KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에
Korean Grammar “-(으)ㄴ/는 탓에”: How to Use It (TOPIK 5)
How to attach it
The ending differs for verbs and adjectives, so the table shows both. Compare how each word changes depending on its last sound.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | With this pattern | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보다 | to see, to watch (verb) | 보는 탓에 | boneun tase |
| 읽다 | to read (verb) | 읽는 탓에 | ingneun tase |
| 크다 | big (adjective) | 큰 탓에 | keun tase |
| 좋다 | good, nice (adjective) | 좋은 탓에 | joeun tase |
What changes
- For verbs, -는 attaches directly to the stem (읽 → 읽는). A stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ first (살 → 사는).
- For adjectives, the present-tense form is -(으)ㄴ: ㄴ after a vowel (크 → 큰) and 은 after a consonant (좋 → 좋은).
Explanation
어젯밤에 잠을 못 잔 탓에 오늘 하루 종일 피곤해요.
“-(으)ㄴ/는 탓에” means “because of / due to” and gives the cause of an undesirable result. Use “-(으)ㄴ 탓에” for the past and “-는 탓에” for the present. The sentence means “Because I couldn’t sleep last night, I’ve been tired all day today.” “덕분에” is reserved for good results, so it does not fit here.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 어젯밤에 잠을 못 잔 탓에 오늘 하루 종일 피곤해요.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 어젯밤에 | ||
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | eo |
| 젯 | ㅈ+ㅔ+ㅅ | [젣] jet |
| 밤 | ㅂ+ㅏ+ㅁ | [빠] ba |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | [메] me |
| 잠을 | ||
| 잠 | ㅈ+ㅏ+ㅁ | [자] ja |
| 을 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [믈] meul |
| 못 | ㅁ+ㅗ+ㅅ | [몯] mot |
| 잔 | ㅈ+ㅏ+ㄴ | jan |
| 탓에 | ||
| 탓 | ㅌ+ㅏ+ㅅ | [타] ta |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | [세] se |
| 오늘 | ||
| 오 | ㅇ+ㅗ | o |
| 늘 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄹ | neul |
| 하루 | ||
| 하 | ㅎ+ㅏ | ha |
| 루 | ㄹ+ㅜ | ru |
| 종일 | ||
| 종 | ㅈ+ㅗ+ㅇ | jong |
| 일 | ㅇ+ㅣ+ㄹ | il |
| 피곤해요 | ||
| 피 | ㅍ+ㅣ | pi |
| 곤 | ㄱ+ㅗ+ㄴ | gon |
| 해 | ㅎ+ㅐ | hae |
| 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
- Tensing: after a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ sound, ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ and ㅈ become tense (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ). 젯밤에 → [젣빠메]
- 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. 밤에 → [바메]
- Final-sound reduction: every final consonant is pronounced as one of seven sounds — ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ or ㅇ. 못 → [몯]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 피곤하다 | adjective | tired | TOPIK level 2 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 어젯밤에 잠을 못 잔 ____ 오늘 하루 종일 피곤해요.
Show the answer
Answer: 어젯밤에 잠을 못 잔 탓에 오늘 하루 종일 피곤해요.
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