~아/어서: because, and then
By Daniel Buckley · 8 minute read · TOPIK 1
Vocabulary
- 늦다 - to be late
- 오다 - to come
- 비 - rain
- 고프다 - to be hungry (of a stomach)
- 만나다 - to meet
- 반갑다 - to be glad to meet
- 죄송하다 - to be sorry
- 사다 - to buy
- 쉬다 - to rest
- 놓치다 - to miss (a bus, a chance)
If you know one Korean phrase, it may well be 만나서 반가워요, nice to meet you. Word for word it says "met, so glad". That 서 is this lesson.
~아/어서 joins two clauses and says the second one follows from the first. English splits that idea into two: "because" and "and then". Korean doesn't, so stop hunting for one English word and this gets much easier.
Building the form
You already know how to make this, because it's built on the 해요 form. That form has done all the hard work, irregular verbs included.
Making the 아/어서 form
- Verbs and adjectives: take the 해요 form, drop 요, add 서.먹어요 → 먹어서추워요 → 추워서
- Nouns: add 이라서, or 라서 after a vowel.학생 → 학생이라서친구 → 친구라서
※ You'll also see 이어서 and 여서 after nouns, mostly in writing. They mean the same thing. The negative is 아니라서: 학생이 아니라서.
Pick a verb
먹다먹어요먹어서
Meaning 1: so
When the first clause is a reason, 아/어서 gives the result. The reason always comes first. English can say "I stayed home because it rained", but Korean can only say "it rained, so I stayed home". That's why I read 아/어서 as "so" rather than "because".
비가 와서 집에 있어요.
Rain comes, so (I) am at home.
배가 고파서 밥을 먹었어요.
Stomach was hungry, so (I) ate.
늦어서 죄송합니다.
(I) am late, so (I) am sorry.
오늘은 토요일이라서 학교에 안 가요.
Today is Saturday, so (I) don't go to school.
Look at example 2. 고파서 has no past tense in it, even though the hunger was in the past. The 었 at the end of the sentence covers both clauses.
Never put 았/었 before 서. 먹었어서 is wrong, and it's one of the most common mistakes learners make.
Meaning 2: and then
When the first clause is an action, 아/어서 means "and then". It also tells you the two actions are linked: the second one happens at the place you went to, or to the thing you got, or with the person you met. Both clauses need the same subject.
학교에 가서 공부해요.
(I) go to school and then study (there).
친구를 만나서 영화를 봤어요.
(I) met friend and then saw movie (with them).
사과를 사서 먹었어요.
(I) bought apple and then ate (it).
아침에 일어나서 커피를 마셔요.
In the morning (I) get up and then drink coffee.
The link is what separates it from ~고, which only puts one thing after another:
친구를 만나서 영화를 봤어요.
(I) met friend and saw a movie with them.
친구를 만나고 영화를 봤어요.
(I) met friend, then separately saw a movie.
※ Verbs of putting on clothes are the exception. You keep wearing the thing, so they take ~고: 옷을 입고 나갔어요, I got dressed and went out.
So, or and then?
Ask whether the first clause explains why, or simply comes first. 가서 and 와서 can technically be either, but they nearly always mean "and then". Try these.
길이 막혀서 늦었어요.
집에 가서 쉬었어요.
바빠서 못 갔어요.
친구를 만나서 커피를 마셨어요.
머리가 아파서 집에 있어요.
빵을 만들어서 먹었어요.
Listen and type
1 / 3
Play it as often as you like.
Answering why, and starting with 그래서
To answer a question with 왜, end on 아/어서 and add 요. The other half of the sentence is already in the question.
그래서 is the same ending on 그렇다, to be so. It starts a new sentence and means "so" or "that's why".
- A
왜 늦었어요?
Why (were you) late?
- B
버스를 놓쳐서요.
Missed bus, so.
- A
그래서 택시를 탔어요?
So took taxi?
- B
아니요, 걸어서 왔어요.
No, walked and then came.
Common mistakes
늦었어서 죄송합니다.
늦어서 죄송합니다.
No 았/었 before 서.
늦어서 빨리 가세요.
늦었으니까 빨리 가세요.
The "so" meaning can't lead into a command or a suggestion. Use (으)니까, which comes in lesson 39.
옷을 입어서 나갔어요.
옷을 입고 나갔어요.
Clothing verbs take ~고.
Check yourself
Quick check
1 / 5
날씨가 ___ 집에 있어요. (춥다) It's cold, so I'm at home.
춥다 becomes 추워요.
Summary
| Dictionary | 해요 | 아/어서 |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다 | 먹어요 | 먹어서 |
| 가다 | 가요 | 가서 |
| 마시다 | 마셔요 | 마셔서 |
| 공부하다 | 공부해요 | 공부해서 |
| 듣다 | 들어요 | 들어서 |
| 춥다 | 추워요 | 추워서 |
| 모르다 | 몰라요 | 몰라서 |
| 쓰다 | 써요 | 써서 |
Now you can say
만나서 반가워요.
Nice to meet you. (Met, so glad.)
바빠서 못 가요.
(I) am busy, so (I) can't go.
집에 가서 쉬어요.
(I) go home and then rest.
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