Part 21 - Because

Part 21.1 - ~(으)니까 — Because, So

Basic Information

The pattern ~(으)니까 is used to express **reason** or **cause** — it means "**because**" or "**so**."
It is often used when you are giving a **clear reason**, **explaining a situation**, or **giving a command/suggestion** based on a reason.
It feels a little **stronger** or **more direct** than ~아/어서.

Grammar Rule

Verb / Adjective stem + (으)니까

• Verb/adjective stem ending with consonant → 으니까
• Verb/adjective stem ending with vowel → 니까

Example Sentences

Korean	English
비가 오니까 우산을 가져가세요.	Because it’s raining, take an umbrella.
배고프니까 밥 먹어요.	I’m hungry, so I eat (let’s eat).
시간이 없으니까 빨리 가세요.	There is no time, so go quickly.
날씨가 좋으니까 산책해요.	Because the weather is nice, I take a walk.
내일 시험이 있으니까 공부하세요.	Because there’s a test tomorrow, study.

Important Notes

• ~(으)니까 is used for giving **clear reasons**, **commands**, or **suggestions**.
• Stronger and more **explicit** than ~아/어서.
• Often used when **explaining why** or telling someone to do something based on that reason.

Summary

Use ~(으)니까 when you want to say "**because**" or "**so**" and give a reason in Korean.
Very useful for **explaining situations** or making **suggestions** based on reasons.

Common TOPIK I Patterns

• Verb/adjective stem + (으)니까 ~. → Because ~, so ~.
• 배고프니까 ~. → Because I’m hungry, ~.
• 날씨가 좋으니까 ~. → Because the weather is good, ~.

End of Lesson

Now you can use ~(으)니까 to clearly give reasons and explain your thoughts in Korean!
Practice making your own cause & effect sentences. 화이팅! ✨

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Part 21.2 - ~아/어서 — Because, So (More Connected, Soft Reason)

Basic Information

The pattern ~아/어서 also means "**because**" or "**so**," but it gives a **softer** or more **naturally connected** feeling.
It is used to show a **natural flow** between events, reasons, or causes.
It is commonly used in **everyday conversation**, and it often sounds more **neutral** or **casual** than ~(으)니까.

Grammar Rule

Verb/adjective stem + 아/어서

• Verb/adjective stem with ㅏ or ㅗ → 아서
• Verb/adjective stem with other vowels → 어서
• 하다 → 해서

Example Sentences

Korean	English
배가 아파서 약을 먹었어요.	Because I had a stomachache, I took medicine.
길이 막혀서 늦었어요.	I was late because of traffic.
피곤해서 일찍 잤어요.	Because I was tired, I went to bed early.
날씨가 좋아서 산책했어요.	Because the weather was nice, I took a walk.
바빠서 못 갔어요.	I couldn’t go because I was busy.

Important Notes

• ~아/어서 feels **softer** and is used for a more **natural flow** of cause and effect.
• Common in **spoken Korean**.
• Not usually used for **commands** or **suggestions** — for those, ~(으)니까 is better.

Summary

Use ~아/어서 to express a **soft reason** or a **natural cause-effect** relationship.
Very common in **daily conversation**.

Common TOPIK I Patterns

• Verb/adjective stem + 아/어서 ~. → Because ~, so ~.
• 피곤해서 ~. → Because I’m tired, ~.
• 시간이 없어서 ~. → Because I don’t have time, ~.

End of Lesson

Now you can use ~아/어서 to explain soft reasons in a very natural way!
This is one of the most **useful everyday patterns** in Korean. Practice it well! 화이팅! ✨

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