keompyuteo hwamyeoni jakgi ttaemune nuni apayo.

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Questions & Answers about keompyuteo hwamyeoni jakgi ttaemune nuni apayo.

What is the function and structure of -기 때문에 in 컴퓨터 화면이 작기 때문에 눈이 아파요?

-기 is a nominalizer that turns the adjective 작다 into a noun-like element, allowing you to attach 때문에, which means because or due to.
Structure:
컴퓨터 화면이 작기 (the computer screen’s being small)
때문에 (because)
Together they form a reason clause: “Because the computer screen is small…”

Why is 작기 used instead of 작다?

You can’t directly attach 때문에 to the dictionary form 작다. You need to turn it into a noun phrase with -기.
작다 = “to be small” (adjective)
작기 = nominalized “smallness” or “being small”

Could we use 작아서 or 작으니까 instead of 작기 때문에? What’s the nuance?

Yes. All three express cause, but differ in formality and nuance:
작아서 (stem + 아/어서) = casual spoken style, simple “because…”
작으니까 (stem + 으니까) = casual, can imply a bit stronger or subjective reason
작기 때문에 = neutral to formal, more explicit “due to…”

Why are 화면이 and 눈이 both marked with -이? Could we use 은/는 instead?

-이/가 marks the grammatical subject or experiencer of a descriptive verb. Here, 화면이 is the subject of 작다, and 눈이 is the subject of 아프다.
If you use 은/는, you turn them into topics, shifting the focus:
화면은 작기 때문에… (As for the screen, because it’s small…)
눈은 아파요. (As for the eyes, they hurt.)

How does 눈이 아파요 literally work? Why not say 아픈 눈이에요?

아프다 is a descriptive verb meaning “to hurt.” You say 눈이 아파요 (“the eyes hurt”).
아픈 눈이에요 would be an adjective + noun construction meaning “(it’s) a hurting eye,” which isn’t how Koreans describe pain.

Why isn’t (my) used before 눈이 아파요? Do we need a possessor?
Korean often drops possessive pronouns when the owner is obvious. In context, defaults to “my eyes.” Adding 내 눈이 아파요 is possible for emphasis, but it’s not required.
Could we replace 컴퓨터 화면 with 컴퓨터 모니터 or just 화면?

Yes.
컴퓨터 모니터 = the physical monitor device
화면 = the screen/display itself
Both convey the idea; choose based on whether you mean hardware (모니터) or display area (화면).

Can we reverse the order and say 눈이 아파요, 컴퓨터 화면이 작기 때문에?
Grammatically it’s possible, but less common. With -기 때문에, speakers usually present the cause first, then the result: A 때문에 B rather than B, A 때문에.