Key Facts
- Hangul: 그래서; Revised Romanization: geuraeseo
- Part of speech: adverb (conjunction)
- Origin: Native (no hanja)
- Register: Neutral; shows result.
So in Korean: What Does 그래서 Mean?
그래서 links a cause to its result: the first sentence gives the reason and 그래서 introduces what followed. It is neutral and works in speech and writing. On its own, 그래서요? means "so?" or "and then what?", and 그래서 말인데 introduces a point: "so, the thing is".
How Do You Pronounce 그래서?
Say geu-rae-seo, three syllables. The first vowel ㅡ is unrounded, with the lips spread rather than pushed forward. The ㄹ is a light tap, and the last syllable seo sounds like "suh" with a soft s; its ㅓ is also unrounded.
Example Sentences with 그래서
비가 왔어요. 그래서 집에 있었어요.
Biga wasseoyo. Geuraeseo jibe isseosseoyo.
It rained, so I stayed home.
The rain is the cause, and staying at home is the result. 있었어요 means "was there", so the pair of sentences tells a small story.
배가 고파요. 그래서 밥을 먹을 거예요.
Baega gopayo. Geuraeseo babeul meogeul geoyeyo.
I am hungry, so I will eat.
Hunger leads to the plan to eat. 먹을 거예요 is the future form, "will eat".
늦게 일어났어요. 그래서 지각했어요.
Neutge ireonasseoyo. Geuraeseo jigakaesseoyo.
I woke up late, so I was late.
Waking late leads to being late. 지각했어요 is the past tense of arriving late.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 그래서 그랬어요 | that's why (I did it) |
| 그래서요? | so? |
| 그래서 말인데 | so, the thing is |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 그래서 가세요. (meant as "So please go.")
Correct: ✓ 그러니까 가세요.
Why: For a direct reason-to-command pattern, 그러니까 is the clearer beginner choice. 그래서 normally introduces a resulting statement. Its wider conversational uses also include introducing a new topic.
그래서 Compared with Similar Words
Three connectors are close. 그러니까 gives a request or asks for agreement. 왜냐하면 gives the reason. 그리고 adds, but does not show a result.
| Word | Meaning | Versus so |
|---|---|---|
| 그래서 | so | This page's word |
| 그러니까 | so / therefore | Often used to give a request or ask for agreement. |
| 왜냐하면 | because | Gives reason. |
| 그리고 | and | Adds, not result. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
그래서 is a native Korean word, so there is no hanja. It is built from a stem meaning "to be like that" plus the cause ending -eoseo, which is why it carries a result. The set phrase 그래서 그랬어요 means "that's why (I did it)".
At Work: Explaining a Late Arrival
A coworker asks why another person arrived late. The explanation puts the cause first, then uses 그래서 to introduce the result.
Coworker A
오늘 왜 늦었어요?
Oneul wae neujeosseoyo?
Why were you late today?
Coworker B
버스를 놓쳤어요. 그래서 택시를 탔어요.
Beoseureul nochyeosseoyo. Geuraeseo taeksireul tasseoyo.
I missed the bus, so I took a taxi.
Coworker A
길이 많이 막혔어요?
Giri mani makyeosseoyo?
Was the traffic very heavy?
Coworker B
네. 그래서 늦었어요.
Ne. Geuraeseo neujeosseoyo.
Yes. That is why I was late.
The first 그래서 connects missing the bus with taking a taxi. The second connects heavy traffic with arriving late. A single story can contain more than one cause-and-result pair, but each 그래서 should have a clear reason to point back to. The speakers do not need to repeat the full traffic explanation in the last line.
Which English “so” Does 그래서 Translate?
그래서 translates “so” when it introduces a consequence. Rain followed by staying home is a cause-and-result pair. Two unrelated events need a different connection: 그리고 adds another fact, while 하지만 introduces a contrast. Choosing the connector tells the listener how to understand the relationship.
English “so” can also mean “very”, as in “so delicious”. That use needs a degree word such as 너무 or 정말. Ask whether “therefore” would fit before choosing 그래서.
English “so that” can introduce a purpose. 그래서 alone does not mark that purpose: use it for the resulting event, state or plan.
What Do the Set Phrases Imply?
그래서 그랬어요 literally points back to “that” twice: “because of that, it happened that way” or “that is why I did that”. The natural English translation depends on what the previous speaker has explained. Without that shared context, the sentence does not tell the listener what actually happened.
그래서 말인데 introduces something the speaker wants to bring up: “so, about that…” or “that reminds me…” It often uses the previous topic as a bridge to a request or concern. It is a conversation opener, rather than a complete explanation of the speaker's point. Listen for what follows.
그래서요? can encourage a storyteller to continue: “And then?” With a flat or impatient delivery, it can challenge the relevance of what they said: “So what?” The 요 makes the form polite, but it cannot guarantee a friendly tone. If you want more detail, a warm questioning tone makes the intention clearer.
Where Will You Hear 그래서?
Everyday explanations use 그래서 to connect what happened with why it happened. Someone explaining a canceled outing, a changed plan or a late arrival can use it. The reason may be in the previous speaker's sentence, so 그래서 can naturally begin a reply.
Narration and writing also use 그래서. It does not change shape with the speech level: the surrounding verbs carry polite or casual endings.
For a beginner giving a reason for an instruction, 그러니까 is the more useful connector. The existing correction 그러니까 가세요 fits “so please go”. The restriction concerns that reason-to-command pattern; it does not mean that a speaker can never begin a conversational turn containing a request with 그래서.
Connectors to Learn Alongside 그래서
| Korean | Meaning | The relationship it signals |
|---|---|---|
| 그리고 | and | Adds another fact or event. |
| 하지만 | but | Introduces contrast. |
| 왜냐하면 | because | Starts an explanation of the reason. |
| 그러니까 | so; therefore | Can lead into advice or an instruction. |
| 그럼 | then; in that case | Responds to the situation or the previous proposal. |
The conjunctions vocabulary lesson groups these by the connection they make. Replacing 그래서 with 그리고 keeps two facts, but removes the explicit claim that one follows from the other.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 그래서 fit the “so” in “so delicious”?
- In a cause-and-result pair with 그래서, which comes first?
- Does the 요 in 그래서요? guarantee a friendly meaning?
Show answers
- No. That “so” expresses intensity, so choose a degree word such as 너무 or 정말.
- The cause comes first; 그래서 introduces the result.
- No. Tone and context can make it sound like “And then?” or “So what?”
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "so" in Korean?
So in Korean is 그래서 (geuraeseo). Put it at the start of the second sentence to show a result: 비가 왔어요. 그래서 집에 있었어요.
Can I use 그래서 with a command?
For a direct reason-based command or suggestion, use 그러니까, as in 그러니까 가세요 (so please go). 그래서 is the beginner choice for stating a result. In wider conversation, it can also introduce a new topic or turn, so the restriction is not absolute.
What does 그래서요? mean?
그래서요? means "so?" or "and then what?". Said flatly it can also sound like "so what?", so watch your tone.
How is 그래서 different from 그리고?
그리고 only adds the next fact or event. 그래서 says the second sentence happened because of the first.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: function words conjunctions vocabulary places so among related words.
- Index: more words after so are in Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: save so in the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Compare with the page for and.