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beoseuga jiyeondwaeseo orae gidaryeosseoyo.

버스가 지연돼서 오래 기다렸어요.beoseuga jiyeondwaeseo orae gidaryeosseoyo.
The bus was delayed, so I waited for a long time.
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Questions & Answers about beoseuga jiyeondwaeseo orae gidaryeosseoyo.

Why is it 버스가 and not 버스를?

버스가 uses the subject marker -가/-이, because the sentence is describing what happened to the bus: the bus was delayed.
지연되다 means to be delayed (something undergoes a delay), so 버스 is the grammatical subject of 지연되다.

If you used 버스를, it would suggest the bus is the object of some other action (like I missed the bus / I took the bus / I waited for the bus), but that’s not what this first clause is doing.

What does 지연돼서 come from? Why is it written like that?

지연돼서 is a common contraction:

  • Dictionary form: 지연되다 (to be delayed)
  • Conjugation: 지연되어서 (being delayed, and so…)
  • Contracted: 지연돼서

So 돼서 is basically 되어서 shortened (very common in spoken/written Korean).

Is 지연되다 passive? What’s the active form?

Yes, 지연되다 is an “undergo”/passive-style verb meaning to be delayed.
A common “active” way to express it is:

  • 버스를 지연시켰어요 = (Someone/something) delayed the bus
    • Verb: 지연시키다 = to delay (something)

In your sentence, the cause doesn’t matter (or isn’t known), so 지연되다 is natural.

What does -아서/어서 (in 지연돼서) mean here? Is it “because” or “and then”?

Here -아서/어서 expresses a reason/cause: because/since the bus was delayed, (I) waited a long time.

It can sometimes sound like “and so,” but the core idea is cause → result.

Why does the second clause not have a subject like 저는/제가?

Korean often omits the subject when it’s obvious from context.
Here, (I) is understood:

  • (저는) 버스가 지연돼서 오래 기다렸어요.

Adding 저는 makes it more explicit or contrasts with someone else, but it’s not required.

Why is it 기다렸어요 (past tense) if I might still be waiting?

-었/았어요 marks a completed past event: I waited (and the waiting period is being talked about as something that happened).

If you’re emphasizing that you’re still waiting, you’d usually use the progressive:

  • 오래 기다리고 있어요 = I’ve been waiting a long time / I’m waiting for a long time
What is the nuance of 오래? Does it mean “for a long time” or “a long time ago”?

오래 here means for a long time (duration).
It modifies the verb 기다리다: 오래 기다리다 = to wait for a long time.

오래전에 is the common way to mean a long time ago.

Could I also say 버스가 늦어서 오래 기다렸어요? What’s the difference?

Yes, that’s very natural.

  • 지연되다 = to be delayed (a bit more formal/official; used for schedules, transportation announcements)
  • 늦다 = to be late (more everyday, general)

So 버스가 지연돼서… sounds slightly more “announcement-like,” while 버스가 늦어서… is more casual.

What politeness level is 기다렸어요?

기다렸어요 is the 해요체 (polite, standard conversation style).
Common alternatives:

  • Informal: 기다렸어
  • More formal: 기다렸습니다
Can the order be changed, like 오래 기다렸어요, 버스가 지연돼서?

Yes. Korean often allows flexible order, especially in speech:

  • 버스가 지연돼서 오래 기다렸어요. (cause → result, very standard)
  • 오래 기다렸어요. 버스가 지연돼서요. (result first, then explanation)

The second version can sound more conversational, like you state the main point first and then add the reason.

Is 기다리다 transitive? Should there be an object like “waited for the bus”?

기다리다 can take an object with -을/를 when you specify what you waited for:

  • 버스를 오래 기다렸어요 = I waited for the bus for a long time.

But it’s also common to omit the object if it’s obvious from context. In your sentence, we already mentioned the bus, so (버스를) is easy to leave out.

How would I say “I had to wait a long time because the bus was delayed” (adding “had to”)?

A common way is to add -아/어야 하다 (have to):

  • 버스가 지연돼서 오래 기다려야 했어요. = I had to wait a long time because the bus was delayed.