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Unit 4: For Fear That (-(으)ㄹ까 봐)

When you do an action because you are worried or concerned that something bad might happen, you use -(으)ㄹ까 봐 in Easy Korean. It translates to "for fear that..." or "worried that... so I did...".

Structure

Verb / Adjective Stem + -(으)ㄹ까 봐

  • 늦다 -> 늦을까 봐 (worried that I might be late, so...)
  • 비가 오다 -> 비가 올까 봐 (for fear it might rain, so...)

Examples

  • 약속에 늦을까 봐 택시를 탔어요. (I was worried I would be late to the appointment, so I took a taxi.)
  • 부모님이 걱정하실까 봐 말을 안 했어요. (For fear that my parents might worry, I didn't say anything.)
  • 아이가 깰까 봐 조용히 걸었어요. (I was worried the child might wake up, so I walked quietly.)

(Note: You can also end a sentence with -(으)ㄹ까 봐요 to just express your worry: 비가 올까 봐요 - I'm worried it might rain.)