Welcome to our Korean language lesson! Today, we are focusing on a very useful and commonly used grammar structure: “기 때문에”. This grammatical form is essential to understand as it’s used frequently in both spoken and written Korean.
“기 때문에” is used to indicate a cause or reason, and can be translated as “because” or “due to” in English. This structure allows you to elaborate on why certain actions are taken or why certain events occur, thereby helping you to create more detailed and expressive sentences in Korean.
Whether you’ve just begun your journey learning Korean or you’re looking to brush up on your skills, understanding the use of “기 때문에” is beneficial. By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to use this grammar structure with ease and confidence. Let’s dive in and expand your understanding of the Korean language!
Conjugation
NOUN + 때문에
- Take a noun i.e. 학교
- Add 때문에 i.e. 학교 때문에
Understanding the meaning of 때문에
The phrase “때문에” is a very important component in the Korean language, it’s used to express the reason or cause of an event or action, similar to “because of” in English.
Let’s look at an example sentence:
“친구 때문에 못 갔어요”, “때문에” is being used to convey that the reason for not going is because of a friend. It can be translated as “I couldn’t go because of a friend.”
Here are a few more examples using “때문에” with Nouns:
- 날씨 때문에 피크닉을 취소했어요. – I cancelled the picnic because of the weather.
- 시험 때문에 도서관에 갔어요. – I went to the library because of the exam.
- 코로나 바이러스 때문에 집에서 일했어요. – I worked from home because of the coronavirus.
Conjugation of -기 때문에
VERB + -기 때문에
- Take a verb i.e. 가다
- Drop “다” i.e. 가
- Add 기 때문에 i.e. 가기 때문에 (Because of going)
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 기 때문에 –> 먹기 때문에 (Because of eating)
- 오다 –> 오 + 기 때문에 –> 오기 때문에 (Because of coming)
- 보다 –> 보 + 기 때문에 –> 보기 때문에 (Because of looking)
- 하다 –> 하 + 기 때문에–> 하기 때문에 (Because of doing)
Understanding the meaning of -기 때문에
“기 때문에” is a crucial grammar point in the Korean language that is used to express the reason or cause of an action or situation. It can be translated into English as “because” or “due to”.
To fully understand “기 때문에”, it’s important to break it down.
- The “-기” particle is a nominalizer, meaning it turns the preceding verb or adjective into a noun.
- The “때문에” part directly translates to “because of” or “due to”.
So, when you put these two together, you get a structure that means “because of (the action/condition expressed by the verb or adjective)”.
For example, if you take the verb 공부하다 (to study), you can say 공부하기 때문에. It would mean “because (I/he/she/they) study” or “due to studying”.
Here is a full sentence using this grammar point: 저는 공부하기 때문에 바빴어요. This translates to “I was busy because I was studying”.
Just like in English, you can use this structure to give reasons or explanations for all sorts of situations, feelings, or actions. It’s a versatile and important part of Korean grammar that will enable you to express yourself more fully and accurately.
Difference between -기 때문에 and -아/어/여서
“기 때문에” is often used in formal or polite contexts or in written Korean. In casual conversation, Koreans often use “-아/어/여서” to express reasons or causes (you can check out that lesson here). For example, the sentence “I was busy because I was studying” could be rendered informally as “나는 공부해서 바빴어”.
So while these two would be translated similarly, “기 때문에” is used more in formal or written situations and “아/어/여서” is used in more casual or colloquial situations.
Examples
- 저는 배가 고프기 때문에 밥을 먹었어요. – I ate because I was hungry.
- 저는 배가 고파서 밥을 먹었어요. – I ate because I was hungry.
Same meaning but the first sentence can sound a little bit stiff if you are using it with your friends or in an informal setting.
- 시험을 준비하기 때문에 밤을 샜어요. – I stayed up all night to prepare for the exam.
- 저는 알레르기가 있기 때문에 고양이를 키울 수 없어요. – I can’t have a cat because I have allergies.
- 저는 독서를 좋아하기 때문에 많은 책을 샀어요. – I bought a lot of books because I like reading.
- 영어를 배우기 때문에 매일 단어를 외워요. – She memorizes words every day because she is learning English.
Past and present tense with -기 때문에
While the above sentences are in a past tense due to the ending verb, the first part isn’t. It implies there is an ongoing situation i.e. I have allergies/I like reading etc.
So, let’s have a look how to conjugate -기 때문에 into a past tense.
“-기 때문에” itself does not convey tense. It’s the verbs or adjectives in your sentences that indicate whether you’re speaking about the past, present, or future. The tense of the verb before “-기 때문에” doesn’t affect the meaning of “-기 때문에”. In fact, you can use “-기 때문에” with verbs or adjectives in any tense.
For example:
- Past tense: “저는 어제 너무 피곤했기 때문에 일찍 잤어요.” – Because I was very tired yesterday, I went to bed early.
