-(으)ㄴ/는 탓에 Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

What you'll learn

• Attach 탓에 to nouns, adjectives and verbs.
• Choose the present modifier -는 or the finished modifier -(으)ㄴ.
• Keep the result negative.
• Tell -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에 apart from 덕분에, -는 바람에 and 때문에.

Prerequisites: the lesson on -(으)ㄴ/는 덕분에, and the modifier endings -는 and -(으)ㄴ. Time: about 15 minutes.

Key facts

• 탓에 means "because of," with blame. It points at a cause you think is at fault.
• The result is bad. For a good result, use 덕분에.
• Form: noun + 탓에; adjective + -(으)ㄴ 탓에; verb + -는 탓에 (present) or -(으)ㄴ 탓에 (finished).
• 탓 is a noun, so it is written after a space: 날씨 탓에, 게으른 탓에.

Listen to two model sentences. They are in the plain written style, so they end in -다.

The next section defines the pattern.

What Does -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에 Grammar Mean?

탓 is a noun that means "fault" or "blame." 탓에 is that noun plus the particle 에, so the whole word means "on account of the fault of." The speaker is saying, "This bad thing happened, and this is what I blame."

Two ideas follow.

• The result is bad. A delay, a failure, a cold, a high bill. Good results do not take blame.
• The cause is something you hold responsible. It can be yourself, another person, the weather or a condition.

In the first example the speaker blames themselves. In the second, the speaker blames the weather. In both, the result is something unwelcome. Notice that 탓에 is said [타세]: the ㅅ of 탓 moves to the next syllable, and there is no tensing. The next section shows how to form the pattern.

How Do You Form -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에?

Use a modifier ending before 탓에, or put 탓에 directly after a noun. The rule depends on the word class.

With a Noun

Add 탓에 after a space. No particle is needed.

A sentence with a noun can be short and punchy, like a news headline: 한파 탓에 수도관이 얼었다 ("Because of the cold wave, the water pipes froze").

With an Adjective

Use -(으)ㄴ. The ending is ㄴ after a vowel and 은 after a consonant.

The spoken form of 준비가 부족한 탓에 is [준비가 부조칸 타세 시허믈 망처써요.] with the aspirated [칸] in 부족한. The sentence 사람이 많은 탓에 줄이 너무 길었어요 means "Because there were many people, the line was too long."

With a Verb

Use -는 for something ongoing or habitual, and -(으)ㄴ for something finished.

Most sentences use the finished form, because the blame comes after the fact. 늦게까지 게임을 한 탓에 아침에 일어나지 못했어요 means "I stayed up late playing games, so I couldn't get up in the morning." In 잠을 못 잔 탓에 머리가 아파요, the result is a present state: "I didn't sleep, so my head hurts."

Irregular Stems

• ㄹ stems drop ㄹ before ㄴ. 살다 becomes 사는 탓에 or 산 탓에, and 길다 becomes 긴 탓에.
• ㅂ-irregular adjectives change ㅂ to 우 before 은: 미끄럽다 becomes 미끄러운 탓에, 춥다 becomes 추운 탓에.
• 르 stems such as 게으르다 take the ordinary modifier 게으른, because the 르 change only affects 아/어 endings.
• Past states use -았/었던: 게을렀던 탓에, 추웠던 탓에.
• 있다 and 없다 take -는: 돈이 없는 탓에.

The next section builds a full sentence.

Worked Example: Building 내가 게으른 탓에 일이 늦어졌다

Say that you were lazy and the work was delayed. Follow five steps.

1. Name the cause. "I am lazy" is 내가 게으르다. The word 게으르다 is a descriptive verb (an adjective).
2. Turn it into a modifier. The stem 게으르 ends in a vowel, so the modifier is 게으른.
3. Add 탓에 after a space. 게으른 탓에.
4. Write the bad result. "The work got delayed" is 일이 늦어졌다, in the plain written style.
5. Join the parts. 내가 게으른 탓에 일이 늦어졌다.

You'll know it worked when the first clause ends in a modifier (ㄴ), a space follows, 탓에 comes next, and the result is something unwelcome. If you wanted to credit someone for a good result, you would use 덕분에.

