-(으)ㄴ/는 탓에
because of — and it went badly
A reason that assigns blame. 탓 means “fault,” so the outcome is always unwelcome — the mirror image of 덕분에.
Build it
Pick a cause
When to use it
With a noun, 탓에 attaches directly: 비 탓에, 날씨 탓에. With a clause it follows the modifier system — verbs take -는 탓에, adjectives -(으)ㄴ 탓에, completed actions -(으)ㄴ 탓에. Stems in ㄹ drop it.
The result must be negative. This is not a stylistic preference but part of the word: 탓 is what you blame. A good outcome with 탓에 sounds wrong to a Korean ear.
Because it assigns fault, it can carry an accusing tone. 남 탓하지 마세요 — don’t blame others — uses the same word as a verb.
For a neutral reason with no blame, -기 때문에 is the safe choice.
How to attach it
| Situation | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Any noun | noun + 탓에 | 날씨 탓에 |
| Verb, present | -는 탓에 | 오다 → 오는 탓에 |
| Adjective | -(으)ㄴ 탓에 | 바쁘다 → 바쁜 탓에 |
| Completed action | -(으)ㄴ 탓에 | 늦은 탓에 |
| Ends in ㄹ | ㄹ drops | 만들다 → 만드는 탓에 |
| Result must be | negative | good outcomes take 덕분에 |
In use
갑작스러운 비 탓에 행사가 취소됐어요.
The event was cancelled because of the sudden rain.
늦게 출발한 탓에 비행기를 놓쳤어요.
I missed the flight because I set off late.
요즘 바쁜 탓에 운동을 못 하고 있어요.
I haven’t been able to exercise because I’m so busy lately.
준비가 부족한 탓에 좋은 결과를 얻지 못했다.
Owing to inadequate preparation, we failed to get a good result.
서둘러 만드는 탓에 실수가 잦아요.
Mistakes are frequent because we make them in a rush.
모두 제 탓입니다.
It’s entirely my fault.
Compared with
-(으)ㄴ/는 덕분에
An exact pair. 덕분에 credits a good outcome, 탓에 blames a bad one. Choosing between them is a matter of how the result turned out.
비 탓에 취소됐어요. (blame) / 도와주신 덕분에 잘 끝났어요. (credit)
-기 때문에
때문에 is neutral and works with any outcome. If you do not want to assign fault, it is the safer ending.
비 때문에 취소됐어요. (neutral) / 비 탓에 취소됐어요. (the rain is to blame)
-는 바람에
Also produces a bad result, but from something sudden and unexpected rather than from assigning fault.
늦은 탓에 놓쳤어요. (my lateness was at fault) / 차가 막히는 바람에 놓쳤어요. (traffic intervened)
Watch out
열심히 공부한 탓에 시험에 합격했어요.
열심히 공부한 덕분에 시험에 합격했어요.
탓 means fault. For a good outcome the word is 덕분.
서둘러 만들는 탓에 실수가 많아요.
서둘러 만드는 탓에 실수가 많아요.
Stems ending in ㄹ drop it before -는, as everywhere in the modifier system.
부장님 탓에 일이 늦어졌습니다.
여러 사정으로 일이 늦어졌습니다.
탓에 openly assigns blame. Naming a superior as the cause is a direct accusation, so a neutral phrasing is wiser.
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