- Present tense: “저는 지금 너무 피곤하기 때문에 일찍 잘 거예요.” – Because I am very tired now, I will go to bed early.
- Future tense: “저는 내일 너무 피곤할 것이기 때문에 일찍 잘 거예요.” – Because I will be very tired tomorrow, I will go to bed early.
As you can see, the tense is determined by the verb “피곤하다” (to be tired), not by the phrase “-기 때문에”. Whether you’re talking about the past, present, or future, you can always use “-기 때문에” to express cause and effect.
Past tense conjugation
VERB STEM + 았/었/였 +기 때문에
- Take a verb i.e. 가다
- Drop “다” i.e. 가
- Add the appropriate ending based on the rules below i.e. 갔기 때문에 (Because I went)
- If the last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, add 았기 때문에
- If the last vowel is not one of the above, add 었기 때문에.
- Only 하 is followed by 였어요 and becomes 했기 때문에 (always the case).
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 었기 때문에 –> 먹었기 때문에 (Because I ate)
- 오다 –> 오 + 았기 때문에 –> 왔기 때문에 (Because I came)
- 보다 –> 보 + 았기 때문에 –> 봤기 때문에 (Because I saw)
- 하다 –> 하 + 었기 때문에–> 했기 때문에 (Because I did)
Examples
- 그 영화 이미 봤기 때문에 다시 안 볼래요. – Because I already saw that movie I don’t want to see it again.
- 저녁 먹었기 때문에 배 안 고파요. – Because I already ate dinner I am not hungry.
- 어제 하루종일 공부했기 때문에 오늘 시험이 괜찮았어요. – Because I studied all day yesterday, today’s exam was ok.
Future tense conjugation
VERB STEM + ㄹ/을 것이 +기 때문에
- Take a verb i.e. 가다
- Drop “다” i.e. 가
- Add the appropriate ending based on the rules below i.e. 갈 것이기 때문에 (Because I will go)
- If the verb ends in a vowel, add ㄹ 것이기 때문에
- If the verb ends in a consonant, add 을 것이기 때문에
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 을 것이기 때문에 –> 먹을 것이기 때문에 (Because I will eat)
- 오다 –> 오 + ㄹ 것이기 때문에 –> 올 것이기 때문에 (Because I will come)
- 보다 –> 보 + ㄹ 것이기 때문에 –> 볼 것이기 때문에 (Because I will see)
- 하다 –> 하 + ㄹ 것이기 때문에–> 할 것이기 때문에 (Because I will do)
Examples
- 내년에 한국 갈 것이기 때문에 한국어를 열심히 공부해야 돼요. – Because I will be going to Korea next year, I need to study Korean diligently.
- 저녁에 친구랑 삼겹살 먹을 것이기 때문에 지금 안 먹어요. – Because I will eat Sampkyeopsal with a friend in the evening, I am not eating now.
Activity 1
- 비가 ______________ 밖에 못 나갔어요. – I couldn’t go out because it is raining.
- ______________ 이찍 잤어요. – I slept early because I was tired.
- 어제 ______________ 전화를 받지 못했어요. – I couldn’t answer the phone yesterday because I was busy.
- _______________ 가지 말라고 해요. – It’s because I know that I am telling you not to go.
- 나중에 ___________ 때문에 지금 말을 해요. – I am telling you know because I will not have time later.
Activity 1 Answer
- 비가 오기 때문에 밖에 못 나갔어요. – I couldn’t go out because it is raining.
- 피곤했기 때문에 이찍 잤어요. – I slept early because I was tired.
- 어제 바빴기 때문에 전화를 받지 못했어요. – I couldn’t answer the phone yesterday because I was busy.
- 알기 때문에 가지 말라고 해요. – It’s because I know that I am telling you not to go.
- 나중에 시간이 없을 것이기 때문에 지금 말을 해요. – I am telling you know because I will not have time later.
Wrap up
Today, we dived into the Korean grammar pattern “-기 때문에” and explored its use and nuances. We learned that “-기 때문에” is a compound grammar form that is used to express cause and effect, similar to ‘because’ or ‘due to’ in English.
We discovered that the “-기” part of “-기 때문에” nominalizes verbs or adjectives, turning them into noun forms. Then “때문에” is added to mean ‘because of’ the reason stated before it. We also clarified that the tense of the sentence is conveyed by the verb or adjective in the sentence, not the “-기 때문에” structure itself.
We looked at many examples and practice exercises that should have given you a solid understanding of how “-기 때문에” is used in sentences and its role in Korean language.
Remember, like any language, mastery of Korean grammar comes with practice. So, don’t be afraid to create your own sentences and use “-기 때문에” to express reasons and causes. And if you have any doubts or questions, feel free to leave a comment.
I hope this lesson has been helpful for you. We look forward to seeing your own example sentences using “-기 때문에” in the comments! Keep practicing, and you’ll see your Korean language skills improve over time.
감사합니다! (Thank you!) Happy learning!