haru Korean › Grammar › Level 3A › V-느라고
V-느라고 — I was busy doing …, so … — what kept you busy, and what you couldn't do
I was busy doing …, so … — what kept you busy, and what you couldn't do. Korean grammar for intermediate learners — Level 3A, lesson 2: 방을 바꿔 달라고 해 봐 (Ask them to change your room — passing on requests).
What it means
-느라고 gives the reason why something went badly or didn't happen: you were busy doing one thing, so the other thing suffered — 숙제하느라고 잠을 못 잤어요, 아르바이트하느라고 전화를 못 받았어요. It goes on action verbs, with or without a 받침 (먹느라고, 하느라고); a stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ (만들다 → 만드느라고, 살다 → 사느라고, 놀다 → 노느라고). Three things keep it natural. The same person does both parts. The first part is an activity that takes time, so for the weather, for a moment such as 늦게 일어나다, or for someone else's action, use -아서/어서: 비가 와서 못 갔어요, 늦게 일어나서 늦었어요. The second part is usually something bad or something you couldn't do — 못 V, 바쁘다, 힘들다, 늦다 — and never an order or a suggestion (-(으)세요, -(으)ㅂ시다). -느라고 takes no -았/었- and no adjectives (바쁘느라고 ✗): the tense goes at the end — 어제 숙제하느라고 못 잤어요.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -느라고 | 동사 · 받침 O · X 모두 (ㄹ 탈락) | 숙제하다 + 느라고 → 숙제하느라고 |
Key points
- V-느라고 = I was busy doing …, so (I couldn't …): 받침 O · X → 느라고 (먹느라고 · 하느라고) · ㄹ drops (만들다 → 만드느라고 · 살다 → 사느라고)
- Same person in both parts · the result is usually bad (못 V · 바빠요 · 늦었어요) · no -(으)세요 / -(으)ㅂ시다 after it · for rain or getting up late, use -아서/어서
Examples
- 한 가지 일을 하는 동안 시간이 없어서 다른 일을 못 했을 때 -느라고를 써요.
- 받침 O · X 모두 -느라고: 먹느라고 · 하느라고. ㄹ은 빠져요: 만들다 → 만드느라고.
- 앞과 뒤의 사람이 같아요: (제가) 숙제하느라고 (제가) 못 잤어요.
- 뒤에는 보통 못 V · 바쁘다 · 힘들다 · 늦다가 와요. -(으)세요 · -(으)ㅂ시다는 안 돼요.
- -았/었-은 뒤에만: 어제 숙제하느라고 못 잤어요. (숙제했느라고 ✗)
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 3A, lesson 2; Yonsei University Korean 3-2, lesson 14; Sogang University Korean 3B, lesson 6; Ewha Womans University Korean 3-2, lesson 13; Hongik University Korean 3A, lesson 5; Hanyang University Korean 3-2, lesson 8.
Also in this lesson
- V-(으)라고 · -지 말라고 · -아/어 달라고(주라고) 하다 — passing on instructions and favours — tell someone to …, not to …, to do something for me
- V-자고 하다 — passing on a suggestion — 'let's …' and 'let's not …'
- 누구나 · 언제나 · 어디나 · 무엇이나 (+ 아무나) — everyone · always · everywhere · anything — and 'any … at all' with 아무