가지다 is the base form. It means to own, to keep, or to have on your person, or as a basis for something.
It has very wide usage, both as a single word and in a compound phrases with 오다, 가다, etc.
- 가지고[갖고] 오다 = bring something (here). 가지고 가다 = take something (away from here).
- 가져오다 = similar to 가지고 오다, but as one word and with a nuance difference. 가져가다 = 가지고 가다.
* 가지고 (shortened to 갖고) = 가지(다) + -고 (verb ending marking a stage in successive actions).
* 가져 (= 가지어) = 가지(다) + -어 (verb ending connecting two actions smoothly).
* Both are widely used. 가지고 is more flexible (가지고 다니다, 가지고 도앙가다, etc). 가져/갖 is required for certain endings, like -다(가) which means "doing something as a basis or first step for something else", as in 가져다 놓다(bring something and stash it), X를 갖다가/가져다가 Y를 한다/만든다, etc.
가지고/갖고 is also used in the sense of "using something as a means or basis", as in these examples.
- 아이가 장난감을 갖고 논다 = A baby is playing with her toy.
- 퇴직금을 가지고 사업을 시작했다 = I started a business with the money from my severance pay.
It can also mean a reason or circumstance for something (advanced usage).
- 내가 몸이 아파 가지고 일을 못 갔어 = 내가 몸이 아파서 ... = Because I was ill, I couldn't go to work.
- 그 사람은 내가 무심코 한 말을 가지고 화를 낸다 = He gets angry at my word which wasn't meant for anything bad.
Examples of 가지다 used independently.
- 이거 난 필요 없으니까 너 가져 = Keep this for yourself, as I don't need it anymore.
- 수은은 액체와 금속의 특성을 모두 가진다 = Mercury has the characteristics of both a liquid and a metal.
- 그는 가진 돈을 모두 기부했다 = He donated all the money he had.
- 가진 자의 횡포, 못 가진 자의 절망 = The tyranny of the haves, the despair of the have-nots.