Let's learn how to use Korean grammar "V / A+ (으)ㄴ / –는 탓에" with conjugation rules and some simple real-life examples.
V / A+ (으)ㄴ / –는 탓에(“because of / due to / on account of”)
USE:
-(으)ㄴ / –는 탓에 is Used to express that something happened because of a certain reason, often implying a negative or undesirable result.
It’s similar to saying “because of / due to / on account of” in English.
It can be used with both verbs and adjectives, but the result is usually unfavorable or regrettable.
CONJUGATION RULE:
(으)ㄴ / –는 탓에 grammar is used with verbs, adjectives and nouns. The first step of ‘V / A+ (으)ㄴ / –는 탓에' conjugation is to remove ‘다’ from the basic form of the verb, adjective , Then you add (으)ㄴ / –는 탓에 to the verb stem or adjective stem by following the steps giveㅜ below -
- Attach –는 탓에 to verb stem directly.
- Attach –(으)ㄴ 탓에 to adjectives based on the batchim.
If Adjective ends in batchim add - ㄴ 탓에
If Adjective ends in No batchim add - 은 탓에
EXAMPLE SENTENCES:
- 감기에 걸린 탓에 목소리가 안 나와요.
→ I lost my voice because I caught a cold. - 잠을 잘 못 잔 탓에 피곤해요.
→ I’m tired because I didn’t sleep well. - 교통이 막히는 탓에 늦었어요.
→ I was late because of the traffic jam. - 네가 늦게 온 탓에 영화 시작을 못 봤잖아.
→ We missed the beginning of the movie because you were late!
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Mostly used for negative results (regret, complaint, problem).
Often carries an emotional tone—blaming, regretting, or feeling sorry about the situation.
If the result is positive, –기 때문에 or –아서/어서 is more natural.
✅ 비가 와서 시원해요. (positive)
❌ 비가 오는 탓에 시원해요. (sounds unnatural)
