Breakdown of keompyuteo hwamyeoni jakgi ttaemune nuni apayo.
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 내 (my) used before 눈이 아파요? Do we need a possessor?
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?
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning KoreanMaster Korean — from keompyuteo hwamyeoni jakgi ttaemune nuni apayo to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions