이유와 결과를 설명해요Causes and Results
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Distinguish the reason connector -아서/어서 from the reason connector -(으)니까, and choose correctly between them according to context.
- Explain a cause and its result across two or more connected sentences, rather than stating a bare fact.
- Use result-focused expressions such as 그 결과 and 그래서 그런지 to connect a cause to its outcome in extended explanation.
- Recognize why certain verbs and endings cannot combine with -아서/어서 (such as commands and suggestions), and use -(으)니까 instead in those contexts.
- Read a short explanatory passage and identify how the writer connects causes to results.
- Write a short explanation of why something happened, using at least two different reason connectors accurately.
- Speak about a cause-and-result situation from your own life or observation in an extended turn.
This chapter's principal new systems are the expanded contrast between -아서/어서 and -(으)니까, and result-focused explanatory language. It recycles the narrative frame from Chapter 2 — background clauses with -는데, the ongoing aspect -고 있다, and time clauses — while adding the ability to explain why events happened.
Communication Scenario
The discussion group meets for a third session. 라일라's narrative about moving and starting Korean impressed the group, but 지영 noticed that when 라일라 tries to explain *why* something happened — why she felt lonely, why she finally started studying, why her coworkers seemed distant at first — she tends to simply list two facts next to each other without connecting them. 지영 introduces a closer look at reason connectors: -아서/어서 for straightforward cause-and-effect, and -(으)니까 for reasons that lead to a suggestion, request, or realization. She also shows how 그 결과 and similar expressions can tie a whole explanation together.
- This chapter builds directly on Chapter 2's narrative frame: background clauses, ongoing aspect, and time clauses.
- This chapter's new focus is the deepened contrast between -아서/어서 and -(으)니까, plus result language such as 그 결과.
- The chapter's task is to explain a cause-and-result situation clearly, choosing the correct reason connector for each context.
Core Vocabulary
The following vocabulary supports explaining causes and results. Most items are new; several discourse expressions recycle and expand on Chapters 1 and 2.
| Korean | Meaning | Category / Pattern | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 이유 | reason | noun; 이유가 있다, 이유를 설명하다 | new |
| 결과 | result | noun; 결과가 나오다, 결과적으로 | new |
| 원인 | cause | noun; 원인이 되다 | new |
| 영향을 주다/받다 | to give / receive an influence | verb phrase; 에게 영향을 주다 | new |
| 그 결과 | as a result | discourse expression | new |
| 그래서 그런지 | maybe that's why, perhaps as a result | discourse expression | new |
| 그러다 보니(까) | as I kept doing that, and so | discourse expression | new |
| 결국 | in the end, ultimately | adverb | new |
| 덕분에 | thanks to, owing to (positive cause) | expression; 명사 덕분에 | new |
| 때문에 | because of (neutral/negative cause) | expression; 명사 때문에 | review, expanded |
| 스트레스를 받다 | to get stressed | verb phrase | review |
| 자신감 | confidence | noun; 자신감이 생기다/없어지다 | new |
| 포기하다 | to give up | action verb; 을/를 포기하다 | new |
| 버티다 | to endure, hold out | action verb | new |
| 해결하다 | to resolve, solve | action verb; 을/를 해결하다 | new |
Learners should continue to use vocabulary and discourse expressions from Chapters 1 and 2 — 예를 들면, 지금 생각해 보면, and 시간이 지나면서 — while explaining causes and results in this chapter.
Pronunciation and Speech Focus
This chapter introduces no new sound-change rule. The speech focus continues from Chapter 2, now applying intonation patterns to reason clauses.
Like the background use of -는데 practiced in Chapter 2, a reason clause ending in -아서/어서 or -(으)니까 is typically spoken with a slight rise or level pitch, signaling that the result or conclusion is still coming. A falling pitch at this point would sound as though the speaker had stopped mid-thought.
When explaining a cause, natural speech usually places slightly more emphasis on the content word describing the cause (for example, 바빠서 or 시간이 없으니까) rather than on the ending itself. Practice keeping the connector light and quick while giving the reason itself a touch more weight.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter's principal focus is explaining causes and results: deepening the contrast between -아서/어서 and -(으)니까, and adding result-focused discourse expressions. No new particle, honorific, or speech-level system is introduced.
1. Reason with -아서/어서
-아서/어서 connects a cause directly to its natural result. The clause before -아서/어서 and the clause after it are understood as closely, almost automatically, linked — the second clause is a natural consequence of the first, not a separate decision made because of it.
