Middle School - Grade 8
Lesson 6: "Because..." (for Suggestions)
-(으)니까
The "Reason for a Suggestion"
You've already learned **-아/어서** for "because" (Lesson E5-12). That's great for general reasons and results.
Now, we'll learn **-(으)니까**. This form is also "because," but it has a special power: it is used when the reason leads to a **command (like "...please do") or a suggestion (like "shall we...?")**.
The Conjugation Rules
This attaches to both action verb and descriptive verb (adjective) stems.
Stem ends in Vowel or ㄹ
... + 니까
가다 가니까
"Because (I) go, so..."
만들다 만드니까 (ㄹ drops)
"Because (I) make, so..."
Stem ends in Consonant (except ㄹ)
... + 으니까
먹다 먹으니까
"Because (I) eat, so..."
좋다 좋으니까
"Because it's good, so..."
Examples in Action
REASON + COMMAND (-으세요)
날씨가 추우니까 따뜻하게 입으세요.
It's cold, so please dress warmly.
(Note: 춥다 is a ㅂ irregular, so it becomes 추우 + 니까)
REASON + SUGGESTION (-ㄹ까요?)
지금 바쁘니까 나중에 전화할까요?
I'm busy now, so shall I call later?
THE BIGGEST MISTAKE TO AVOID!
(INCORRECT) 날씨가 추워서 따뜻하게 입으세요. (X)
You **cannot** use **-아/어서** before a command or suggestion. This is the main job of -(으)니까!
Coming Up Next...
You've now learned two major ways to say "because." Next, we'll learn another way to give a reason, but at the *end* of your sentence: "It's because..."