Breakdown of gamgi ttaemune ipmasi eobseo.
~이~i
subject particle
없다eobsda
to not have
때문에ttaemune
because of
감기gamgi
cold
Questions & Answers about gamgi ttaemune ipmasi eobseo.
What exactly does 때문에 do here?
- 때문에 means because of / due to and attaches directly to a noun: N + 때문에.
- So 감기 때문에 = because of a cold.
- With verbs/adjectives, use -기 때문에: e.g., 아프기 때문에 (because [I] am sick).
Why isn’t there an “I” in the sentence?
Korean often omits obvious subjects. Context usually makes “I” clear. If you want to include it:
- Casual: 나는 감기 때문에 입맛이 없어.
- Polite: 저는 감기 때문에 입맛이 없어요.
Why is it 입맛이 and not 입맛은?
- With 있다/없다, the thing that exists/doesn’t exist typically takes 이/가: 입맛이 없어.
- 입맛은 없어 adds contrast or topic emphasis: “As for appetite, I don’t have any (but other things might be fine).”
Is 없어 casual? How do I make this polite or formal?
- 없어 = casual/informal.
- 없어요 = polite neutral (safe with strangers).
- 없습니다 = formal. Examples:
- 감기 때문에 입맛이 없어요. (polite)
- 감기 때문에 입맛이 없습니다. (formal)