Korean grammar · Level 5
V-는 통에 · N 통에
What with … — a hectic cause that got in the way
Taught in Level 5, Unit 2: First quarter
work in December is a story of commotion — phones ringing, bookings piling up, the office next door being rebuilt — and of what you could not do because of it. You know -는 바람에 for a sudden event (L3-U08). For a noisy, confused, busy situation that ruined things, Korean says -는 통에.
Example
아이들이 떠드는 통에 회의 내용을 하나도 못 들었어요.
What with the children making a racket, I didn't catch a word of the meeting.
The full explanation is in the unit · part of the Level 5 Pass, opening soon · Level 5, Unit 2
Practise it in context · Level 5, Unit 2
First quarter
The rule with a table, Sori’s tips, practice that checks itself, a review room and a one-page cheat sheet.
See the unit preview →