Attach -아서 or -어서 according to the final vowel of the stem, following the same vowel-harmony pattern as -아요/어요. Past tense is not marked on the clause before -아서/어서; the tense of the whole sentence is carried by the final verb.
-아서/어서 cannot be followed by a command (-(으)세요) or a suggestion (-(으)ㅂ시다) in the second clause. For those, -(으)니까 is required instead.
- 일이 너무 많아서 스트레스를 많이 받았어요. Because there was too much work, I got very stressed. -아서 (direct cause) + natural consequence
- 한국어 수업이 재미있어서 계속 다니고 싶어졌어요. Because the Korean class was fun, I came to want to keep attending. -어서 (direct cause) linking interest to a resulting desire
2. Reason with -(으)니까
-(으)니까 also gives a reason, but the relationship between the two clauses is looser than with -아서/어서: the speaker presents the first clause as a basis for a decision, request, suggestion, command, or new realization in the second clause. Unlike -아서/어서, -(으)니까 can attach after the past tense marker and can be followed by commands and suggestions.
Attach -니까 after a vowel-final stem and -으니까 after a consonant-final stem. 있다/없다 and past-tense stems always take -으니까 in the form 있으니까, 없으니까, 했으니까.
- 시간이 없으니까 나중에 다시 이야기합시다. Since there's no time, let's talk again later. -으니까 (reason for a suggestion) + -(으)ㅂ시다
- 처음에는 잘 못했으니까 자신감이 별로 없었어요. Since I wasn't good at it at first, I didn't have much confidence. past stem + -으니까 (reason for a realization/state)
바빠서 못 갔어요 presents being busy as the direct, natural cause of not going — a simple cause-and-effect statement. 바쁘니까 못 가요 presents being busy as the speaker's stated basis for a decision or for informing the listener, and could be followed naturally by a suggestion such as 다음에 갑시다 ("let's go next time"). Both are correct; they simply frame the connection between cause and result differently.
| Feature | -아서/어서 | -(으)니까 |
|---|---|---|
| Relationship | direct, natural cause and effect | basis for a decision, request, or realization |
| Past tense before the ending | not used | used: -았/었으니까 |
| Followed by 감사하다/죄송하다 | common | less natural |
| Followed by -(으)세요 or -(으)ㅂ시다 | not possible | possible |
3. Result Language: Tying an Explanation Together
그 결과 ("as a result") opens a new sentence that states the outcome of what was just described, and is common in more organized or written explanation. 그래서 그런지 ("maybe that's why, perhaps as a result") softens a result, suggesting the speaker is not entirely certain of the connection. 그러다 보니(까) ("as I kept doing that, and so") describes a result that emerged gradually from a repeated or ongoing action, and often follows a clause with -고 있었다 from Chapter 2's narrative frame.
- 매일 조금씩 한국어를 공부했어요. 그 결과, 지금은 뉴스를 어느 정도 이해할 수 있어요. I studied Korean a little every day. As a result, I can now understand the news to some degree. 그 결과 (formal result marker) opening a new sentence
- 그때 매일 늦게까지 일하고 있었는데, 그러다 보니까 건강이 나빠졌어요. At that time I was working late every day, and as I kept doing that, my health got worse. -고 있었는데 (Ch.2 ongoing background) + 그러다 보니까 (gradual result)
[background situation, recycled from Ch.2] + [direct cause with -아서/어서] + [decision or realization with -(으)니까] + [result marker: 그 결과 / 그래서 그런지 / 그러다 보니까] + [closing reflection]
An explanation typically opens with background, states a direct cause, shows a decision that followed from a reason, names the eventual result explicitly, and closes with a brief reflection.
그 당시에 저는 새 프로젝트를 맡고 있었는데, 자료가 너무 많아서 정리하기가 힘들었어요. 시간이 부족하니까 팀원들한테 도움을 요청하기로 했어요. 다 같이 나눠서 일하니까 훨씬 수월했어요. 그 결과, 예정보다 일찍 프로젝트를 끝낼 수 있었어요. 지금 생각해 보면, 그때 혼자 버티지 않고 도움을 요청한 게 정말 다행이었어요.
At that time I was handling a new project, and because there was too much material, it was hard to organize. Since there wasn't enough time, I decided to ask my team members for help. Since we divided the work and did it together, it was much smoother. As a result, I was able to finish the project earlier than planned. Looking back now, I think it was really fortunate that I asked for help instead of enduring it alone.
