What you'll learn
- Read a 13-sentence story aloud and find the three reason-result pairs.
- Join a reason and a result with -아서/어서 in three of your own sentences about weather.
- Say 없어서, 따뜻한 and 젖었어요 with the correct sounds.
- Know the one thing -아서/어서 cannot do: it cannot end in a command or a suggestion.
Before you start: You should know the polite style and the basic past ending. The reason ending is explained on the Korean because grammar page, but you can read this story first. The story takes about 20 minutes. The convenience store labels page shows the shop where the umbrella is bought.
What Happens in This Easy Korean Story about a Rainy Day?
In this easy Korean story about a rainy day, rain falls all day. The speaker has no umbrella, so the speaker buys one at a convenience store. The road is slippery and the shoes get wet. At home there is warm tea, and the cold speaker drinks it and feels better. Play the narration once, then read along with the table.
오늘은 하루 종일 비가 왔어요. 아침에 우산이 없어서 편의점에서 샀어요. 비가 많이 와서 길이 미끄러웠어요. 신발도 젖었어요. 기분이 안 좋았어요. 저녁에 집에 돌아왔어요. 집에 따뜻한 차가 있었어요. 몸이 추워서 차를 마셨어요. 차가 정말 맛있었어요. 기분이 조금 좋아졌어요. 창밖에는 아직 비가 와요. 저는 창밖을 봐요. 비 오는 날도 가끔 좋아요.
| # | Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 오늘은 하루 종일 비가 왔어요. | Today it rained all day. |
| 2 | 아침에 우산이 없어서 편의점에서 샀어요. | In the morning I had no umbrella, so I bought one at a convenience store. |
| 3 | 비가 많이 와서 길이 미끄러웠어요. | It rained a lot, so the road was slippery. |
| 4 | 신발도 젖었어요. | My shoes got wet too. |
| 5 | 기분이 안 좋았어요. | I was in a bad mood. |
| 6 | 저녁에 집에 돌아왔어요. | In the evening I came home. |
| 7 | 집에 따뜻한 차가 있었어요. | There was warm tea at home. |
| 8 | 몸이 추워서 차를 마셨어요. | My body was cold, so I drank tea. |
| 9 | 차가 정말 맛있었어요. | The tea was really good. |
| 10 | 기분이 조금 좋아졌어요. | My mood got a little better. |
| 11 | 창밖에는 아직 비가 와요. | Outside the window it is still raining. |
| 12 | 저는 창밖을 봐요. | I look out of the window. |
| 13 | 비 오는 날도 가끔 좋아요. | A rainy day is sometimes nice too. |
The umbrella, the shop and the tea are story details. Notice that the story moves from the past (sentences 1 to 10) to the present (sentences 11 to 13): the speaker is now at home, watching the rain. The next section shows what is easy and what is hard.
What Makes This Story Easy or Hard to Read?
The story is easy because every sentence is short and about one simple event. It is harder in three places: the reason ending joins two parts of a sentence, three words have tricky sounds, and the ending changes tense in the last three sentences.
| Feature | In the story | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Reason ending | 없어서, 와서, 추워서 | Joins a cause to its result |
| Irregular stem | 춥다 → 추워서, 미끄럽다 → 미끄러웠어요 | ㅂ turns into 우 before a vowel |
| Modifier | 따뜻한 차 | A description before a noun |
| Sound change | 따뜻한 [따뜨탄], 없어서 [업써서] | Final consonants shift and tense |
| Tense shift | 비가 왔어요 → 비가 와요 | Story time becomes now |
| Set phrase | 하루 종일 | All day long |
The reason ending is the main skill. The cause comes first, then the result: 우산이 없어서 (because I had no umbrella) 편의점에서 샀어요 (I bought one at a convenience store). English often puts "because" in the middle, but Korean puts the ending on the cause itself.
Which New Words Should You Preview?
