-(으)ㄴ/는 덕분에

Use -(으)ㄴ/는 덕분에 to say that something good happened thanks to a person, action or situation.

이유·원인Reason & cause

Han: Being late is a bad result, so 덕분에 sounds sarcastic; use -는 바람에 for an unexpected negative outcome.

Examples

요즘 매일 운동하는 덕분에 몸이 가벼워졌어요.Thanks to working out every day lately, I feel lighter.

날씨가 좋은 덕분에 사진이 잘 나왔어요.Thanks to the good weather, the photos came out well.

선생님 덕분에 한국어 실력이 많이 늘었어요.Thanks to my teacher, my Korean has improved a lot.

친구가 도와준 덕분에 이사를 빨리 끝냈어요.Thanks to my friend's help, I finished moving quickly.

-(으)ㄴ/는 덕분에vs-(으)ㄴ 탓에-(으)ㄴ 탓에 is the opposite: it blames a cause for a bad result: 준비를 안 한 탓에 시험을 망쳤어요.

V+(으)ㄴ 덕분에 (past cause)

V+는 덕분에 (ongoing cause)

A+(으)ㄴ 덕분에

N+덕분에

돕다 → 도와준 덕분에, 운동하다 → 운동하는 덕분에, 좋다 → 좋은 덕분에, 친구 → 친구 덕분에

The result is usually positive, often with a feeling of gratitude. For a bad result use -는 바람에, -(으)ㄴ 탓에 or -아서/어서 (sarcastic 덕분에 like 네 덕분에 다 망쳤어 is the exception).
Tense is shown by the modifier, not by 었: a finished action takes -(으)ㄴ 덕분에, an ongoing one takes -는 덕분에. Forms like 도와줬는 덕분에 are wrong.
The main clause usually states a real result, so it is not normally followed by a command or suggestion (-(으)세요, -(으)ㅂ시다).

Wrong: ~~길이 막힌 덕분에 회의에 늦었어요.~~

Right: 길이 막히는 바람에 회의에 늦었어요.

Being late is a bad result, so 덕분에 sounds sarcastic; use -는 바람에 for an unexpected negative outcome.

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