Practice — Building an explanation
- Write one background sentence, recycling -는데 or -고 있었어요 from Chapter 2.
- Write one sentence stating a direct cause with -아서/어서.
- Write one sentence showing a decision or realization with -(으)니까.
- Write one sentence naming the result, using 그 결과, 그래서 그런지, or 그러다 보니까.
Model Dialogue
Setting: 지영's discussion group, third session. 라일라 explains why her feelings about learning Korean changed over time.
내용 이해 — Comprehension questions:
- Why was 라일라 initially too busy to learn Korean?
- Identify one sentence in the dialogue that uses -(으)니까 to explain a decision.
- What result does 라일라 name at the end of the dialogue, and which expression introduces it?
Guided Practice
- Choose a situation from your own life where a clear cause led to a clear result (a decision, a habit, a change in feeling).
- Write one background sentence, recycling a Chapter 2 tool (-는데 or -고 있었어요).
- Write one sentence stating a direct cause with -아서/어서.
- Write one sentence showing a decision or realization with -(으)니까.
- Write one sentence naming the result with 그 결과, 그래서 그런지, or 그러다 보니까.
- Write one closing sentence, recycling 지금 생각해 보면 from Chapter 2.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a language partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud. Listen twice without reading, then complete the tasks below.
민준 씨의 이야기
민준 씨는 대학교 때 운동을 별로 안 좋아했는데, 졸업한 후에 회사에 들어가서 하루 종일 앉아서 일하다 보니까 몸이 점점 안 좋아졌어요. 병원에 가 보니까 의사가 운동을 좀 하라고 했어요. 그래서 매일 아침에 삼십 분씩 걷기 시작했어요. 처음에는 힘들어서 몇 번 포기하고 싶었지만, 꾸준히 하다 보니까 조금씩 습관이 됐어요. 그 결과, 지금은 예전보다 훨씬 건강해졌고, 아침에 걷는 시간이 하루 중 제일 좋아하는 시간이 됐어요.
듣기 과제 — Listening task: Listen and answer in English.
| 질문 | 답 |
|---|---|
| What caused 민준's health to decline? | ______ |
| What decision did he make, and why (which connector introduces the reason)? | ______ |
| What result does the passage name at the end, and which expression introduces it? | ______ |
Reading Practice
Below is a short explanatory passage similar to the one you will write in this chapter's Writing Workshop. Read it and answer the questions below.
왜 이 도시를 좋아하게 됐을까
저는 이 도시로 이사한 지 얼마 안 됐을 때는 사람들이 너무 바빠 보여서 조금 무섭게 느껴졌어요. 하지만 회사 근처에 작은 카페가 하나 있었는데, 거기 사장님이 항상 반갑게 인사해 주니까 마음이 조금씩 편해졌어요. 그러다 보니까 자연스럽게 그 카페에 자주 가게 됐고, 거기서 몇몇 단골손님들하고도 친해졌어요.
처음에는 이 도시가 낯설어서 힘들었지만, 그 카페 덕분에 조금씩 이곳에 정이 들었어요. 그 결과, 지금은 이 도시를 제 고향처럼 느끼게 됐어요. 지금 생각해 보면, 작은 카페 하나가 제 마음을 바꾼 계기가 된 셈이에요.
This passage recycles vocabulary and grammar from Chapters 1 and 2, and demonstrates the cause-and-result explanation frame introduced in the Grammar section above.
내용 이해 — Comprehension questions:
- What was the writer's first impression of the city, and why?
- Find one sentence using -(으)니까 and explain what decision or realization it leads to.
- What positive cause does the writer credit with changing their feelings, and which expression (덕분에) marks it?
Writing Workshop
This chapter's writing task is a short explanation: 이유와 결과 설명하기 ("Explaining a Reason and Its Result"), modeled on the Reading Practice passage above.
- Choose your situation. Select a real or plausible cause-and-result situation from your life — a habit that changed, a decision you made, or a feeling that developed over time.
- Set the background. Write one or two sentences recycling a Chapter 2 tool (-는데 or -고 있었어요) to establish the starting situation.
- State the direct cause. Write one sentence with -아서/어서 connecting a cause to its natural effect.
- Show your decision. Write one sentence with -(으)니까 connecting a reason to a decision, request, or realization.
- Name the result. Use 그 결과, 그래서 그런지, or 그러다 보니까 to introduce the outcome clearly.
