Elementary School - Grade 5
Lesson 10: "Because..." (Verbs/Adj)
-아/어서
Expressing Reason (Verbs & Adjectives)
You learned to say "because of a noun" (`Noun 때문에`). Now, you'll learn the most common way to say "because" with verbs and adjectives.
The pattern **-아/어서** connects a reason (a verb or adjective) to a result. It's used for general cause-and-effect and sequential actions. The best part? It uses the *exact same* vowel harmony rules as `아요/어요`!
The Conjugation Rule
Just like the present tense, you look at the last vowel of the stem.
Last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ
... + 아서
좋다 좋아서
"Because it's good"
보다 봐서
"Because I see"
Last vowel is NOT ㅏ or ㅗ
... + 어서
먹다 먹어서
"Because I eat"
예쁘다 예뻐서
"Because it's pretty"
하다 verbs
... + 해서
공부하다 공부해서
"Because I study"
피곤하다 피곤해서
"Because I'm tired"
Examples in Action
피곤해서 일찍 잤어요.
I was tired, so I went to bed early.
비가 와서 길이 미끄러워요.
Because it rained, the road is slippery.
친구를 만나서 영화를 봤어요.
I met my friend, and then we watched a movie. (Also shows sequence!)
An Important Rule!
You **CANNOT** use `-아/어서` with commands (like `...-으세요`) or suggestions (like `...-ㄹ까요?`).
피곤해서 쉬세요. (Incorrect!)
바빠서 내일 만날까요? (Incorrect!)
You will learn a different grammar (`-(으)니까`) for those situations in Middle School!
Coming Up Next...
You've learned to state reasons. Next, you'll learn how to state conditions by saying "if..." or "when..."