다: stop doing it (often temporarily, “let’s stop now”).
그만두다: quit for good (job/club/school/long‑term study). 공부를 그만두다 = quit studying entirely.
멈추다: halt/pause a process. 공부를 멈추다 can work for “pause,” but for “stop (doing that) and rest,” 그만하다 is more idiomatic.

Can I drop 를 and say 공부 그만하고 쉬어요?

Yes. In casual speech, object particles are often omitted. 공부 그만하고 쉬어요 sounds natural. Keeping 를 is a bit clearer/more careful.

Can I use 는 instead of 를: 공부는 그만하고 쉬어요?

Yes, with a nuance change. 는 topicalizes/contrasts: “As for studying, let’s stop and rest (implying we might continue something else or contrasting with another activity).” 를 simply marks the object.

Can I omit 공부를 entirely: 그만하고 쉬어요?

Yes, if context already makes it clear what should stop. 그만하고 쉬어요 = “Let’s stop (that) and rest.” Without context it can feel vague.

What’s the difference between 쉬어요 and 쉬세요?

쉬어요: polite statement/suggestion; can be heard as “let’s rest.”
쉬세요: polite imperative with honorifics—more like “please rest” addressed respectfully to the listener. To a senior/teacher, prefer 공부는 그만하고 좀 쉬세요 or suggestion forms like 쉬시죠/쉬실까요?.

Is 쉬어요 the same as 쉬워요?

No.

쉬어요 ← 쉬다 “to rest.”
쉬워요 ← 쉽다 “to be easy.” Example: 지금 쉬어요 “I’m resting now.” vs 한국어가 쉬워요 “Korean is easy.”

Why not 그만해서 쉬어요?

-아서/어서 often marks cause or a natural sequence, but 그만해서 would read as “because (someone) stopped, (they) rest,” which is odd as a suggestion/command. To mean “stop and then rest,” use …-고: 그만하고 쉬어요.

Can I say 공부를 쉬어요 instead?

공부를 쉬다 exists and usually implies taking a break for some time (e.g., a semester off). For “stop studying now and rest,” 공부를 그만하고 쉬어요 (or 공부 그만하고 쉬어요) is the natural choice.

What does 그만 mean by itself?

그만 is an adverb meaning “stop/that’s enough.” As an exclamation, 그만! = “Stop!” With 하다, 그만하다 = “to stop (doing something).” There’s also an adjective sense “moderate/so‑so” (그만한 가격), but that’s unrelated here.

Does A‑고 B always mean B happens after A?

Usually, yes, it implies sequence or simple listing. Here it’s clearly sequential: stop first, then rest. In some contexts -고 can just coordinate actions without a strict time order, but not in this sentence.

How do I say this more casually or more formally?

Casual: 공부 그만하고 쉬자 / 쉬어.
Polite (current): 공부를 그만하고 쉬어요.
Formal suggestion: 공부는 그만하고 쉽시다.
Formal imperative to an audience: 공부는 그만하고 잠시 쉬십시오.

Where can I put softeners like 좀, 잠깐, 이제?

좀 (please/softener): 공부를 그만하고 좀 쉬어요.
잠깐/잠시 (for a moment): … 잠깐 쉬어요.
이제 (now): 이제 공부를 그만하고 쉬어요. These typically go before the verb they modify.

Is the comma required: 공부를 그만하고, 쉬어요?

No. Korean often omits commas between linked clauses. 공부를 그만하고 쉬어요 is standard; a comma is optional for readability.

Is 하고 here the same as the noun connector in 사과하고 배?

No. In 그만하고, the -고 is the verb connector attached to 그만하다. The noun connector 하고 links nouns (A and B). They look similar but function differently.