- Close with a reflection. Recycle 지금 생각해 보면 from Chapter 2 to comment on the situation from your present perspective.
- Revise. Check your draft against the checklist below.
체크리스트 — Editing checklist:
- At least one sentence uses -아서/어서 for a direct cause.
- At least one sentence uses -(으)니까 for a reason leading to a decision or realization.
- At least one result expression (그 결과, 그래서 그런지, or 그러다 보니까) appears.
- At least one tool from Chapter 2 (background clause, -고 있다, or a time clause) appears.
- A closing reflection with 지금 생각해 보면 or a similar expression appears.
- -아서/어서 is never followed directly by a command or suggestion ending.
- Speech level is consistent everyday polite -아요/어요 throughout.
- Only Hangeul is used; no romanization appears in the final draft.
- Spacing and particles are accurate throughout.
- No grammar or vocabulary beyond Volume II, Chapters 1–2, and this chapter appears productively.
Speaking Practice
통제 연습 — Controlled practice: 이유 골라 말하기
Your instructor or partner reads ten short cause-and-result situations aloud. For each, decide aloud whether -아서/어서 or -(으)니까 fits better, and explain briefly why.
의사소통 과제 — Communicative task: 원인과 결과 이야기하기
With a partner, take turns explaining a real cause-and-result situation from your own life in at least six connected sentences, including a direct cause, a decision, and a named result. Your partner should identify which reason connector they heard and whether it was used correctly.
혼자 하는 연습 — Solo alternative
Record yourself explaining the same situation twice: once using only -아서/어서, and once using only -(으)니까 wherever grammatically possible. Notice which contexts feel natural with each ending and which do not.
Culture and Communication
In South Korean conversation, describing a difficult period and the eventual positive result — as in this chapter's readings — is a common way to talk about personal growth, whether in a discussion group, a job interview, or a casual conversation with friends. Naming the specific turning point or effort behind a result, rather than simply stating the outcome, is often seen as a mark of thoughtful self-reflection.
The expression 덕분에 ("thanks to") is frequently used to credit another person, a place, or a circumstance for a positive result, and doing so is generally viewed favorably in South Korean conversation, whether the credited cause is a person, an institution, or even a small everyday circumstance like a friendly café. This differs from 때문에, which is more neutral or negative in tone and is not typically used to thank someone directly.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Producing an incorrect sentence such as *시간이 없어서 빨리 가세요, attaching a command directly after -아서/어서.
Correction: Use -(으)니까 whenever the second clause is a command, suggestion, or request: 시간이 없으니까 빨리 가세요.
Error: Producing an incorrect form such as *바빴어서 못 갔어요, marking past tense on the clause before -아서/어서.
Correction: -아서/어서 does not take a separate past-tense marker on the first clause; past tense is carried by the final verb only: 바빠서 못 갔어요.
Error: Using whichever reason connector comes to mind first, without considering whether the second clause states a natural effect or a decision, request, or realization.
Correction: Check the second clause: if it states a command, suggestion, or clear personal decision, -(으)니까 is usually the better fit; if it states a direct, natural consequence, -아서/어서 usually fits better.
Chapter Review
Section A — 어휘 (Vocabulary)
1. Give the meaning of 원인, 결국, and 덕분에, and explain how 덕분에 differs from 때문에 in tone.
Section B — 문법 (Grammar)
1. Combine these two sentences using -아서/어서: 저는 시간이 없어요. 저는 숙제를 다 못 했어요.
2. Combine these two sentences using -(으)니까: 밖에 비가 와요. 우산을 가지고 가세요.
3. Explain in English why *바빠서 도와주세요 is incorrect, and provide a corrected sentence.
Section C — 독해 이해 (Reading Comprehension)
1. Summarize the Reading Practice passage in three to four English sentences, naming at least two grammar points or result expressions the writer uses.
Section D — 쓰기 (Writing)
1. Write your own "이유와 결과 설명하기" explanation following the Writing Workshop steps and checklist.
Section E — 말하기 (Speaking)
1. Present your cause-and-result explanation aloud to a partner, instructor, or recording, following the Speaking Practice guidance above.
누적 복습 — Cumulative review
This chapter recycles the narrative frame from Chapter 2 — background clauses, the ongoing aspect, and time clauses — as well as connectors and discourse expressions from Chapter 1, and vocabulary, particles, and speech-level control from Volume II. It introduces the deepened -아서/어서 versus -(으)니까 contrast and result-focused discourse expressions as new productive tools. No new particle, honorific, or speech-level system is introduced.
