4 · Linking clauses, further
Because something went wrong: -는 바람에
the unforeseen cause
-는 바람에 names a sudden, unplanned event that caused something unwelcome.
The pattern is an action verb with the modifier -는, followed by 바람에 as a separate word: 오는 바람에, 먹는 바람에, 막히는 바람에. A stem ending in l loses it before -는: 울다 gives 우는 바람에, 걸다 gives 거는 바람에. 바람 here is not the wind but a bound noun, roughly “the impetus”.
It always keeps -는, even though it nearly always reports something in the past: 어제 비가 오는 바람에 취소됐어요. The tense stands at the end, and the end is almost always past — the pattern explains a result that has already happened. It does not end in a request, a suggestion or a plan.
What it adds is that the cause was sudden and outside your control, and that the result was not what you wanted: the alarm did not go off, the train broke down, somebody spilt coffee. The two clauses may have different subjects: 동생이 문을 세게 닫는 바람에 아기가 깼어요.
English speakers make two mistakes with it. One is to copy the English past into the first clause: 놓쳤는 바람에 does not exist. The other is to use it for causes that were planned or harmless, where -아서/어서 or -기 때문에 belong. It is a level-4 pattern because it carries an attitude, not just a cause.
The form
| after a vowel | 오는 바람에, 자는 바람에 |
| after a consonant | 먹는 바람에, 닫는 바람에 |
| a stem ending in l drops it | 울다 → 우는 바람에 |
| even about the past | 비가 오는 바람에 취소됐어요. |
| the usual second half | 늦었어요. 못 갔어요. |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
-는 바람에 follows an action verb, and it keeps -는 even when the event is past.
갑자기 비가 오는 바람에 옷이 다 젖었어요.It suddenly rained, and my clothes got soaked.
The cause is something unexpected that happened to you, and the result is usually unwelcome.
알람이 안 울리는 바람에 늦잠을 잤어요.My alarm did not go off, so I overslept.
The sentence almost always ends in the past, and never in a request or a suggestion.
지하철이 고장 나는 바람에 회의에 늦었어요.The underground broke down, so I was late for the meeting.
The two clauses may have different subjects.
동생이 문을 세게 닫는 바람에 아기가 깼어요.My younger sibling slammed the door, and the baby woke up.
A closer look
Three ways to explain being late
버스를 놓쳐서 늦었어요 gives a plain cause. 친구랑 이야기하느라고 늦었어요 admits that the time went on something you were doing. 버스가 안 오는 바람에 늦었어요 says that something happened to you, unexpectedly, and that you are not happy about it.
The three are interchangeable in one direction only: -아서/어서 can always replace the other two, but loses their colour. -느라고 needs your own activity; -는 바람에 needs an event that took you by surprise.
How to spot it
- -는 바람에
- 갑자기
Example sentences
갑자기 손님이 오는 바람에 외출을 못 했어요.A visitor turned up unexpectedly, so I could not go out.
휴대폰을 떨어뜨리는 바람에 화면이 깨졌어요.I dropped my phone and the screen cracked.
길이 막히는 바람에 비행기를 놓쳤어요.The traffic was so bad that I missed my flight.
눈이 많이 오는 바람에 수업이 취소됐어요.Classes were cancelled because it snowed heavily.
친구가 계속 말을 거는 바람에 공부를 못 했어요.My friend kept talking to me, so I could not study.
정전이 되는 바람에 엘리베이터에 갇혔어요.There was a power cut, and I got stuck in the lift.
7 more example sentences
컴퓨터가 갑자기 꺼지는 바람에 파일이 다 날아갔어요.The computer suddenly shut down and I lost all my files.
비가 오는 바람에 소풍이 취소됐어요.The picnic was cancelled because of the rain.
제가 잘못 누르는 바람에 메시지가 다른 사람한테 갔어요.I pressed the wrong button, and the message went to somebody else.
아이가 밤새 우는 바람에 한숨도 못 잤어요.The child cried all night, so I did not sleep a wink.
차가 고장 나는 바람에 걸어서 왔어요.My car broke down, so I came on foot.
계단에서 미끄러지는 바람에 발목을 다쳤어요.I slipped on the stairs and hurt my ankle.
옆 사람이 커피를 쏟는 바람에 바지가 더러워졌어요.The person next to me spilt coffee, and my trousers got dirty.
Worth knowing (1)
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Now and then a happy accident
The result is usually bad, but the pattern really marks the surprise. Told with a smile, it can introduce a lucky outcome that came from a mistake.
버스를 잘못 타는 바람에 멋진 카페를 발견했어요.I got on the wrong bus and ended up discovering a lovely café.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English says “I missed the bus, so I was late”, with both verbs in the past. Korean keeps the modifier -는 in front of 바람에 and puts the past only at the end: 놓치는 바람에 늦었어요.
Neun barame: something happened that you did not plan, and you are reporting the damage.
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.