KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -느라고
Korean Grammar “-느라고”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 4)
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 | 보느라고 | boneurago |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽느라고 | ingneurago |
| 하다 | to do | 하느라고 | haneurago |
| 살다 | to live | 사느라고 | saneurago |
What changes
- A stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ before this ending (살 → 사-); other stems attach directly.
Explanation
어젯밤에 숙제를 하느라고 한숨도 못 잤어요.
“-느라고” shows that time or effort spent on one action caused an undesirable result in the next clause. It attaches to a verb stem, and both clauses must share the same subject. The sentence means “I was doing my homework last night, so I couldn’t sleep at all.” Do not confuse it with “-려고” (in order to), which expresses purpose, not cause.
숙제를 하느라고 친구 전화를 못 받았어요.
“-느라고” means “because I was busy doing ~” and gives the reason that one action took up time or effort, so something else could not be done. It attaches to a verb stem, and both clauses must have the same subject. The sentence means “I was doing my homework, so I couldn’t answer my friend’s call.” Commands and suggestions cannot follow.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 어젯밤에 숙제를 하느라고 한숨도 못 잤어요.
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 |
| 숙제를 | ||
| 숙 | ㅅ+ㅜ+ㄱ | suk |
| 제 | ㅈ+ㅔ | [쩨] je |
| 를 | ㄹ+ㅡ+ㄹ | reul |
| 하느라고 | ||
| 하 | ㅎ+ㅏ | ha |
| 느 | ㄴ+ㅡ | neu |
| 라 | ㄹ+ㅏ | ra |
| 고 | ㄱ+ㅗ | go |
| 한숨도 | ||
| 한 | ㅎ+ㅏ+ㄴ | han |
| 숨 | ㅅ+ㅜ+ㅁ | sum |
| 도 | ㄷ+ㅗ | do |
| 못 | ㅁ+ㅗ+ㅅ | [몯] mot |
| 잤어요 | ||
| 잤 | ㅈ+ㅏ+ㅆ | [자] ja |
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | [써] sseo |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 전화 | noun | phone, call | TOPIK level 1 |
| 받다 | verb | to receive | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 어젯밤에 숙제를 하____ 한숨도 못 잤어요.
Show the answer
Answer: 어젯밤에 숙제를 하느라고 한숨도 못 잤어요.
Question 2 Choose the word that fits the blank: 숙제를 하____ 친구 전화를 못 받았어요.
Show the answer
Answer: 숙제를 하느라고 친구 전화를 못 받았어요.
More grammar at this level
Learn this phrase by playing: typing drills and quizzes help it stick.
Practice in the gameRead this page in: 日本語 简体中文 繁體中文 Tiếng Việt Bahasa Indonesia Oʻzbekcha Монгол Français Español (México) ไทย