Korean grammar patterns › Level 6
-는지라
since, as (naturally) (literary)
Level 6 · TOPIK II · advanced
How to use it
Gives a circumstance as the reason, implying clause 2 follows naturally from it. Literary or formal; in speech it sounds bookish.
Forming it
| 모르다 | → 모르는지라 |
| 어리다 | → 어린지라 |
| 처음 | → 처음인지라 |
| 사람 | → 사람인지라 |
Not followed by commands or suggestions: ✗ 바쁜지라 내일 오세요. Adjectives take -(으)ㄴ지라: ✗ 어리는지라.
Examples
처음 해 보는 일인지라 실수가 많았습니다.
Since it was my first time doing the work, I made a lot of mistakes.
그는 길을 잘 모르는지라 한참을 헤맸다.
He didn't know the way well, so he wandered around for a long time.
Compared with similar patterns
-아/어서 is the everyday reason connective; -기에 is a written reason, often for the speaker's reaction; -(으)므로 is a formal, logical 'because'.