Learn Hardcore Korean: naeil hoeuiga eobseoseo jibeseo swigiro haesseoyo. - Because there is no meeting tomorrow, I decided to rest at home.

V-기로 하다 expresses a decision or an agreement to do something. It’s stronger and more settled than simply having an intention.
Tense goes on 하다:
- 쉬기로 해요 (we’re deciding/decide)
- 쉬기로 했어요 (we decided/have decided)
Comparisons:
- V-(으)려고 하다: intention/plan, less fixed than a decision.
- V-(으)ㄹ 거예요: future expectation/plan, neutral about how firm it is.

Why is it past tense (했어요) if it’s about tomorrow?

The past tense marks the time of the decision, not the action of resting. 쉬기로 했어요 means “I/we have decided (already).” The resting will happen tomorrow. If you are deciding right now, you can say 쉬기로 해요.

What does -어서 in 없어서 do, and how is it different from -니까 or -기 때문에?

-아서/어서: links a natural cause to a result; neutral and common in speech. Ex: “Since there’s no meeting…”
-니까: more assertive/explanatory; often used when giving instructions or making suggestions.
-기 때문에: explicit, formal/neutral “because,” common in writing. All are possible here with small nuance differences:
내일 회의가 없어서 집에서 쉬기로 했어요. (plain, natural)
내일 회의가 없으니까 집에서 쉬기로 했어요. (a bit more reason-forward/assertive)
내일 회의가 없기 때문에 집에서 쉬기로 했어요. (more formal) Tip: Don’t say “없었어서” for a past cause; use a time word or 없었기 때문에 if you truly need past-cause marking.

Why is it 회의가 and not 회의는?

회의가 uses the subject marker to state a simple fact: “there is no meeting.”
회의는 makes “meeting(s)” the topic, often with a contrastive feel: “As for meetings, there aren’t any (but there might be something else).” Both are grammatical; choose based on whether you want that contrast:
회의가 없어서… (neutral fact)
회의는 없어서… (as for meetings, none …)

Why is it 집에서 and not 집에?

에서 marks the location where an action happens. You say 집에서 쉬다 (rest at home).
에 marks destination or static location/existence: 집에 가다 (go home), 집에 있다 (be at home). So 집에 쉬다 is unnatural; use 집에서 쉬다.

Is it okay to use present 없어서 with a future time word 내일?

Yes. Korean often uses the non-future form with a future time adverb. 내일 회의가 없어서 naturally means “because there will be no meeting tomorrow.” You don’t need a future marker here.

Could I say 내일 회의가 없을 거라서 instead?

It’s not wrong, but it can sound a bit clunky or predictive/speculative. If you want to emphasize expectation rather than a known fact, you could say:

내일 회의가 없을 테니까 …
내일 회의가 없을 것 같아서 … If it’s confirmed, 없어서 is simplest and most natural.

Who is the subject of 쉬기로 했어요? Do I need to say it?

Korean often omits obvious subjects. Here it’s typically “I” or “we,” understood from context. You can add:

저는 내일 회의가 없어서 집에서 쉬기로 했어요. (I decided…)
우리는 … 쉬기로 했어요. (We decided…) Add it only if clarity is needed.

Can I change the clause order?

Yes, but the reason clause usually comes first. Natural:

내일 회의가 없어서 집에서 쉬기로 했어요. If you put the reason second, it’s common to make it a separate sentence with the polite ending:
집에서 쉬기로 했어요. 내일 회의가 없어서요.

What’s the pronunciation I should watch for?

회의: commonly [회이]; [회의] is also heard. Don’t force an English “hway.”
없어서: [업써서] (the ㅄ in 없다 sounds like ㅂ before a vowel, and ㅆ is tense).
쉬기로: [쉬기로] (“쉬” like “shwi”).
했어요: [해써요] (contracted from 하였어요 → 했어요; ㅆ is tense).

What’s the difference between 쉬기로 했어요 and 쉬게 됐어요?

쉬기로 했어요: a decision/choice (volitional).
쉬게 됐어요: it ended up that I will rest (result of circumstances, less about your will). Example: The meeting was canceled, so “I ended up resting at home.”

How would this sound in different politeness levels?

Casual: 내일 회의가 없어서 집에서 쉬기로 했어.
Polite (current): 내일 회의가 없어서 집에서 쉬기로 했어요.
Formal: 내일 회의가 없어서 집에서 쉬기로 했습니다. In casual speech you can also drop the subject particle: 내일 회의 없어서…

Is there any difference between 회의 and 미팅 here?

회의: native/Korean–Sino word for a meeting (often internal, formal).
미팅: English loan; used for meetings, especially with clients/partners; note it can also mean a “group blind date” in other contexts. For work context, both can appear, but 회의 is safest and unambiguous.