The next section covers tense and sentence types.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에?

The modifier before 탓에 carries the time. The last verb carries the speech level and the tense.

Most sentences end in a statement. The result may be in the past (늦어졌다) or in the present (아파요). A question can ask whom to blame, as in 누구 탓에 이렇게 됐어요? A wh-question puts the stress on the question word and often ends with a fall or a rise-fall, rather than a sharp rise.

Commands and suggestions do not fit. The pattern describes blame for a fact, so there is nothing to act on.

The next section compares 탓에 with 덕분에 and -는 바람에.

How Is -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에 Different from -는 바람에?

Both explain a bad result. The difference is what kind of cause they name.

Compare these.

• 준비가 부족한 탓에 시험을 망쳤어요. "I failed the exam because I was poorly prepared." A lasting condition is blamed.
• 길이 막히는 바람에 약속에 늦었어요. "The road got jammed, so I was late." A sudden event is blamed.
• 선생님 덕분에 합격했어요. "Thanks to my teacher, I passed." The result is good, so the cause gets thanks.

The easiest test is the result. If it is good, use 덕분에. If it is bad and the cause was sudden, use -는 바람에. If it is bad and you want to blame a state, a person or a condition, use 탓에. If you want a neutral reason with no blame, use -기 때문에 or -아/어서.

For a full side-by-side with practice, see -(으)ㄴ/는 덕분에 vs -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에.

The next section covers related words and edge cases.

Variations and Edge Cases of -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에

탓이다: It Is the Fault Of

탓 can also end a sentence. 제 탓이에요 means "It is my fault," and 날씨 탓이다 means "It is the weather's fault." The 이 after 탓 joins with 에요 to give [타시에요]. This is a common way to take responsibility.

탓하다 and 탓을 하다: to Blame

The verb 탓하다 means "to blame." You can also say 탓을 하다 with the particle 을. 남의 탓을 하지 마세요 means "Don't blame others." In the object form, 탓을 is said [타슬].

A Tone of Blame

The speaker is not just stating a cause. They are saying who or what is at fault. For that reason, 탓에 can sound critical when you use it about another person. If you only want to give a cause, 때문에 is safer.

Written and Spoken Use

탓에 is common in news and reports (한파 탓에 …), and it is equally natural in speech. It has no special register. The sentence ending sets the style: -다 for writing, -어요 for polite speech.

Not for Good Results

A sentence like 경험이 많은 탓에 합격했어요 sounds odd, because 탓에 blames. For a good result, use 경험이 많은 덕분에.

The next section lists the mistakes that appear most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에?

Learners make six predictable mistakes. Each has a reason and a fix.

Learners often use it for good results. It sounds odd: 경험이 많은 탓에 합격했어요. Better: 경험이 많은 덕분에 합격했어요. Fix: use 덕분에 for credit.

Learners often use the verb form on an adjective. Wrong: 게으르는 탓에. Right: 게으른 탓에. Fix: adjectives take -(으)ㄴ, verbs take -는.

Learners often put 았/었 inside the first clause. Wrong: 비가 왔는 탓에. Right: 비가 온 탓에. Fix: show the past with the modifier.

Learners often mix up -은 and -는 on a verb. Unnatural: 어제 게임을 하는 탓에 못 잤어요, for a finished event. Better: 어제 게임을 한 탓에 못 잤어요. Fix: finished means -(으)ㄴ.

Learners often join 탓에 to the modifier. Wrong: 게으른탓에. Right: 게으른 탓에. Fix: 탓 is a noun, and standard spelling writes it after a space.

Learners often end with a command. Wrong: 날씨 탓에 가세요. Fix: end with a statement about the bad result.

The next section gives you practice.

Practice and Answers

Do the four tasks, then compare with the key.

Task 1: choose the form. Write the form with 탓에.

1. 게으르다
2. 많다
3. 게임을 하다 (finished)
4. 날씨 (noun)
5. 춥다

Task 2: fix the error. Each sentence has one mistake. Rewrite it correctly.

