KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -(으)ㄹ까 봐
Korean Grammar “-(으)ㄹ까 봐”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 3)
How to attach it
Attach the pattern to the verb stem, which is the dictionary form without 다. Compare how each verb below changes depending on its last sound.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | With this pattern | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보다 | to see, to watch | 볼까 봐 | bolkka bwa |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽을까 봐 | ilgeulkka bwa |
| 하다 | to do | 할까 봐 | halkka bwa |
| 살다 | to live | 살까 봐 | salkka bwa |
What changes
- After a stem ending in a vowel, ㄹ is added to the last syllable (보 → 볼). After a stem ending in a consonant, 을 is added (읽 → 읽을). A stem ending in ㄹ keeps it (살 → 살), and 하 becomes 할.
Explanation
길이 막힐까 봐 일찍 출발했어요.
“-(으)ㄹ까 봐” expresses worry that something might happen, and what follows is the action taken because of that worry. The sentence means “I left early because I was worried there would be heavy traffic.” Unlike “-는 바람에,” which gives the cause of an unfortunate result that already happened, “-(으)ㄹ까 봐” is about a concern over something that has not happened yet.
비가 올까 봐 우산을 가져왔어요.
“-(으)ㄹ까 봐” expresses worry that something unwelcome might happen, and the action in the second clause is taken as a precaution. Use “-을까 봐” after a final consonant. The sentence means “I brought an umbrella in case it rained.” The second clause is the preparation made for that worry.
내일 비가 올까 봐 우산을 챙겼어요.
“-(으)ㄹ까 봐” means “for fear that ~ / in case ~” and shows that you acted in advance because you worried something might happen. Attach it to a stem. The sentence means “I brought an umbrella in case it rains tomorrow.”
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 길이 막힐까 봐 일찍 출발했어요.
In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 길이 | ||
| 길 | ㄱ+ㅣ+ㄹ | [기] gi |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | [리] ri |
| 막힐까 | ||
| 막 | ㅁ+ㅏ+ㄱ | [마] ma |
| 힐 | ㅎ+ㅣ+ㄹ | [킬] kil |
| 까 | ㄲ+ㅏ | kka |
| 봐 | ㅂ+ㅘ | bwa |
| 일찍 | ||
| 일 | ㅇ+ㅣ+ㄹ | il |
| 찍 | ㅉ+ㅣ+ㄱ | jjik |
| 출발했어요 | ||
| 출 | ㅊ+ㅜ+ㄹ | chul |
| 발 | ㅂ+ㅏ+ㄹ | bal |
| 했 | ㅎ+ㅐ+ㅆ | haet |
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | eo |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 길이 → [기리]
- Aspiration: ㅎ next to ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ or ㅈ blends with it into ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ or ㅊ. 막힐까 → [마킬까]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 길 | noun | road, way | TOPIK level 1 |
| 보다 | verb | to see, to watch | TOPIK level 1 |
| 비 | noun | rain | TOPIK level 1 |
| 우산 | noun | umbrella | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 길이 막힐____ 일찍 출발했어요.
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Answer: 길이 막힐까 봐 일찍 출발했어요.
Question 2 Choose the word that fits the blank: 비가 올____ 우산을 가져왔어요.
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Answer: 비가 올까 봐 우산을 가져왔어요.
Question 3 Which is the correct form of 보다 + -(으)ㄹ까 봐?
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Answer: 볼까 봐
Question 4 Which is the correct form of 읽다 + -(으)ㄹ까 봐?
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Answer: 읽을까 봐
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