haru Korean › Grammar › Level 2B › A/V-(으)ㄹ까 봐(요)
A/V-(으)ㄹ까 봐(요) — in case … · I'm worried that … — doing something because of a worry
In case … · I'm worried that … — doing something because of a worry. Korean grammar for upper beginner learners — Level 2B, lesson 11: 무거운 짐, 가벼운 짐 (Heavy load, light load — stretching your vocabulary).
What it means
-(으)ㄹ까 봐 means 'in case …' or 'because I'm afraid that … might happen'. It is built on the -(으)ㄹ까 of -(으)ㄹ까요? (Lesson 2A-5): after a 받침 add 을까 봐 (늦을까 봐), after a vowel or ㄹ add ㄹ까 봐 (올까 봐, 떨어뜨릴까 봐; 멀다 → 멀까 봐). ㅂ and ㄷ words change as usual: 춥다 → 추울까 봐, 무겁다 → 무거울까 봐, 걷다 → 걸을까 봐. The first half is the worry — always something you do not want — and the second half is what you do or did because of it: 늦을까 봐 택시를 탔어요 'I took a taxi in case I was late'. To say the worry itself, finish with 걱정이에요, or in speech just with 봐요: 시험에 떨어질까 봐 걱정이에요 · 떨어질까 봐요. The second half cannot be a request or a suggestion (늦을까 봐 택시를 타세요 ✗); for that use -(으)니까 or -(으)ㄹ 테니까 (Lesson 2B-6): 늦을 테니까 택시를 타세요. When you worry that something has already happened, use -았/었을까 봐: 마크 씨가 벌써 출발했을까 봐 전화했어요.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -을까 봐 | 받침 O | 늦다 + 을까 봐 → 늦을까 봐 |
| -ㄹ까 봐 | 받침 X · ㄹ | 오다 + ㄹ까 봐 → 올까 봐 |
Key points
- A/V-(으)ㄹ까 봐 = in case … · afraid that … might happen: 받침 → 을까 봐 (늦을까 봐 · 추울까 봐) · no 받침 or ㄹ → ㄹ까 봐 (올까 봐 · 떨어뜨릴까 봐 · 멀까 봐)
- The second half says what you do or did because of the worry: 늦을까 봐 택시를 탔어요. The worry itself: …(으)ㄹ까 봐 걱정이에요 · in speech …(으)ㄹ까 봐요.
Examples
- 늦다 → 늦을까 봐. 춥다 → 추울까 봐. 무겁다 → 무거울까 봐. (받침 O)
- 오다 → 올까 봐. 떨어뜨리다 → 떨어뜨릴까 봐. 멀다 → 멀까 봐. (받침 X · ㄹ)
- 늦을까 봐 택시를 탔어요.
- 시험에 떨어질까 봐 걱정이에요.
- 왜 천천히 옮겨요? — 식기를 떨어뜨릴까 봐요.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Yonsei University Korean 3-1, lesson 10; Sogang University Korean 4A, lesson 4; Ewha Womans University Korean 3-1, lesson 1; Hongik University Korean 3A, lesson 4; Hanyang University Korean 4-1, lesson 2; Seoul National University Korean 3B, lesson 13.
Also in this lesson
- ㅎ 불규칙 — ㅎ adjectives — the colours, 그렇다 and 어떻다
- V-는 동안(에) — while … — one thing happens during another
- 명사형 -음/-기 + 한자어 접사 — making nouns with -음 and -기, and Sino-Korean word endings — stretching your vocabulary