Elementary School - Grade 5
Lesson 9: "Because..." (Verbs/Adj)
-기 때문에
From a Noun to a Whole Reason
In Lesson 8 you learned Noun + 때문에: 비 때문에 means "because of the rain."
To give a reason with a verb or adjective, remove 다 and add -기 때문에. 비가 오기 때문에 means "because it is raining."
The Rule: Stem + 기 때문에
This one is easy: every stem takes the same ending. Vowel or consonant, you never add 으.
Stem ends in a vowel
... + 기 때문에
가다 가기 때문에
"Because I go"
Stem ends in a consonant
... + 기 때문에
먹다 먹기 때문에
"Because I eat"
Adjectives too
... + 기 때문에
바쁘다 바쁘기 때문에
"Because I am busy"
Examples in Action
비가 오기 때문에 집에 있어요.
Because it is raining, I am at home.
피곤하기 때문에 일찍 자요.
Because I am tired, I sleep early.
한국어가 재미있기 때문에 공부해요.
I study Korean because it is interesting.
A Reason in the Past
You can put the past tense right before 기 때문에. 공부하다 becomes 공부했기 때문에: "because I studied."
어제 공부했기 때문에 오늘 피곤해요.
Because I studied yesterday, I am tired today.
Nouns: Two Different Meanings
Keep Noun + 때문에 for "because of a noun." To say "because someone IS a noun," use Noun + 이기 때문에.
시험 때문에 바빠요.
I am busy because of the exam.
학생이기 때문에 공부해요.
I study because I am a student.
Watch Out!
Never add 으 before 기, and don't use -기 때문에 before a command (like ...-(으)세요).
먹으기 때문에 (Incorrect!)
비가 오기 때문에 우산을 가져가세요. (Incorrect!)
You will learn a different "because" for commands and suggestions later on!
Quick Review
Remove 다, then add 기 때문에. Use it to explain the reason for a statement. Practice present and past reasons separately. Grade 10 will compare the nuances of the different "because" forms.
Coming Up Next...
Next, learn another very common way to give a reason: -아/어서.