-(느)ㄴ다고 해서

Says that a fact is not enough reason for the conclusion people usually draw from it: 'just because A doesn't mean B'.

인용·전달Quoting & reporting

Han: In the 'just because' meaning the second clause must deny the expected conclusion; an affirmative ending turns it into 'because they said it's expensive'.

Examples

한 번 실패했다고 해서 포기할 수는 없어요.I can't give up just because I failed once.

비싸다고 해서 다 좋은 것은 아니에요.Just because something is expensive doesn't mean it's good.

외국에서 오래 살았다고 해서 그 나라 말을 잘하는 건 아니에요.Just because you lived abroad for a long time doesn't mean you speak the language well.

아이라고 해서 아무것도 모르는 건 아니에요.Just because they're children doesn't mean they understand nothing.

Don’t mix up

-(느)ㄴ다고 해서vs-다고 해서 (reported reason)Same form, but here the speaker acts on what someone said and the result is affirmative: 친구가 바쁘다고 해서 혼자 갔어요.

-(느)ㄴ다고 해서vs-(느)ㄴ다고 해도-다고 해도 means 'even if', so the result still holds; -다고 해서 denies the conclusion drawn from the fact: 비가 온다고 해도 갈 거예요.

How to build it

V+는다고/ㄴ다고 해서

A+다고 해서

N+(이)라고 해서

past: V/A+았/었다고 해서

먹다 → 먹는다고 해서, 비싸다 → 비싸다고 해서, 학생 → 학생이라고 해서, 가다 → 갔다고 해서

The second clause usually denies the expected result: -는 것은 아니다, -(으)ㄹ 수는 없다, or an adverb such as 다, 꼭 or 무조건 used together with a negative ending (다 좋은 것은 아니다, 꼭 그런 것은 아니다). With a plain affirmative result the sentence reads as reported speech ('because someone said ~').
Choose the form by word class: action verbs take 는다/ㄴ다, adjectives and 있다/없다 take 다, nouns take (이)라고. For the past use 았/었다고 해서, not 었는다고.
Negative commands are also natural in the second clause, and in speech 해서 is often dropped: 바쁘다고 (해서) 밥을 거르지 마세요.

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~비싸다고 해서 품질이 좋아요.~~

Right: 비싸다고 해서 품질이 좋은 건 아니에요.

In the 'just because' meaning the second clause must deny the expected conclusion; an affirmative ending turns it into 'because they said it's expensive'.

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