IITOPIK 3-4

A/V-거든(요)

Because … (giving a reason the listener doesn't know)

Goes at the end of a sentence to supply background the listener doesn't have. The feel is “you may not know this, but here's why”, so it carries both explanation and a touch of closeness. Spoken only — it never appears in a written report.

접속 conjugation

  • Present tense, regardless of the final consonant + -거든요: 먹다 → 먹거든요, 바쁘다 → 바쁘거든요
  • Past goes after -았/었: 갔다 → 갔거든요
  • Nouns take (이)거든요: 학생이거든요, 친구거든요

예문

EXAMPLES
오늘은 일찍 들어가야 해요. 내일 시험이 있거든요.
I have to go home early today — I have an exam tomorrow.from 2026.09.21 Mon the examples
광화문에서 한글을 기념하는 행사를 한대요. 저 그거 꼭 가 보고 싶거든요.
Apparently there's an event at Gwanghwamun celebrating Hangul. I really want to go.from 2026.09.21 Mon the everyday dialogue
그 자료는 제가 보내 드릴게요. 어제 정리해 뒀거든요.
I'll send you that file — I put it together yesterday.from 2026.09.22 Tue the examples
오늘은 좀 한가하거든요. 필요하시면 지금 도와드릴게요.
I'm fairly free today, so I can help you right now if you need it.from 2026.09.22 Tue the examples
기간은 괜찮습니다. 다만 통역 비용까지 저희가 다 부담하기는 어렵거든요.
The term is fine. It's just hard for us to cover the interpreting costs in full.from 2026.09.22 Tue the business dialogue
-거든요 ends the sentence by itself. 「바쁘거든요 못 가요」 is wrong; say 「못 가요. 바쁘거든요.」 or switch to -아서/어서. There is also a conditional -거든 (하고 싶거든 해) that looks identical but is a different ending.

Appears in

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