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사과하기 — saying sorry — the reason with -아서/어서, then 못 for what you couldn't do (review)

Saying sorry — the reason with -아서/어서, then 못 for what you couldn't do (review). Korean grammar for upper beginner learners — Level 2A, lesson 11: 시험 때문에 못 갔어요 (I couldn't go because of the exam — apologising and postponing).

What it means

Two forms you already know, put together the way Koreans say sorry. First give the reason with -아서/어서 (1B-4), then say 죄송합니다 to a teacher, a boss or anyone older, or 미안해요 to a friend: 늦어서 죄송합니다, 못 가서 미안해요. The -아서/어서 rules stay the same — 아서 after ㅏ and ㅗ, 어서 after other vowels, 해서 for 하다 — and -았/었- never goes in front of it: even for yesterday you say 늦어서, not 늦었어서. Then say what you couldn't do with 못 (1B-2) and the past: 못 갔어요, 전화를 못 받았어요, 숙제 못 했어요. 못 tells the other person that you wanted to but something stopped you, so it sounds kinder than 안 갔어요, which sounds like your own choice. A reason that is a noun takes 때문에 (2A-8): 시험 때문에 못 갔어요. In one sentence the reason comes first and the apology last.

Forms

Key points

• Reason + -아서/어서 + 죄송합니다 (a teacher, anyone older) · 미안해요 (a friend): 늦어서 죄송합니다 · 못 가서 미안해요
• 못 + past = I couldn't …: 못 갔어요 · 숙제 못 했어요 — a noun reason takes 때문에: 시험 때문에 못 갔어요

Examples

• 늦었어요. 죄송합니다. → 늦어서 죄송합니다.
• 전화를 못 받았어요. 미안해요. → 전화를 못 받아서 미안해요.
• 가다 → 못 갔어요. 숙제하다 → 숙제 못 했어요.
• 시험 때문에 못 갔어요. = 시험이 있어서 못 갔어요.
• 죄송합니다 (선생님 · 할아버지) · 미안해요 (친구)

Where university textbooks teach it

This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 1B, lesson 12; Sogang University Korean 1B, lesson 6; Yonsei University Korean 1-1, lesson 10; Ewha Womans University Korean 1-2, lesson 10; Hongik University Korean 1B, lesson 8; Hanyang University Korean 1-1, lesson 4.

Also in this lesson

• N밖에 — only — and not enough: 밖에 with a negative
• A-(으)ㄴ가요? · V-나요? — asking gently and politely — -(으)ㄴ가요? and -나요?

← N밖에All grammarA-(으)ㄴ가요? · V-나요? →