Example Sentences#

1. 차라리 카페 가서 수다 떠는 게 낫지 않아?¹
   Wouldn’t it be better to go to a cafe and chat instead?

   • 가다 means ‘to go’.
   • -아서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means.

2. 처음에는 너무 넓어서 두려웠고, 계속 달리기만 했어.²
   At the beginning it was so big that I was afraid, and I kept running and running.

   • 넓다 means ‘to be wide’.
   • -어서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means.

3. 조용히 내일을 만들어 가³
   Quietly shaping tomorrow

   • 만들다 means ‘to make’ or ‘to create’.
   • -어서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means. In this context, 서 is omitted.

4. 앨리스: 앨리스는 이 말을 부정할 수 없다고 느껴서 다른 질문을 해 보았다.⁴
   Alice: Feeling that she couldn’t deny this, Alice asked another question.

   • 느끼다 means ‘to feel’.
   • -어서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means.

5. 그의 아들이 그 말을 다루려다 떨어져서 다리를 다쳤습니다.⁵
   His son fell while handling the horse and injured his leg.

   • 떨어지다 means ‘to fall’.
   • -어서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means.

6. 바람은 살짝 불어와⁶
   A gentle breeze is blowing

   • 불어오다 is a compound verb made up of 불다 (to blow) and 오다 (to come), meaning ‘to blow from’ or ‘to blow in’.
   • -아서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means. In this context, 서 is omitted.

7. 큰 사건도 없는데, 사람들 이야기가 너무 진짜 같고, 그래서 더 감동적이었어.⁷
   Even though there’s no big event, the people’s stories seem so real, so it was more touching.

   • 그래서 is a conjunction meaning ‘so’ or ‘therefore’, used to indicate a logical conclusion or result based on the preceding statement. The expression is derived from 그렇다, meaning ‘to be like that’, combined with -어서, a connective ending that indicates cause and effect.

8. 꿈속에서 저는 종종 인류를 위해 봉사할 계획을 세우곤 합니다.⁸
   In my dreams, I often make plans to serve humanity.

   • 위하다 means ‘to do for the sake of’ or ‘to do in favor of’.
   • -여서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means. In this context, 서 is omitted.

9. 포도가 너무 잘 익어서 가방에 넣을 수 없었기에, 맹인은 그 자리에서 라사로와 함께 포도를 나누어 먹기로 결심했다.⁹
   The grapes were so ripe that they couldn’t be put in the bag, so the blind man decided to share them on the spot with Lazaro.

   • 익다 means ‘to ripen’ or ‘to mature’.
   • -어서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means.

10. 눈부신 길 따라 시작되는 세상¹⁰
    A world begins along the dazzling path

    • 따르다 means ‘to follow’.
    • -아서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means. In this context, 서 is omitted.

11. 낡은 노래가 다시 울려 퍼져¹¹
    An old song echoes once again

    • 울리다 means ‘to sound’, ‘to ring’, or, in a broader sense, ‘to reverberate’ or ‘to echo’.
    • -어서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means. In this context, 서 is omitted.

12. 그러나 언젠가 이 떨어져 있는 지식들이 모이면, 현실의 무서운 모습을 드러내고, 그 속에서 우리의 무서운 위치를 알게 되어 우리는 그 사실로 인해 미쳐버리거나 그 빛을 피해 새로운 어두운 시대의 평화와 안전 속으로 도망칠 것입니다.¹²
    However, someday, if these separate pieces of knowledge come together, they will reveal the fearful reality, and in that, we will come to know our terrifying position and either go mad or flee into the peace and safety of a new dark age, avoiding the light.

    • 되다 means ‘to become’.
    • -게 되다 is an expression used to indicate that something will become the state or situation mentioned in the preceding statement.
    • -어서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means. In this context, 서 is omitted.

13. 그때 나이 든 스님은 아무 말 없이 여자를 들어 강을 건너게 도와주고, 다른 쪽에 내려놓은 후 다시 길을 떠났다.¹³
    At that moment, the old monk picked up the woman without a word, helped her cross the river, set her down on the other side, and resumed the journey.

    • 들다 means ‘to hold’, ‘take’, or ‘carry’.
    • -어서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means. In this context, 서 is omitted.

14. 그는 마을의 지도자의 멋진 행사를 보고 질투를 느꼈고, 더 큰 힘을 원하여 지도자가 되기를 원했습니다.¹⁴
    He felt jealous after seeing the village leader’s wonderful event, and wanted greater power to become a leader.

    • 원하다 means ‘to want’.
    • -여서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means. In this context, 서 is omitted.

15. 밥 먹으러 와서 떡볶이만 먹을 거야?¹⁵
    You came out to eat, and you’re only going to have tteokbokki?

    • 오다 means ‘to come’.
    • -아서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means.

16. 자전거 타고 나서 치맥 먹자.¹
    Let’s have some after biking.

    • 나다 means ‘to occur’ and can function as an auxiliary verb used when the action of the preceding statement has been completed.
    • -아서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means.
    • Together, -고 나서 forms a construction meaning ‘after doing’ or ‘upon completion of the preceding action’.

17. 하지만 이 긴 벽들이 너무 빨리 가까워져서 이제는 마지막 방에 있고, 저기 구석에 내가 달려가는 덫이 있어.”²
    But these long walls closed in so quickly that now I am in the last room, and over there in the corner is the trap I am running towards.”

    • 가깝다 means ‘to be close’.
    • -어지다 is a grammar pattern used to indicate that someone or something gradually becomes the state mentioned in the preceding statement.
    • -어서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means.

18. 앨리스: 앨리스는 이 말이 전혀 증명되지 않는다고 생각했지만, 계속해서 물었다.⁴
    Alice: Alice thought that this statement was not proven at all, but she continued to ask.

    • 계속하다 means ‘to continue’.
    • -여서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means.

19. 얼마 지나지 않아 전쟁이 일어났고, 젊은이들이 군대로 갔습니다.⁵
    Not long after, war broke out, and the young men went to the army.

    • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
    • 얼마 지나지 않아 literally means ‘not much (time) passed’, conveying the sense of ‘after a while’.
    • -아서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events. In this context, 서 is omitted.

20. 지수: 그치, 그 두 사람 다 상처가 많았는데, 그냥 옆에 있어 주는 것만으로도 힘이 되는 게 보여서 좋았어.⁷
    Jisoo: Right, both of those people had many wounds, but it was good to see that just being by their side was enough to give them strength.

    • 보이다 means ‘to be seen’ or ‘to appear’ and is formed by adding the passive suffix -이- to the verb 보다 (to see).
    • -어서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events, cause and effect, or ways or means.