Preview these words before you read. Some of them are weather words, and some carry the sound changes.
| Word | Revised Romanization | Meaning | Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 하루 종일 | haru jongil | all day long | 1 |
| 비 | bi | rain | 1, 3, 11 |
| 우산 | usan | umbrella | 2 |
| 편의점 | pyeonuijeom | convenience store | 2 |
| 미끄러웠어요 | mikkeureowosseoyo | was slippery | 3 |
| 신발 | sinbal | shoes | 4 |
| 젖었어요 | jeojeosseoyo | got wet | 4 |
| 기분 | gibun | mood, feeling | 5, 10 |
| 돌아왔어요 | dorawasseoyo | came back | 6 |
| 따뜻한 | ttatteutan | warm | 7 |
| 차 | cha | tea | 7, 8, 9 |
| 추워서 | chuwoseo | because (it is) cold | 8 |
| 창밖 | changbak | outside the window | 11, 12 |
| 아직 | ajik | still, yet | 11 |
| 가끔 | gakkeum | sometimes | 13 |
Romanization is only a reading aid here. The word 차 means tea in this story, and the same syllable also means "car", so the sentence decides. Hear two of the harder words before you start.
Read the Story in Three Passes
Read the story three times, each pass with one job.
- Pass 1: read silently for the weather. Find the three words that tell you the speaker felt bad (미끄러웠어요, 젖었어요, 안 좋았어요).
- Pass 2: find the reasons. Underline each word that ends in -서 and circle its result. You should find three pairs.
- Pass 3: read aloud. Read the story in an even voice, and slow down at 없어서 and 따뜻한.
Then listen to one line from the first half and one from the second half to hear the shift from past to present.
Use them as a model, then read along. The extensive reading page explains why finishing easy texts and re-reading them works.
Comprehension Questions
Answer from the text. Questions 2 to 4 each ask for a cause.
- Why did the speaker buy an umbrella? (a) it was a gift (b) there was no umbrella at home (c) the shop was on sale
- Why was the road slippery? (a) it was icy (b) it rained a lot (c) it was dark
- Why did the speaker drink tea? (a) the body was cold (b) the tea was cheap (c) a friend gave it
- What is the weather in the last three sentences? (a) it has stopped raining (b) it is still raining (c) it is snowing
- How does the speaker feel at the end? (a) rainy days are sometimes nice (b) rainy days are always bad (c) rainy days are boring
Answers
- 1 (b). Sentence 2: 우산이 없어서 means "because there was no umbrella".
- 2 (b). Sentence 3: 비가 많이 와서 means "because it rained a lot".
- 3 (a). Sentence 8: 몸이 추워서 means "because the body was cold".
- 4 (b). Sentence 11: 아직 비가 와요 means it is still raining.
- 5 (a). Sentence 13: 비 오는 날도 가끔 좋아요.
If you missed one of the cause questions, find the -서 word in the sentence. The reason is always just before it.
What Grammar Appears in the Story?
Six patterns carry the story.
| Pattern | Example | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Reason + -아서/어서 | 없어서, 와서, 추워서 | because; joins a cause to a result |
| Past -았/었어요 | 왔어요, 젖었어요 | a finished event |
| Modifier + noun | 따뜻한 차 | a description before the noun |
| 있어요 / 없어요 | 차가 있었어요, 우산이 없어서 | there is / there is not |
| Time + 에 | 아침에, 저녁에 | at a time of day |
| Noun + 도 | 신발도, 날도 | also, too |
The ending -아서/어서 attaches to the bare stem. It uses -아서 after ㅏ or ㅗ (와서 from 오다) and -어서 after other vowels (없어서 from 없다). A ㅂ-irregular stem changes first: 춥다 becomes 추워서. The cause-and-result pattern is covered in the Korean because grammar lesson.
Worked Example: One Reason-Result Sentence
Read sentence 2 in chunks, because it shows the pattern in its simplest form: 아침에 우산이 없어서 편의점에서 샀어요.
- 아침에: in the morning. 에 marks the time.
- 우산이 없어서: because there was no umbrella. 없- plus -어서 gives 없어서, said [업써서].
- 편의점에서: at the convenience store. 에서 marks the place of the action.
- 샀어요: bought. The stem 사- plus -았어요 gives 샀어요, said [사써요].
- The reason (no umbrella) comes before the result (bought one), and there is only one tense in the sentence: the final verb.
아침에 우산이 없어서 편의점에서 샀어요.
achime usani eopseoseo pyeonuijeomeseo sasseoyo
In the morning I had no umbrella, so I bought one at a convenience store.
