TOPIK · Level 13
15 words
Korean word
때문
Pronunciation
Romanizationttaemun
Meaning
- nounbecause of
Example
비행기 지연 때문에 회의에 못 갔어요.pi haeng gi chi yeon ttae mu ne hoe ui e mot ka sseo yo
I couldn't go to the meeting because of the flight delay.
More examples
날씨 때문에 행사가 취소되었어요.nal ssi ttae mu ne haeng sa ga chwi so doe eo sseo yo
The event was canceled because of the weather.
Core concept
The cause or reason placed behind an outcome, linking it to what happened.
Common phrases
날씨 때문에nal ssi ttae mu ne
because of the weather
연휴 때문에yeon hyu ttae mu ne
because of the long weekend
사정 때문에sa jeong ttae mu ne
because of the circumstances
Similar words
이유iyu: The basis that makes an action, decision, or situation understandable.
덕분teokppun: A helpful person or circumstance that leads to a positive outcome.
탓tat: Responsibility assigned to a person or condition for a bad result.
원인wonin: The source that brings about a particular result or state.
Definition in Korean
어떤 일이 일어나게 한 이유나 원인을 가리키는 명사로, 보통 명사 뒤에 붙어 '...때문에' 형태로 결과를 연결함.eo tteon i ri i reo na ge han i yu na wo ni neul ka ri ki neun myeong sa ro po tong myeong sa twi e pu teo ttae mu ne hyeong tae ro kyeol gwa reul yeon gyeol ham
Word origin
The origin of 때문 (ttaemun, "because of") is uncertain, but its dependent-noun form helps learners remember it as the named cause behind an outcome.
Usage tips
- Unlike English because of, it behaves like a noun, so the cause comes before it and the result follows in the same sentence.
Other meanings
- reasonnoun
Related words
- 때문이다ttaemunidabe the reasonverb