-(으)매
since, inasmuch as
A reason stated in the oldest register the language still uses. Short, weighty, and almost entirely confined to scripture, poetry, and formal proclamations.
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When to use it
Vowel stems take -매, consonant stems -으매, and a ㄹ stem adds nothing: 만들매. It is written joined, and tense may appear inside: 하였으매.
It gives a reason, exactly as -(으)므로 does: 뜻이 있으매 길이 열렸다.
Do not confuse it with the nominalising -(으)ㅁ에. 있으매 is a connective ending; 있음에 is the noun form 있음 plus a particle. They sound alike and are written differently.
The register is the most archaic of the causal endings — older than 고로, older than 은즉. In modern prose it appears only for deliberate effect.
How to attach it
| Stem type | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ends in a vowel | -매 | 하다 → 하매 |
| Ends in a consonant | -으매 | 있다 → 있으매 |
| Ends in ㄹ | -매 | 만들다 → 만들매 |
| Past | -았/었으매 | 하였으매 |
| Not the same as | -(으)ㅁ에 | 있음에 — noun + particle |
| Modern equivalent | -(으)므로 | 있으므로 |
In use
뜻이 있으매 길이 열리는 법이다.
Where there is a will, a way opens.
밤이 깊으매 등불을 밝혔다.
The night being deep, they lit the lamps.
약속을 하였으매 지키는 것이 도리다.
A promise having been made, it is right to keep it.
근본이 바르매 흔들림이 없다.
The root being sound, there is no wavering.
손수 만들매 그 값을 아는 것이다.
Making it oneself, one knows its worth.
때가 이르매 모두 자리에서 일어섰다.
The hour having come, all rose from their seats.
Compared with
-(으)므로
The modern equivalent. 므로 is standard formal Korean; 매 belongs to an older layer entirely.
뜻이 있으므로 (formal) / 뜻이 있으매 (classical)
-(으)ㄴ/는 고로
Both archaic. 고로 uses the Sino-Korean 故 and reads like classical argument; 매 is a native ending and reads like scripture or verse.
그러한 고로 연기하였다. (argument) / 뜻이 있으매 길이 열렸다. (verse)
-(으)ㅁ에
The one to keep straight. 있음에 is the noun 있음 with a particle; 있으매 is a connective ending. Different words that sound the same.
그가 있음에 감사한다. (grateful for his being there) / 뜻이 있으매 길이 열린다. (since there is a will)
Watch out
뜻이 있음에 길이 열렸다. — meaning “since there was a will”
뜻이 있으매 길이 열렸다.
있음에 is a noun with a particle. The causal connective is 있으매.
손수 만들으매 그 값을 안다.
손수 만들매 그 값을 안다.
A stem ending in ㄹ takes -매 directly, without the 으.
야, 배고프매 밥 먹자.
야, 배고프니까 밥 먹자.
-(으)매 is classical. In conversation it sounds like reciting from an old text.
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