jabi-기 때문에
-기 때문에: Because (Clear / Formal Reason)
Because — names a cause via -기 + 때문에, common in explanations and careful speech.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb / adjective / 이다 | -기 때문에 | 비가 오기 때문에 / 비싸기 때문에 / 학생이기 때문에 |
| Noun reason | N 때문에 | 비 때문에 / 일 때문에 |
-기 때문에 states a reason in a clear, packaged way: because of [doing/being] X.
수리 중이기 때문에 오늘 쉽니다 — the kind of line you read on a door notice.
Forms
| Shape | Use |
|---|---|
| V/A-기 때문에 | because [clause] |
| N 때문에 | because of [noun] |
비가 오기 때문에 취소됐어요. It was cancelled because it’s raining.
비싸기 때문에 안 샀어요. I didn’t buy it because it’s expensive.
공사 때문에 길이 막혀요. The road is blocked because of construction.Three “because” tools
| Form | Typical feel |
|---|---|
| -아서 / -어서 -아서/어서 | everyday fact → result (not before commands) |
| -(으)니까 -(으)니까 | reason toward listener; OK before commands |
| -기 때문에 | explicit cause; common in explanations / careful style |
Do not treat them as perfect synonyms. Swap for tone and for what follows.
Spacing and pieces
Write 기 때문에, not 기때문에. The -기 is -기; 때문 is the bound noun “reason”; 에 is the particle in the fixed chunk 때문에.
Spoken Korean still uses it
It is not “written only.” Speakers use it when they want the cause labelled clearly. For short emotional lines (thanks, sorry), -아서/어서 still wins.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
In the Sejong course this appears in 한국에서 찜질방은 처음인데요 — Sejong Korean 2, Unit 14, on the theme of 생활 편의시설. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. What pieces make -기 때문에?
2. How does it feel next to -아서/어서?
3. Which is well-formed?
Common questions
Noun + 때문에 without -기?
Yes: 비 때문에 취소됐어요. From a verb or adjective, use -기 때문에: 비가 오기 때문에…
Can it replace every -아서?
Overlap is large in English *because*, but style differs. Short spoken apologies still prefer [[g:aseo-eoseo]] (늦어서 죄송합니다).
What about -(으)니까?
[[g:eunikka]] is the reason form that can lead into commands and suggestions. Learn the three as a set, not as clones.
Is -기 here the same -기 as 먹기?
Yes — [[g:gi-nominal]] turns the stem into a noun so 때문 can follow.
Seen in the wild
Lessons where this pattern showed up in real Korean — news, slang, drama lines.