1. 게으르는 탓에 일이 늦어졌어요.
2. 비가 왔는 탓에 길이 미끄러웠어요.
3. 경험이 많은 탓에 합격했어요. (the result is good)

Task 3: translate. Write in Korean: "Because there were many people, the line was long." and "It's my fault."

Task 4: write your own. Write one sentence that blames the weather or a condition for a problem, and one sentence that takes responsibility for your own mistake.

Answer key

1. (1) 게으른 탓에 (2) 많은 탓에 (3) 게임을 한 탓에 (4) 날씨 탓에 (5) 추운 탓에
2. (1) 게으른 탓에 일이 늦어졌어요. (2) 비가 온 탓에 길이 미끄러웠어요. (3) 경험이 많은 덕분에 합격했어요.
3. 사람이 많은 탓에 줄이 길었어요. 제 탓이에요. Other correct versions exist, for example 내 탓이야 in casual speech.
4. Sample answers: 날씨가 추운 탓에 감기에 걸렸어요. 제가 준비를 안 한 탓에 시험을 망쳤어요. Any pair is correct if the cause is a modifier or a noun followed by a space and 탓에, and the result is bad.

If task 1 was correct, you have the modifier rule. If task 2 was hard, review the adjective-or-verb choice and where the past goes. The next section points you to what comes after this lesson.

What Should You Learn after -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에 Grammar?

After -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에, review -(으)ㄴ/는 덕분에, the "thanks to" partner, and then learn -는 바람에, the pattern for a sudden, unwanted event.

For a wider view, the parent page Cause and Reason lists every pattern in this group. -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에 sits at level B2 on the Advanced Grammar list, which is an editorial estimate. For the tense that goes on the last verb, see past tense -았/었-. TOPIK is run by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED); check topik.go.kr for what the exam covers.

This lesson covers -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에 in everyday and written Korean. It does not cover every idiom that uses 탓. About this page. Last updated 2026-10-09. Revised Romanization follows the national rules and is shown only as a learning aid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에 Mean?

-(으)ㄴ/는 탓에 means "because of", with blame attached. The noun 탓 means fault, so the pattern points at a cause that the speaker holds responsible for a bad result. 내가 게으른 탓에 일이 늦어졌다 means "Because I am lazy, the work got delayed." The result is always unwelcome.

How Do I Attach -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에 to a Verb or Adjective?

Put a modifier ending before 탓에 and keep a space. Adjectives take -(으)ㄴ (게으른 탓에, 많은 탓에). Action verbs take -는 for a present fact (자는 탓에) and -(으)ㄴ for a finished one (잔 탓에). Nouns take 탓에 directly: 날씨 탓에. 있다 and 없다 take -는.

Can -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에 Be Used in the past Tense?

Yes, but the past is shown by the modifier, not by 았/었 inside the clause. A finished verb uses -(으)ㄴ (비가 온 탓에). A past state of an adjective uses -았/었던 (추웠던 탓에). The last verb of the sentence also carries the tense, for example 늦어졌다 or 막혔어요.

Is -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에 Used in Speech or Only in Writing?

It is used in both. You will meet it in news headlines (한파 탓에 …) and reports, and it is equally natural in conversation when you explain a problem. The sentence ending sets the style: -다 in writing, -어요 in polite speech. It can sound critical when it blames another person, so use it with care.

What Is the Most Common Mistake with -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에?

The most common mistake is using it for a good result, as in 경험이 많은 탓에 합격했어요, which sounds odd. Use 덕분에 for credit. Learners also put 았/었 inside the first clause (비가 왔는 탓에) or use the verb ending -는 on an adjective (게으르는 탓에). Use -(으)ㄴ for adjectives.

What Is the Difference between -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에 and -는 바람에?

Both explain a bad result. -(으)ㄴ/는 탓에 blames a person, a condition or a lasting state, and it attaches to nouns, adjectives and verbs. -는 바람에 blames a sudden, unexpected event, and it attaches only to verbs. 준비가 부족한 탓에 means poor preparation. 길이 막히는 바람에 means a sudden jam.

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