-는 바람에 in Korean: “because (unexpectedly)”
-는 바람에
-neun barame
because (unexpectedly)
Intermediate · Linking ideas
-는 바람에 (-neun barame) means "because" something unexpected happened, usually leading to a bad result. Think of it as "because suddenly..." or "what with...".
How to form it
| When | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb stem | + 는 바람에 | 오다 → 오는 바람에, 놓치다 → 놓치는 바람에 |
| Verb stem ending in ㄹ | drop ㄹ + 는 바람에 | 울다 → 우는 바람에 |
| Consonant stem | + 는 바람에 | 잃다 → 잃는 바람에, 늦다 → 늦는 바람에 |
How to use it
Use -는 바람에 when something you didn't plan or expect caused a result, usually an inconvenient one: missing the bus, the phone dying, sudden rain.
It always stays -는 바람에, even for past events. The tense goes on the last verb, which is almost always past: 늦잠을 자는 바람에 지각했어요.
It only works with verbs, and it cannot be followed by requests or suggestions. It suits telling what happened, like explaining why you were late.
Examples
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Explaining why you were late
A bad morning
Texting a friend later
Caught in a shower
Don’t mix it up with
-느라(고): Explains that your own time-consuming activity got in the way. -는 바람에 points to an unexpected event, which can be something that happened to you.
-기 때문에: A neutral, general "because". -는 바람에 adds the feeling that the cause was sudden or unplanned.
-(으)ㄴ 덕분에: Used when the cause led to a good result (thanks to). -는 바람에 is usually used for bad or inconvenient results.
Common mistakes
Changing it to past: 온 바람에 or 왔는 바람에 is wrong. It is always 오는 바람에.
Questions learners ask
Why is it -는 바람에 even for past events?
That is simply the fixed form. Show the past with the final verb instead: 버스를 놓치는 바람에 늦었어요.
Can -는 바람에 be used for good results?
Occasionally, but it usually describes something inconvenient. For a good result, -(으)ㄴ 덕분에 (thanks to) is the natural choice.