Learn Hardcore Korean: dareun bangbeopbakke eobseoseo urineun baedareul gidaryeosseo. - There was no other way, so we waited for delivery.

밖에 after a noun means “nothing but / only” in an exclusive sense and must pair with a negative predicate. Here it’s paired with 없어서 (“because there wasn’t”), giving “because there was no other way (but that).” The pattern is: N + 밖에 + negative verb/adjective (e.g., 없다, 모르다, 못/안 + V).

Could I just say 다른 방법이 없어서 instead of 다른 방법밖에 없어서? What’s the difference?

Yes. Both are correct.

다른 방법이 없어서 = “because there was no other method.” Neutral statement.
다른 방법밖에 없어서 = “because there was nothing but (no choice except) another method.” Stronger nuance of having no other option and a slight sense of resignation.

Why not use 만 (only) instead of 밖에? What’s the difference between 밖에 and 만?

N만 = “only N,” neutral, can be used with positive predicates. Example: 돈만 있어요 “I only have money.”
N밖에 = “nothing but N,” requires a negative predicate. Example: 돈밖에 없어요 “I have nothing but money.” Using 만 in this sentence would change the structure and nuance; 밖에 emphasizes the lack of alternatives.

Is it okay to use 밖에 with a positive verb? For example, can I say 밖에 있어요?

No. 밖에 is used with negative predicates. Acceptable pairings include:

N밖에 없어요/없다
N밖에 몰라요/모르다
N밖에 안/못 V (e.g., 한 잔밖에 안 마셨어요 “I only drank one cup.”) A sentence like 밖에 있어요 is ungrammatical in this sense.

How do you pronounce 방법밖에 naturally?

It’s pronounced with tensification and liaison: roughly [방벆빡께] (romanized approx. “bang-beop-ppakke”).

The final ㅂ of 방법 makes the following ㅂ in 밖에 tense (경음화) → ㅃ.
The ㄲ in 밖에 carries over to the next syllable with 에, so you hear “빡-께.”

What does -어서 in 없어서 do? How is it different from 그래서 or -으니까?

-아서/어서 links cause to result within one sentence: “because/since.” Here: “because there was no other way.”
그래서 connects two sentences: “So/therefore.” You could say: 다른 방법이 없었어요. 그래서 우리는 배달을 기다렸어요.
-으니까 also means “because,” but often carries a more subjective reason or is used in suggestions/commands. 없으니까 would also work here with a slightly stronger, explanatory tone. Note: -아서/어서 isn’t normally used directly before imperatives/requests, whereas -으니까 can be.

Why is it 우리는, not 우리가? Could I omit 우리?

우리는 (topic marker) sets “we” as the topic: “As for us, we waited…”
우리가 (subject marker) would emphasize “we” as the doer in contrast to others.
Omitting 우리 is common when it’s obvious from context: 다른 방법밖에 없어서 배달을 기다렸어. All are possible; choose based on emphasis.

Is 우린 acceptable? What about polite speech?

우린 is a common contraction of 우리는 in casual speech.
Polite versions:
- Informal polite: 기다렸어요 → 우린/우리는 … 기다렸어요.
- Formal: 기다렸습니다 → 우리는 … 기다렸습니다. For humble “we,” use 저희는 in polite contexts.

How is 기다렸어 formed from 기다리다?

Stem 기다리- + past -었- + casual ending -어 → 기다리었어 → contracts to 기다렸어 (이 + 어/었 → 여/였). It’s regular contraction, not an irregular verb.

Why does 배달 take the object marker -을 with 기다리다?

In Korean, 기다리다 “to wait (for)” takes a direct object:

배달을 기다리다 = “wait for the delivery.” The object particle -을/를 may be dropped in casual speech: 배달 기다렸어, but keeping it is clear and standard.

What kind of “delivery” is 배달? How is it different from 배송 or 택배?

배달: delivery to someone; often food delivery, but also general “delivering” (e.g., newspapers).
배송: shipping/logistics of goods (online orders, company-to-customer).
택배: parcel/courier service (packages).
In this sentence, many listeners will imagine food delivery unless context suggests parcels.

Is the spacing of 방법밖에 correct? Sometimes I see 밖에 separated.

Both exist but mean different things:

As the particle “except/only,” it attaches with no space: 방법밖에, 돈밖에.
As the noun “outside” + 에 (“at/in”), it’s spaced: 학교 밖에 = “outside the school.”
Here it’s the particle, so no space: 방법밖에.

What’s going on with 다른? Is it related to an irregular adjective?

Yes. 다른 comes from 다르다 (“to be different”), which is a 르-irregular.

Present attributive (before a noun): 다르다 → 다른 (not “다른다”).
Other forms: 달라요, 달라서, 달랐어요, 다를.
So 다른 방법 literally means “a different/another method.”

Could I say 배달을 기다릴 수밖에 없었어? Is that different?

Yes, that’s a common pattern: V-(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다 = “have no choice but to V.”

배달을 기다릴 수밖에 없었어 = “We had no choice but to wait for the delivery.”
It emphasizes inevitability even more than the original, which states the reason and the action separately.

Can I change the word order? For example, put 우리는 first?

Sure. All are natural:

다른 방법밖에 없어서 우리는 배달을 기다렸어.
우리는 다른 방법밖에 없어서 배달을 기다렸어. Korean allows flexible order; cause clauses often come first, but either is fine.

What’s the nuance difference between 기다렸어 and 기다리고 있었어?

기다렸어: simple past, a completed action (“we waited”).
기다리고 있었어: past progressive (“we were waiting”), focusing on the ongoing nature of the waiting at some point in the past.

Could I use 뿐 instead of 밖에?

Yes, but the structure changes:

N뿐이다 can be used with an affirmative: 다른 방법뿐이었어 (“There was only another method”), or with verbs: 기다릴 뿐이었어 (“We could only wait”).
뿐 is more neutral/formal; 밖에 + negative sounds more colloquial and emphatic about the lack of alternatives.

Is there any potential confusion with 다른 방법밖에 없다 since 다른 means “other”?

It can feel counterintuitive in English. In Korean:

다른 방법이 없다 = “there is no other method.”
다른 방법밖에 없다 = “there is nothing but another method (i.e., no alternative).”
Both convey “no alternative,” but 밖에 adds emphasis that only that “other” way remains. Context clarifies what that “other” is relative to.