3 · Linking clauses, further
Thanks to: 덕분에
the grateful cause
After a noun or a past modifier, 덕분에 credits someone or something with a good result.
덕분 is a noun meaning “favour, benefit”, and 덕분에 is that noun with the particle 에. After another noun it is written as a separate word: 친구 덕분에, 선생님 덕분에. After a verb it needs a modifier, and because the helpful thing has usually already happened, that is the past modifier: 도와 준 덕분에, 열심히 공부한 덕분에, 먹은 덕분에. An adjective takes its ordinary modifier: 날씨가 좋은 덕분에.
The result is always something good. That is the whole difference from 때문에, which is neutral and in practice often names a cause of trouble, and from 탓에, which openly blames. 비 덕분에 about a cancelled picnic can only be heard as sarcasm.
On its own, at the start of a sentence, 덕분에 means “thanks to you” or “thanks to that”: the listener knows what is meant. One of the commonest sentences with it is a courtesy: asked 잘 지내셨어요?, people answer 네, 덕분에 잘 지냈어요, “yes, I have been well, thanks to you” — even when the listener had nothing to do with it.
English speakers stumble over the verb form. “Thanks to you helping me” tempts the present modifier, 도와 주는 덕분에; for help already given Korean wants 도와 준 덕분에. The more formal 덕택에 means the same, and in quick speech 덕에 is heard as well.
The form
| after a noun | 친구 덕분에 |
| after a verb (past) | 도와 준 덕분에, 먹은 덕분에 |
| after an adjective | 날씨가 좋은 덕분에 |
| at the start of a sentence | 덕분에 잘 끝났어요. |
| for a bad result instead | 비 때문에, 내 탓에 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
After a noun, 덕분에 is written as a separate word.
선생님 덕분에 시험에 합격했어요.I passed the exam thanks to my teacher.
After a verb, the past modifier comes before 덕분에: the help has already been given.
친구가 도와 준 덕분에 일을 빨리 끝냈어요.Thanks to my friend's help, I finished the work quickly.
An adjective takes its ordinary modifier.
날씨가 좋은 덕분에 사진이 잘 나왔어요.Thanks to the good weather, the photos came out well.
The result is always welcome; for an unwelcome one use 때문에 or 탓에.
여러분 덕분에 행사가 잘 끝났습니다.Thanks to all of you, the event went well.
A closer look
Credit, cause and blame
Korean has three nouns that work the same way with 에 and say three different things about a cause. 덕분에 gives credit, 때문에 simply names the cause, and 탓에 lays blame. 친구 덕분에 늦지 않았어요, 친구 때문에 늦었어요 and 친구 탓에 늦었어요 tell three different stories about the same friend.
Because 덕분에 carries thanks, it is also a small act of politeness. Saying that things went well 덕분에 shares the credit with the listener, which is exactly why the formula 덕분에 잘 지냈어요 is said to people who did nothing at all.
How to spot it
- 덕분에
- 덕택에
- 덕에
- 그 덕분에
Example sentences
일찍 출발한 덕분에 길이 안 막혔어요.Because we set off early, we did not hit any traffic.
친구 덕분에 좋은 집을 구했어요.Thanks to a friend, I found a nice flat.
매일 연습한 덕분에 한국어 실력이 많이 늘었어요.Thanks to practising every day, my Korean has improved a lot.
이 약 덕분에 금방 나았어요.Thanks to this medicine, I got better quickly.
선배가 조언을 해 준 덕분에 실수를 피했어요.Thanks to some advice from a senior colleague, I avoided a mistake.
우산을 챙긴 덕분에 비를 안 맞았어요.Because I had brought an umbrella, I did not get wet.
7 more example sentences
엄마 덕분에 편하게 지냈어요.Thanks to my mum, I had a comfortable time.
지하철역이 가까운 덕분에 출퇴근이 편해요.Thanks to the underground station being close, commuting is easy.
미리 예약한 덕분에 기다리지 않았어요.Because we had booked in advance, we did not have to wait.
동료들 덕분에 회사 생활이 즐거워요.Thanks to my colleagues, I enjoy my working life.
푹 잔 덕분에 오늘은 컨디션이 좋아요.Thanks to a good night's sleep, I feel great today.
그 사람이 길을 알려 준 덕분에 쉽게 찾았어요.Thanks to that person showing me the way, I found it easily.
부장님 덕분에 많이 배웠습니다.I have learnt a great deal thanks to our manager.
Worth knowing (1)
-
Yes, I have been well, thank you
The polite answer to 잘 지내셨어요? credits the person asking, whether or not they had anything to do with it. Leaving 덕분에 out is not rude, but putting it in sounds warm.
네, 덕분에 잘 지냈어요.Yes, I have been well, thank you.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
덕분에 is gratitude: it can only introduce a result somebody is glad about. English “because of” is neutral, and so is 때문에 — use it, or -는 바람에 after a verb, for anything that went wrong.
Deokbune is gratitude: use it when the result is good, and ttaemune when it is not.
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.