-아/어서 (because)
-아/어서 (because)
The Korean grammar pattern 아/어서 is a conjunction that is used to express a cause-and-effect relationship in a sentence. The first clause expresses the cause or reason, while the second clause expresses the effect or result.
The conjugation of the verb depends on whether it is an action verb or a descriptive verb. For action verbs, the verb stem is used with the ending -아/어서. For descriptive verbs, the verb stem is used with the ending -아/어서. For example, the verb 먹다 (to eat) is conjugated to 먹어서 in the 아/어서 pattern, while the verb 예쁘다 (to be pretty) is conjugated to 예뻐서 in the 아/어서 pattern. Here are some examples of how to use the 아/어서 conjunction in sentences:
When the stem ends with vowel ㅏ or ㅗ, use 아서
가다
- 가다-> 가
- 가 + 아서
- 가서
살다
- 살다 -> 살
- 살 + 아서
- 살아서
Ex:
- 제 친구는 이미 집에 가서 여기에 없어요. (My friend has already gone home and is not here.)
- 집에서 혼자 살아서 외로워요. (I’m lonely because I live alone at home.)
When the stem ends with a vowel other than ㅏ or ㅗ, add –어서.
없다
- 없다 - 없
- 없 + 어서
- 없어서
먹다
- 먹다 -> 먹
- 먹 + 어서
- 먹어서
- 시간이 없어서 밥을 먹지 못했습니다. (I didn't have time to eat because I was busy.)
- 저녁을 많이 먹어서 배불러요. (I ate a lot of dinner so I'm full.)
When the stem is 하다, use 해서
피곤하다(to be tired) -> 피곤해서.
오늘 너무 피곤해서 잠들었어요. (I fell asleep because I was so tired.)
You can’t use other tenses (ex: future tense, past tense) when using 아/어/해서.
저녁을 많이 먹었어서 배불러요. (incorrect) I ate a lot of dinner, so I'm full.
오늘 너무 피곤했어서 잠들었어요 (incorrect) I fell asleep because I was so tired.
하루종일 걸었어서 다리가 아파요. (incorrect) My legs hurt because I walked all day.