Korean Grammar100-5

All right, let’s start lesson no. 5. The fifth sentence structure is “S1이 V1므로/기 때문에 S2가 V2합니다/했습니다.”, which means “Because S1 V1 ~, S2 V2 ~”. As you can see, there are two subjects and two verbs in this sentence. And the letters, 므로/기 때문에 function as a conjunction, ‘because’ in English.

By the way, I guess you would be very confused about distinguishing 므로, 으므로, and 이므로. Although Koreans can use those letters precisely during conversations, they can hardly explain to the foreigners the difference between them. So, I will explain the difference between them. First, when you place a verb, or adjective in front of it, and when you remove the letter, 다, and either the last letter doesn’t have the final sound, that is to say, finishes with vowels, or has ㄹ[ri-eul] as the final sound, 므로 can be placed behind. For example, 강하다 is an adjective, and its meaning is ‘strong’. So, when you remove the letter, 다, the last letter is 하, and there is no final sound, as you can see 하 finishes with the vowel, ㅏ[a], so you have to place 므로 behind it. So, 강하므로 is correct. 강하으므로 is the wrong expression. And the second example is 팔다, which means ‘to sell’. When you remove the letter, 다, the letter 팔 ends with the final sound ㄹ[ri-eul]. So, you can place 므로 behind it. So, 팔므로 is correct. 팔으므로 is the wrong expression. On the other hand, when you place a verb, or adjective in front of it, and when you remove the letter, 다, and the last letter has the final sound except ㄹ[ri-eul], 으므로 should be placed. For example, 오고 있다 is ‘is coming’, and if we remove the letter, 다, the last letter, 있 finishes with the final sound, double ㅅ[si-ot], so 으므로 should be placed behind. So, 오고 있으므로 is correct. 오고 있므로 is the wrong expression. And we can replace 므로, 으므로 with 기 때문에, so 강하므로 is the same as 강하기 때문에, and 오고 있으므로 is the same as 오고 있기 때문에, right?

And one more thing, when you place a noun in front of it, 이므로/이기 때문에 should be placed behind. For example, 공휴일 is a noun, and its meaning is ‘holiday’, so 공휴일이므로 is correct. 공휴일므로, or 공휴일으므로 is wrong expression.

All right, this could be terribly difficult for you, but even we Koreans don’t explain the difference well. Nevertheless, the reason why Koreans don’t make mistakes when they are speaking is the power of repetition. The thing is when you learn a foreign language, only repetition can make you a fluent speakers, Okay?

 

OK, the schematic diagram is as follows.

 

1. 당신의 정신력이 강하므로/강하기 때문에 당신은 어려움을 극복할 수 있습니다.

Because your mentality is strong, you can overcome difficulties.

당신의 is ‘your’, and 정신력 is ‘mentality’, and 이 is the subjective case. 강하므로, or 강하기 때문에 is combined word of 강하다 and 므로, or 기 때문에. 강하다 is an adjective, and its meaning is ‘strong’, and 므로, or 기 때문에 is a conjunction, and its meaning is ‘because’. When you remove the final letter, 다, and place 므로, or 기 때문에 behind it as I said there is no final sound on the letter, 하, this expression functions as an adverbial clause of the cause. So, 당신의 정신력이 강하므로/강하기 때문에 is ‘Because your mentality is strong’, right?

And the next word, 어려움 is ‘difficulty’, and 을 is an objective case. And the final word, 극복할 수 있습니다 can be divided into 극복하다, and 수 있다. 극복하다 is ‘to overcome’, and 수 있다 is a kind of auxiliary verb, and its meaning is ‘can’, and 수 있습니다 is an honorific form of 수 있다. So, 당신의 정신력이 강하므로/강하기 때문에 당신은 어려움을 극복할 수 있습니다.

Because your mentality is strong, you can overcome difficulties.

 

2. 오늘은 공휴일이므로/이기 때문에 저는 출근하지 않습니다.

Because today is a holiday, I don’t go to work.

오늘 is ‘today’, and 은 is the subjective case. And 공휴일 is ‘holiday’. 이므로, or 이기 때문에 is a conjunction, and its meaning is ‘because’. And 공휴일 is a noun, so as I said, 하므로, which is used behind a verb, or adjective, should not placed. Instead, 이므로, or 이기 때문에 should be placed behind it, right? So, 공휴일하므로 is incorrect, right? The correct expression is 공휴일이므로, or 공휴일이기 때문에, and its meaning is ‘Because today is a holiday’

And 저는 is ‘I’, and 출근하다 is ‘to go to work’, and if we replace 다 with 지 않다, this is used in oder to express the negation of the verb, so 출근하지 않다 is ‘not to go to work’, right? And 출근하지 않습니다 is an honorific form of 출근하지 않다.

So, 오늘은 공휴일이므로/이기 때문에 저는 출근하지 않습니다.

Because today is a holiday, I don’t go to work.

 

3. 그가 오고 있으므로/있기 때문에 조금만 더 기다려 봅시다.

Because he is coming now, let’s wait a little longer.

그 is ‘he’, and 가 is the subjective case. 오고 있으므로 is composed of 오다, and 고 있다 and 으므로. These three words are combined into 오고 있으므로. 오다 is ‘to come’, and 고 있다 is the present progressive form, and when we remove the letter, 다, the last latter, 있 has the final sound except ㄹ[ri-eul], double ㅅ[si-ot], so 으므로 is placed. So, 그가 오고 있으므로, or 그가 오고 있기 때문에 is ‘Because he is coming now’, right?

And the next word, 조금만 is ‘a little’, and 더 is ‘longer’, and 기다려 봅시다 is combined word of 기다리다, and 봅시다. 기다리다 is ‘to wait’, and 봅시다 is ‘Let’s’

So, 그가 오고 있으므로/있기 때문에 조금만 더 기다려 봅시다.

Because he is coming now, let’s wait a little longer.

 

4. 당신이 지금 바쁘므로/바쁘기 때문에 제가 도와주겠습니다.

Because you are busy right now, I’ll help you.

당신이 is ‘you’, and 지금 is ‘now’, and 바쁘므로, or 바쁘기 때문에 is composed of 바쁘다, and 므로. And 바쁘다 is an adjective, and the letter in front of the letter, 다 is 쁘, and this letter doesn’t have the final sound, which means this ends with the vowel. So, 므로 is placed behind 바쁘. So, 당신이 지금 바쁘므로 is Because you are busy right now. And the next word, 제가 is ‘I’, and 도와주겠습니다 is an honorific form of 도와주겠다, which means ‘will help’. In fact, 도와주다 is ‘to help’, and 도와주겠다 is ‘I will help’.

So, 당신이 지금 바쁘므로/바쁘기 때문에 제가 도와주겠습니다.

Because you are busy right now, I’ll help you.

 

5. 이것은 신제품이므로/이기 때문에 성능이 우수합니다.

Because this is a new product, its performance is excellent.

이것 is this, and 은 is the subjective case. 신제품 is ‘new product’, and 이므로 is ‘because’. As I said 신제품 is a noun, so 이므로, not 으므로 is placed behind 신제품. So, 이것은 신제품이므로 is Because this is a new product. And the next word, 성능 is ‘performance’, and 이 is the subjective case. 우수합니다 is composed of 우수한, and 합니다. 우수한 is an adjective, and its meaning is ‘excellent’. 합니다 is a kind of predicate.

So, 이것은 신제품이므로/이기 때문에 성능이 우수합니다.

Because this is a new product, its performance is excellent.