KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -거든요
Korean Grammar “-거든요”: 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 | 보거든요 | bogeodeunyo |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽거든요 | ikgeodeunyo |
| 하다 | to do | 하거든요 | hageodeunyo |
| 살다 | to live | 살거든요 | salgeodeunyo |
What changes
- This ending attaches directly to the stem. Nothing changes, whether the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant.
Explanation
A: 왜 일찍 가요? B: 내일 아침에 중요한 회의가 있거든요.
“-거든요” is a conversational ending used to supply a reason or background the listener does not know, often as an answer to a question. The exchange means “A: Why are you leaving early? B: Because I have an important meeting tomorrow morning.” Unlike “-아/어서,” which links the reason to a following clause, “-거든요” ends the sentence on its own and is often used to explain a situation in conversation.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: A: 왜 일찍 가요? B: 내일 아침에 중요한 회의가 있거든요.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 왜 | ㅇ+ㅙ | wae |
| 일찍 | ||
| 일 | ㅇ+ㅣ+ㄹ | il |
| 찍 | ㅉ+ㅣ+ㄱ | jjik |
| 가요 | ||
| 가 | ㄱ+ㅏ | ga |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
| 내일 | ||
| 내 | ㄴ+ㅐ | nae |
| 일 | ㅇ+ㅣ+ㄹ | il |
| 아침에 | ||
| 아 | ㅇ+ㅏ | a |
| 침 | ㅊ+ㅣ+ㅁ | [치] chi |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | [메] me |
| 중요한 | ||
| 중 | ㅈ+ㅜ+ㅇ | jung |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
| 한 | ㅎ+ㅏ+ㄴ | han |
| 회의가 | ||
| 회 | ㅎ+ㅚ | hoe |
| 의 | ㅇ+ㅢ | ui |
| 가 | ㄱ+ㅏ | ga |
| 있거든요 | ||
| 있 | ㅇ+ㅣ+ㅆ | it |
| 거 | ㄱ+ㅓ | geo |
| 든 | ㄷ+ㅡ+ㄴ | deun |
| 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. 침에 → [치메]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 회의 | noun | meeting | TOPIK level 2 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: A: 왜 일찍 가요? B: 내일 아침에 중요한 회의가 ____.
Show the answer
Answer: A: 왜 일찍 가요? B: 내일 아침에 중요한 회의가 있거든요.
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