🧠 Why Do Koreans Say ~거든요 So Often? Unlock the Secret to Sounding Natural

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Planning a trip to Korea and want to sound like a local? Curious about how to express reasons or background information in a natural, conversational tone? Then you need to master the Korean expression ~거든요. This tiny but powerful grammar point can instantly make your speech sound more fluent, especially in everyday situations.

📚 Table of Contents

• 1. What does ~거든요 mean?
• 2. How and When to Use It
• 3. Common Examples
• 4. Usage Tips
• 5. 🤔 Did you know?
• 6. Catchphrases You’ll Remember

1. What does ~거든요 mean?

In Korean, ~거든요 is used to explain something by giving background information. It is often used to justify a statement or provide a reason in a soft, friendly tone. You’ll hear it a lot in everyday conversations among locals.

It usually translates to phrases like “you see,” “because,” or “actually” in English depending on context.

2. How and When to Use It

You can attach ~거든요 to the verb stem or adjective stem in the following way:

• Action verbs: 가다 → 가거든요 (because I’m going)
• Descriptive verbs: 예쁘다 → 예쁘거든요 (because it’s pretty)
• Past tense: 먹었어요 → 먹었거든요 (because I ate)

3. Common Examples

Let’s look at some useful real-world examples.

• 한국어: 오늘 일찍 자야 해요. 내일 시험이 있거든요.
  발음: o-neul il-jjik ja-ya hae-yo. nae-il si-heom-i it-geo-deun-yo.
  영어: I need to sleep early. I have a test tomorrow, you see.
• 한국어: 이 식당 진짜 맛있어요. 자주 오거든요.
  발음: i sik-dang jin-jja ma-si-sseo-yo. ja-ju o-geo-deun-yo.
  영어: This restaurant is really good. I come here often, you see.
• 한국어: 요즘 바빠요. 프로젝트가 많거든요.
  발음: yo-jeum ba-ppa-yo. peu-ro-jek-teu-ga man-geo-deun-yo.
  영어: I’ve been busy lately. I have a lot of projects.
• 한국어: 안 갈 거예요. 너무 피곤하거든요.
  발음: an gal geo-ye-yo. neo-mu pi-gon-ha-geo-deun-yo.
  영어: I won’t go. I’m really tired, you see.
• 한국어: 그 사람은 정말 친절해요. 전에 도와줬거든요.
  발음: geu sa-ra-meun jeong-mal chin-jeol-hae-yo. jeo-ne do-wa-jwot-geo-deun-yo.
  영어: He’s really kind. He helped me before.

4. Usage Tips

• Use it to add a soft explanation—especially when the other person didn’t ask "why."
• Very commonly used to end conversations or make your reasoning sound less blunt.
• Can be used with declarative and negative forms.

5. 🤔 Did you know?

In Korean culture, people tend to give explanations even when not directly asked. This reflects a communication style focused on harmony and empathy. That’s why expressions like ~거든요 are so widely used—they offer context without sounding confrontational.