Dictionary — Entry No. 0614
때문에
ttaemune · expression
때문에
ttaemune
[TAY-moo-neh]
expressionbeginner
Meaning
때문에 means ‘because of’ or ‘due to.’ It attaches to a noun or verb clause to indicate cause or reason, and is one of the most essential grammar structures in Korean for explaining why something happened. It is used for neutral and negative causes — for positive causes (‘thanks to’), the separate word 덕분에 (deokbune) is used instead.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
In My Love from the Star (별에서 온 그대), the alien protagonist’s repeated monologues about things happening 때문에 love anchor the entire emotional arc of the drama. BLACKPINK’s Lovesick Girls channels the pain of suffering 때문에 a love that hurts more than it heals. IVE’s LOVE DIVE explores the obsessive spiral that begins 때문에 an all-consuming attraction that the protagonist knows she should resist.
Example Sentences
너 때문에 웃어.
Neo ttaemune useo.
I’m smiling because of you. (attributing happiness directly to a person)
비 때문에 못 갔어.
Bi ttaemune mot gasseo.
I couldn’t go because of the rain. (external obstacle as cause)
네 말 때문에 상처받았어.
Ne mal ttaemune sangcheobadasseo.
I was hurt because of what you said. (emotional cause — very common in K-Drama confrontations)
⚠️ Don’t use ttaemune when…
때문에 is for neutral or negative causes — using it for positive outcomes sounds unnatural or even blaming. Use 덕분에 when you mean ‘thanks to.’ Also, 때문에 attaches directly to the preceding noun without any extra connector: say 너 때문에, never 너가 때문에.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: My Love from the Star (별에서 온 그대) — the alien’s monologues about the impossibility of love 때문에 his immortality and her mortality
- K-Pop: BLACKPINK — Lovesick Girls
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.