Practical Performance Task
수행 과제
이유와 결과 설명하기 — Explaining a Reason and Its Result
You will produce a connected written explanation and a corresponding spoken account describing a real or plausible cause-and-result situation in your life, using both reason connectors correctly and naming the eventual result.
- Written: Write your full explanation from the Writing Workshop, following the explanation frame and editing checklist.
- Spoken: Present the same explanation aloud as one connected spoken turn, without reading it word for word.
- Reflection: Write one to two English sentences identifying which reason connector (-아서/어서 or -(으)니까) you found harder to use correctly, and why.
| Criterion | What is evaluated |
|---|---|
| Explanation organization | Background, cause, decision, and result appear in a clear order |
| -아서/어서 accuracy | At least one accurate use for a direct cause, with no command or suggestion following it |
| -(으)니까 accuracy | At least one accurate use leading to a decision, request, or realization |
| Result language | At least one accurate use of 그 결과, 그래서 그런지, or 그러다 보니까 |
| Cohesion from Chapters 1–2 | Connectors, background clauses, and at least one discourse expression are used naturally |
| Speech-level consistency | Everyday polite -아요/어요 maintained throughout, in writing and speech |
| Hangeul and spacing accuracy | Accurate spelling and level-appropriate spacing throughout, no romanization |
| Scope discipline | No structures used productively beyond Volume II, Chapters 1–2, and this chapter |
Answer Key
Grammar — Practice
1. Sample answer: 그때 저는 새 일을 시작했는데, 일이 너무 많아서 힘들었어요.
2. Sample answer: 시간이 부족하니까 도움을 요청하기로 했어요.
3. Sample answer: 단어를 몰라서 사전을 찾아봤어요. 그러다 보니까 자연스럽게 어휘가 늘었어요.
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- 라일라 was initially too busy because of work (회사 일 때문에 너무 바빠서) to learn Korean.
- Sample sentence with -(으)니까: 동료들하고 대화가 안 통하니까 너무 답답했어요 — the reason leads to her realization/frustration and eventual decision to act.
- 라일라 names being able to present in front of the group as the result, introduced by 그 결과.
Listening comprehension
- Sitting all day for work caused 민준's health to decline (앉아서 일하다 보니까 몸이 안 좋아졌다).
- He decided to walk every morning; the reason is introduced with -(으)니까 (병원에 가 보니까 의사가 운동을 하라고 했다).
- The result named at the end is that he became much healthier, introduced by 그 결과.
Reading comprehension
- The writer's first impression was that the city felt a little frightening because people seemed too busy.
- Sample sentence: 사장님이 항상 반갑게 인사해 주니까 마음이 조금씩 편해졌어요 — this reason leads to the writer's growing sense of comfort.
- The writer credits the small café, marked with 그 카페 덕분에, with changing their feelings about the city.
Chapter Review — Section B
1. Sample answer: 시간이 없어서 숙제를 다 못 했어요.
2. Sample answer: 밖에 비가 오니까 우산을 가지고 가세요.
3. *바빠서 도와주세요 is incorrect because -아서/어서 cannot be followed by a command. Corrected: 바쁘니까 도와주세요.
Section D — Sample "이유와 결과 설명하기" excerpt
몇 달 전에 저는 새 취미를 찾고 있었는데, 마침 친구가 그림 그리기를 추천해 줬어요. 처음에는 그림에 소질이 없어서 자신감이 별로 없었어요. 하지만 계속 관심이 있으니까 일단 한번 배워 보기로 했어요. 매주 조금씩 연습하다 보니까 실력이 점점 늘었어요. 그 결과, 지금은 친구들한테 제 그림을 보여 줄 정도로 자신감이 생겼어요. 지금 생각해 보면, 그때 포기하지 않고 계속 해 본 게 정말 잘한 일이었던 것 같아요.
Check that: the explanation includes background, a direct cause with -아서/어서, a decision with -(으)니까, a named result, and a closing reflection, and that no structures beyond Volume II, Chapters 1–2, and this chapter appear productively.
Looking Ahead
지금 할 수 있는 것 — What you can do now
You can explain a cause-and-result situation clearly, choosing between -아서/어서 and -(으)니까 according to context and naming the eventual result with appropriate discourse expressions, while continuing to draw on the narrative tools from Chapters 1 and 2. This explanatory foundation prepares you for the summarizing and paraphrasing work of Chapter 4.