Korean word

땜

Pronunciation

Romanizationttaem

Meaning

  • nounbecause of

Example

회의가 길어진 땜에 피곤해.hoe ui ga ki reo jin ttae me pi gon hae

I am tired because the meeting ran long.

Illustration for 땜 (because of)

More examples

기차 연착땜에 회의에 못 가겠어.ki cha yeon chak ttae me hoe ui e mot ka ge sseo

I can't make it to the meeting because the train is delayed.

Core concept

A casual cause-linking form that points from a result back to its reason.

Common phrases

  • 연착땜에yeon chak ttae me

    because of the train delay

Similar words

때문ttaemun: The cause behind an event or outcome, placed before the result.
이유iyu: A reason that explains an event, choice, or situation.
탓tat: A cause of a bad result that carries a sense of blame.
덕teok: A helpful cause behind a good result, often recognized with gratitude.

Definition in Korean

구어체에서 이유를 나타낼 때 쓰이는 비격식적인 표현으로, 주로 '...땜에' 형태로 문장의 원인을 연결함.ku eo che e seo i yu reul na ta nael ttae sseu i neun pi gyeok ssik jjeo gin pyo hyeo neu ro chu ro ttae me hyeong tae ro mun jang ui wo ni neul yeon gyeol ham

Word origin

The form developed by shortening the Korean expression for because of in everyday speech, so it carries an informal feel.

Usage tips

  • For TOPIK writing, choosing a standard reason expression instead of this casual form helps keep the register appropriate.

Opposites

Related words

  • 땜빵ttaemppangtemporary fixnoun

Word lists with this word