A/V-아서 어서 해서 grammar (아서/어서/여서 grammar)
This is the second part of korean grammar 아서/어서/해서 series. You can access the first part from here.
Today, we’re going to learn ‘Adjective/Verb-아서/어서/해서.’ grammar. 아서/어서/해서’ is used in three ways.
Firstly, it is used to connect two actions which occur sequentially. We’ve already learned this Grammar lesson. For example–
‘놀이동산에 가서 롤러코스터를 탔어요.’ (I went to the theme park and took a roller coaster.)
Secondly, it is used to express the reason for or cause of something. For example, ‘배가 아파서 학교에 못 갔어요.’ (Because I had a stomach, I was not able to go to school.)
Why didn’t you go to school?
Because I had a stomach, so I could not go. It indicates the reason.
Lastly, it expresses the means or methods of something. For example, ‘운동해서 살을 빼요.’ (‘I lose weight by exercising.).
How do you lose weight?
By exercising, I lose weight. It is talking about the method.
Now, we’re going to look at the second usage,
which expresses reasons for or causes of something.
Let’s look at a short conversation first.
Naun asks: “Why didn’t you come to school yesterday?” “어제 학교에 왜 안 왔어요?”
Minjo replies: Because I had a stomach, I was not able to go. “배가 아파서 못 갔어요.”
Here, today’s grammar is’아파서.’
Let’s find out more about ‘아서/어서/해서.’
‘아서/어서/해서’ attaches to the adjective/verb stem.
This is a linking ending, and it is used to express reasons for or causes of something.
For example, there are two sentences.
The first sentence is talking about causes or reasons and the second sentence is talking about the result of the first sentence’s reasons. When you connect these two sentences, you can use ‘아서/어서/해서.’
아서/어서/해서 Examples
Let’s look at some examples.
‘I had a stomachache 배가 아팠어요. I was not able to go to school.’ 학교에 못 갔어요. I was not able to go to school. Why?
Because I had a stomachache, which is the reason. So, I was not able to go to school which is the result.
When you connect two sentences
it becomes ‘Because I had a stomach, I was not able to go to school.’
The reason 원인 is ‘I had a stomach.’ 배가 아팠어요.
The result is ‘I was not able to go to school.’ 학교에 못 갔어요.
배가 아파서 학교에 못 갔어요
When the first sentence is the reason for or cause of the succeeding sentence, you can connect two sentences by using ‘아서/어서/해서.’
Let’s look at another example.
‘It snowed. The road is slippery.’’눈이 왔어요. 길이 미끄러워요.’
길이 왜 미끄러워요? Why is the road slippery? Because ‘it snowed’ which is the reason.
So, as a result, ‘the road is slippery.’ (길이 미끄러워요)
Make them into one sentence,
‘Because it snowed, the road is slippery.’ The reason is ‘it snowed.
As a result, ‘the road is slippery.’ 눈이 와서 길이 미끄러워요.’
‘아서/어서/해서’ is used to connect a cause sentence to a result sentence. In terms of the combination information, ‘아서/어서/해서’ is used after the adjective/verb stems.
So, remove ‘다’ from the basic form ‘가다 (=to go,), 만들다 (to make), 피곤하다 (to be tired). After that, attach ‘아서/어서/해서.’ Then, they become ‘가서, 만들어서, 피곤해서.’
아서 어서 해서 usage
When do we use ‘아서? 어서? 해서? Let’s look at them together.
First, remove ‘다’ from the basic form of the adjective/verb.
When the stem has the vowel ‘ㅏ’ or ‘ㅗ’, ‘아서’ is used. For example, remove ‘다’ from the basic form ‘가다 (=to go). When you look at the stem ‘가’, it has the vowel ‘ㅏ.’ Add ‘아서’, and it becomes ‘가서.’
On the other hand, remove ‘다’ from the basic form of the adjective/verb. When the stem has other vowels (except ‘ㅏ’ or ‘ㅗ’), add ‘어서.’ For example, remove ‘다’ from the basic form ‘만들다 (to make). The verb stem ‘들’ has the vowel ‘ㅡ’. Add ‘어서.’ And it becomes ‘만들어서.’
The last case is ‘하다.’ ‘하다’ changes to ‘해서.’ When you look at the conjugation, Remove ‘다’ from the basic form ‘하다.’ Add ‘여서’. It becomes ‘하여서.’
When ‘하’ combines with ‘여’, they become ‘해.’ So ‘하여서’ becomes ‘해서.’
You don’t need to know this process. Just remember that ‘하다’ changes to ‘해서.’ So, the adjective ‘피곤하다 (=to be tired)’ becomes ‘피곤해서.’
아서 어서 해서 grammar
When the adjective/verb stem has the vowel ‘ㅏ’ or ‘ㅗ’, add ‘아서.’ So, ‘가다’ becomes ‘가서.’
On the other hand, when the stem has other vowels, add ‘어서.’ So, ‘만들다’ becomes ‘만들어서.’
