TOPIK II · LEVEL 5

-는 통에

-는 통에 blames a noisy, hectic or chaotic situation for causing a bad result.

이유·원인Reason & cause

Han: -는 통에 implies a bothersome cause and a bad result, so it sounds odd with a helpful friend and a good outcome; use -(으)ㄴ 덕분에.

Examples

출근 시간에 사람들이 하도 밀치는 통에 내릴 역을 지나쳤어요.People were shoving so much during rush hour that I missed my stop.
갑자기 손님들이 몰려드는 통에 점심도 못 먹었어요.Customers suddenly flooded in, so I couldn't even eat lunch.
아이들이 옆에서 떠드는 통에 전화 내용을 제대로 못 들었어요.The kids were making a racket next to me, so I couldn't hear the call properly.
옆집에서 밤늦게까지 파티를 하는 통에 한숨도 못 잤어요.The neighbors partied until late at night, so I didn't get a wink of sleep.

Don’t mix up

-는 통에vs-는 바람에-는 바람에 stresses one sudden, unexpected event; -는 통에 stresses an ongoing messy, noisy situation: 버스가 갑자기 서는 바람에 넘어졌어요.-는 통에vs-느라고-느라고 is the subject's own time-consuming activity (same subject); -는 통에 is usually someone else's commotion: 숙제하느라고 못 잤어요 vs 동생이 떠드는 통에 못 잤어요.
-는 통에vs-(으)ㄴ 덕분에덕분에 credits a cause for a good result, 통에 blames a chaotic cause for a bad one: 친구가 도와준 덕분에 일찍 끝났어요.

How to build it

V+는 통에 (A + 은/ㄴ 통에, less common; N + 통에 in set phrases like 난리 통에)

떠들다 → 떠드는 통에

  1. The result is usually negative or unwanted; for a good result use -(으)ㄴ 덕분에 instead.
  2. The second clause cannot be a command or suggestion (-(으)세요, -(으)ㅂ시다); it reports what happened, usually in the past tense.
  3. Keep 는 even for past events: do not attach -았/었- before 통에 (not 떠들었는 통에).
  4. The cause is typically a commotion created by other people or circumstances, not the speaker's own deliberate activity.

Classic mistake

Wrong: 친구가 도와주는 통에 일이 일찍 끝났어요.

Right: 친구가 도와준 덕분에 일이 일찍 끝났어요.

-는 통에 implies a bothersome cause and a bad result, so it sounds odd with a helpful friend and a good outcome; use -(으)ㄴ 덕분에.

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