안녕하세요!
Are you ready for another exciting journey to the heart of the Korean language? Pack up your enthusiasm, fasten your seatbelts, and make sure your tray tables are in the upright position because we’re about to take off!
Today’s target? The intriguing “-느라고” particle. This little gem packs a punch and can turn your Korean conversations from basic to impressive in no time.
Now, you might be thinking, “Why do we need -느라고 when we already have -아서/어서?” Well, just like the various spices in Korean cuisine, each particle has its own unique flavour. -느라고 is no different! It brings out a certain nuance that adds richness to your sentences, showing cause and effect but with a little twist.
Sounds interesting? You bet! So grab your notebooks, get that pen ready and let’s dive into the beautiful world of “-느라고” together! Let’s SKAPE to it!
Conjugation
VERB STEM + 느라고
- Take a verb i.e. 가다
- Drop “다” i.e. 가
- Add 느라고 i.e. 가느라고
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 느라고 –> 먹느라고
- 사다 –> 사 + 느라고 –> 사느라고
- 주다 –> 주 + 느라고 –> 주느라고
- 보다 –> 보 + 느라고 –> 보느라고
Understanding the meaning of -느라고
“-느라고” is a Korean grammar particle that’s used to express the reason or cause for a certain situation, especially when the situation leads to a negative result or some kind of hindrance. This is why it’s often translated as “because” or “due to” in English.
This grammatical pattern usually implies that the action in the first clause (the cause) has in some way interfered with the action in the second clause (the effect). Hence, the action in the second clause is generally unfavourable or negative.
Usage of “-느라고”
Let’s understand this better with a few examples:
- 고양이를 찾느라고 시간을 많이 소비했어요. – I spent a lot of time looking for the cat.
In this sentence, the action of looking for the cat (고양이를 찾느라고) has caused a lot of time to be spent (시간을 많이 소비했어요), which is generally considered unfavourable or negative.
- 책을 읽느라고 잠을 못 잤어요. – I couldn’t sleep because I was reading a book.
Here, reading a book (책을 읽느라고) has interfered with the speaker’s ability to sleep (잠을 못 잤어요), which is a negative outcome.
While “-느라고” can be used in a variety of contexts, it’s most commonly found in informal speech and writing. It is not usually used in formal situations or honorific speech.
To summarize, “-느라고” is a unique and expressive grammatical pattern that can add depth to your Korean communication. By understanding its usage and practicing with it, you can enhance your Korean language skills significantly!
Examples
Let’s go through some examples with their explanations.
- 제가 게임을 하느라고 전화를 못 받았어요. – I couldn’t answer the phone because I was playing a game.
In this sentence, “게임을 하느라고” (because I was playing a game) is the reason why “전화를 못 받았어요” (I couldn’t answer the phone). The action of playing the game prevented the speaker from answering the phone, leading to a negative outcome.
- 너무 늦게 일어났느라고 아침을 못 먹었어요. – I couldn’t have breakfast because I woke up too late.
Here, “늦게 일어났느라고” (because I woke up too late) caused “아침을 먹지 못했어” (I couldn’t have breakfast). Waking up late interfered with the speaker’s ability to eat breakfast, hence a negative effect is conveyed.
- 숙제를 하느라고 영화를 못 봤어요. – I couldn’t watch the movie because I was doing my homework.
In this example, “숙제를 하느라고” (because I was doing my homework) is the cause for “영화를 못 봤어요” (I couldn’t watch the movie). The act of doing homework prevented the speaker from watching the movie, a negative outcome.
- 미팅을 준비하느라고 밥을 못 먹었어요. – I couldn’t eat because I was preparing for a meeting.
Here, “미팅을 준비하느라고” (because I was preparing for a meeting) prevented “밥을 못 먹었어요” (I couldn’t eat). The speaker was so involved in meeting preparation that they couldn’t eat, which is undesirable.
Remember, “-느라고” often denotes a cause-effect relationship where the effect is generally negative or undesirable due to the cause. Practice these examples, and try creating your own to solidify your understanding!
Activity 1
Fill in the blanks.
- 도서관에서 책을 ___________ 많은 시간이 걸렸어요. – It took a lot of time to find the book at the library.
- 오랫동안 ___________ 피곤해요. – I’m tired because I exercised for a long time.
- ___________ 친구들과 놀러 가지 못했어요. – I couldn’t go out to play with my friends because I was studying.
- 여행을 ___________ 바빴어요. – I was busy preparing for the trip.
- 빨래를 ___________ 점심을 늦게 먹었어요. – I ate lunch late because I was doing laundry.
Activity 1 Answers
- 도서관에서 책을 찾느라고 많은 시간이 걸렸어요. – It took a lot of time to find the book at the library.
- 오랫동안 운동하느라고 피곤해요. – I’m tired because I exercised for a long time.
- 공부하느라고 친구들과 놀러 가지 못했어요. – I couldn’t go out to play with my friends because I was studying.
- 여행을 준비하느라고 바빴어요. – I was busy preparing for the trip.
- 빨래를 하느라고 점심을 늦게 먹었어요. – I ate lunch late because I was doing laundry.
Wrap up
Phew! We’ve made it to the end of our lesson! If you’ve hung on until now, you deserve a big, round of applause (let me hit my imaginary gong!). We’ve just sailed through the seas of “-느라고”, didn’t we?
We’ve learned how “-느라고” is used to express cause and effect, specifically when the cause has resulted in a less than ideal outcome. From missing movies because of waiting for someone to feeling tired after an excessive workout, we’ve seen how this magic grammar particle can shift the meaning of your sentence.
Now, it’s your turn to start weaving these phrases into your daily Korean chats. Imagine all the fun you’ll have expressing different scenarios with “-느라고”.
And please, don’t be a stranger! Leave us a comment below about how you found this lesson, or how you’ve been putting “-느라고” to use in your Korean sentences. I bet you’ve got some entertaining stories to share!
Remember, every bit of grammar you learn is another stepping stone on your K-journey, and you’re doing an amazing job! So until next time, keep practicing and stay curious.
P.S. If you’ve been up late studying Korean grammar and missed dinner… then, “한국어 문법을 공부하느라고 저녁을 먹지 못했어요”… Now that’s dedication! But remember to take care of yourself, too! 😉