Korean grammar patterns › Level 4
-아/어서 그런지
maybe because …, perhaps it's because …
Level 4 · TOPIK II · intermediate
How to use it
Gives a likely but uncertain reason for clause 2: the speaker isn't sure this is exactly the cause. -아/어서인지 is a slightly more written variant.
Forming it
| 못 자다 | → 못 자서 그런지 |
| 춥다 | → 추워서 그런지 |
| 주말 | → 주말이라서 그런지 |
Clause 2 describes a situation; it can't be a command or suggestion.
Examples
어젯밤에 잠을 못 자서 그런지 머리가 아파요.
Maybe because I couldn't sleep last night, I have a headache.
주말이라서 그런지 공원에 사람이 많네요.
Maybe because it's the weekend, there are a lot of people in the park.
Compared with similar patterns
-아/어서 (G1-019) and -기 때문에 (G2-007) state the reason as a fact; -아/어서 그런지 hedges it.