Lastly, ‘하다’ changes to ‘해서.’ So, ‘피곤하다’ becomes ‘피곤해서.’
아서/어서/해서 Limitations
Now, let’s look at some limitations on ‘아서/어서/해서.’
Firstly, when ‘아서/어서/해서’ expresses the reason for or the causes of something, it cannot be used in imperative or propositive sentences. For example, we’ve learned ‘으세요/세요’ which expresses to suggest or give orders in polite ways.
‘아서/어서/해서’ cannot be used with ‘으세요/세요.’
For example, ‘Because you had a stomach, please don’t go to school.’ (배가 아파서 학교에 가지 마세요). It’s the wrong expression.
Let’s look at another example.
Because the food is so delicious, please eat a lot. (음식이 맛있어서 많이 드세요). This is wrong again.
‘아서/어서/해서’ cannot be used with imperative sentences.
Now let’s look at the propositive sentences.
We’ve learned ‘을까요/ㄹ까요’ which is used to suggest something to someone. This expression also cannot be used with ‘아서/어서/해서.’
For example, ‘Because we’re hungry, shall we have a meal?” (배가 고파서 밥 먹을까요?). This is wrong.
Another example is ‘Because we’re tired, shall we take a rest at home?’ (피곤해서 집에서 쉴까요?)
This is also the wrong expression.
‘아서/어서/해서’ cannot be used with the propositive sentences.
Another limitation is ‘아서/어서/해서’ is not used with ‘tense markers’.
For example, ‘I had a stomach. I was not able to go to school’ (‘배가 아팠어요. 학교에 못 갔어요.’). The past tense marker ‘았’ is used. When you connect two sentences, ‘배가 아팠어서 학교에 못 갔어요.’ This is wrong.
The correct sentence is ‘배가 아파서 학교에 못 갔어요.’
You have to say ‘아파서’ not ‘아팠어요.’ The past tense ‘았’ is not used with ‘아서/어서/해서.’
아서 어서 해서 practice
Now, let’s do some practice. Let’s find out which one should we use among ‘아서/어서/해서.’
The first one is the verb ‘보다 (=to see, to watch).’
Remove ‘다.’
What is the vowel in ‘보’? There is the vowel ‘ㅗ’
Add ‘아서.’ It becomes ‘봐서.’
This one is ‘읽다 (to read.).’
Remove ‘다’ from the basic form.
What is the vowel in ‘읽’?
There is the vowel ‘ㅣ’. ‘ㅣ’ is not either ‘ㅏ’ or ‘ㅗ.’
So, add ‘어서.’ It becomes ‘읽어서.’
The last one is ‘공부하다 (to study).’
‘하다’ changes to ‘해서.’ So, add ‘해서.’ It becomes ‘공부해서.’
Now, let’s look at some examples.
‘I (to have) a meal a lot. I am full.’ ‘밥을 많이 먹다 배가 불러요.’
How would you say it?
‘밥을 많이 먹어서 배가 불러요.’ (As I had a lot of meal, I am full.)
Why are you full? Because I had a lot, so I’m full.
‘잠을 못 자다 피곤해요.’ (‘I (not to sleep) well. I’m tired.’)
How would you say it?
‘잠을 못 자서 피곤해요.’ (‘Because I did not sleep well, I’m tired.’)
Why are you tired? Because I did not sleep well, I’m tired.
‘피곤하다 집에서 쉴 거예요.’ (‘(to be tired), I will take a rest at home.’)
How would you say it?
‘피곤해서 집에서 쉴 거예요.’ (‘Because I am tired, I will take a rest at home.’)
Why will you take a rest? Because I’m tired, I’ll take a rest at home.
Korean Conversation
Let’s look at a short conversation.
Minjo asks: “Naun, where are you going?” “나은 씨 어디에 가요?”
Naun replies: “I’m going to the airport because my parents are coming to Korea.” “부모님이 한국에 오셔서 공항에 가요.”
Why does she go to the airport? Because her parents are coming to Korea.
This is today’s homework.
Why didn’t you do your homework? ‘왜 숙제를 못했어요?’
For example, you might answer like: ‘Because I’m busy, I was not able to do my homework.’ 예를 들면, ‘바빠서 못했어요.’
Please write your own reasons in the comment section.
아서 어서 해서 grammar Conclusion
Let’s sum up. Today, we’ve learned ‘adjective/verb-아서/어서/해서.’
‘아서/어서/해서’ expresses the reason for or the cause of the succeeding clauses. As an example, we’ve looked at ‘배가 아파서 학교에 못 갔어요. (=Because I had a stomach, I was not able to go to school.) It is combined with adjectives and verbs.
When the stem ends in the vowel ‘ㅏ’ or ‘ㅗ’add ‘아서.’
When the stem ends in other vowels, add ‘어서.’
When the word ends in ‘하다’, you can change it to ‘해서.’
It cannot be used with imperative and preposition sentences. Also, it cannot be used with tense markers.
