Korean grammar patterns › Level 4
-ㄴ/는다고 해서
just because … (doesn't mean …)
Level 4 · TOPIK II · intermediate
How to use it
Denies that clause 1 automatically leads to clause 2. Clause 2 is usually negative: -(으)ㄴ/는 것은 아니다, -지 않다, -(으)면 안 되다.
Forming it
| 먹다 | → 먹는다고 해서 |
| 비싸다 | → 비싸다고 해서 |
| 외국인 | → 외국인이라고 해서 |
It can also literally mean 'because someone said …': 친구가 온다고 해서 기다렸어요. Context tells you which.
Examples
비싸다고 해서 다 좋은 건 아니에요.
Just because something is expensive doesn't mean it's good.
외국인이라고 해서 한국 음식을 못 먹는 건 아니에요.
Just because someone is a foreigner doesn't mean they can't eat Korean food.
Compared with similar patterns
-ㄴ/는다고 해도 (G4-035) is a concession 'even if'. -ㄴ/는다고 하다 (G2-046) just reports speech.