몸이 추워서 차를 마셨어요.
momi chuwoseo chareul masyeosseoyo
My body was cold, so I drank tea.
Note two things. First, compare 우산이 없어요 (I have no umbrella) with 우산이 없어서 (because I have no umbrella): the ending turns a statement into a reason. Second, the reason ending takes no past tense of its own: you say 비가 와서, not 비가 왔어서, even when the whole sentence is in the past.
What Mistakes Do Learners Make Here?
Learners often make four mistakes with this text.
| Learners often assume | Actually | Because |
|---|---|---|
| -아서/어서 can end a sentence with a command | 비가 와서 우산을 가져가세요 is wrong; use -(으)니까 | The ending states a fact as a reason, so it does not take a command or a suggestion |
| The reason ending takes the past: 비가 왔어서 | Say 비가 와서 | Tense goes on the last verb only |
| The stem 춥- stays: 춥어서 | Say 추워서 | ㅂ becomes 우 before a vowel |
| 따뜻한 is said [따뜻한] | It is said [따뜨탄] | The ㅅ sounds like ㄷ, then ㄷ + ㅎ sounds like ㅌ |
The first error is the most useful to learn. If you want to say "because it rains, take an umbrella", use 비가 오니까 우산을 가져가세요. The ending -(으)니까 allows a command; -아서/어서 does not.
Practice and Answer Key
Part A: join the sentences with -아서/어서.
- 배가 고파요. 밥을 먹었어요. (I was hungry. I ate.)
- 날씨가 더워요. 에어컨을 켰어요. (It was hot. I turned on the air conditioner.)
- 비가 와요. 집에 있었어요. (It rained. I stayed home.)
Part B: speak. Say aloud one sentence with 없어서, one with 추워서 and one with 와서.
Part C: spot the error. 비가 왔어서 집에 있었어요.
Answers
- Part A: 1 배가 고파서 밥을 먹었어요. 2 날씨가 더워서 에어컨을 켰어요. 3 비가 와서 집에 있었어요.
- Part B: for example 돈이 없어서 못 샀어요.
- Part C: 비가 와서 집에 있었어요. The reason ending does not take a past tense.
Where to Go Next
Continue with Easy Korean Story About a New Friend, which has narration and quoted speech. Read the connected grammar in Korean because grammar. Browse the rest of Graded Korean Stories, or see the Korean short stories for beginners overview. The double batchim page explains the two-letter final in 없.
This easy Korean story about a rainy day covers one use of -아서/어서: giving a reason for an event. It does not teach the other uses, such as "and then", and it does not compare -아서/어서 with -(으)니까 in full. Re-read it a week later and try to name each reason before looking at the result.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does -아서/어서 Mean?
It gives a reason for what comes next. 우산이 없어서 샀어요 means "I had no umbrella, so I bought one". The cause comes first and the result second. It attaches to the bare stem and takes no tense of its own, so even in a past sentence you say 비가 와서, not 비가 왔어서.
Why Can I Not Use -아서/어서 with a Command?
-아서/어서 presents a reason as a natural cause of the result, so the result is usually a statement or a question. For commands and suggestions, use -(으)니까 instead: 비가 오니까 우산을 가져가세요 means "it is raining, so take an umbrella".
How Is 따뜻한 Pronounced?
It is said [따뜨탄]. The final ㅅ of 뜻 sounds like ㄷ. Then ㄷ followed by ㅎ in 한 combines into one ㅌ sound. The result is 따-뜨-탄, with three syllables. The first ㄸ is a tense consonant, so say it with a firm, short sound and no puff of air.
What Is the Difference between 없어요 and 없어서?
없어요 ends a sentence: 우산이 없어요 means "I have no umbrella". 없어서 is the reason form: 우산이 없어서 means "because I have no umbrella", and a result must follow. Both are said with the same stem 없-, and 없어서 is said [업써서].
Why Does the Story Change from past to Present?
The first ten sentences tell what happened earlier in the day, so they are in the past. The last three sentences describe where the speaker is now, watching the rain, so they are in the present. Korean stories often shift in this way to bring the reader to the speaker's moment.
