Korean grammar · Level 3 · 3급
V-느라고
Because I was busy doing …
-느라고 explains that one activity took up your time or attention, so something else didn't happen or went wrong. Both halves have the same subject, and it only goes on verbs. Never put a past tense on it — the tense goes at the end of the sentence.
| When | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb stem | -느라고 | 하느라고 · 먹느라고 · 만드느라고 (ㄹ drops) |
| past | at the end only | 숙제하느라고 못 잤어요 |
Examples
계산하느라고 빵을 못 꺼냈어요.
I was busy at the till, so I couldn't bring the bread out.
숙제를 하느라고 늦게 잤어요.
I went to bed late because I was doing my homework.
게임을 하느라고 전화를 못 받았어요.
I was playing a game, so I missed the call.
Practise it in context · Level 3, Unit 2
The manager said to come early
A dialogue with audio, practice that checks itself, Hoya’s mistakes, a reading and a writing task.
Open the unit →