TOPIK II · LEVEL 5
-을/를 계기로
N을/를 계기로 means that an event or experience became the turning point that started a new action, decision or change.
격식 표현Formal & written phrasesHan: 계기로 needs a noun before 을/를, so a verb must be turned into a noun phrase with -(으)ㄴ 것.
Examples
대학 시절 봉사 활동을 계기로 사회복지사가 되기로 결심했어요.Volunteering in college is what made me decide to become a social worker.
이번 사고를 계기로 안전 규정이 대폭 강화되었다.This accident led to safety regulations being significantly tightened.
한국 드라마를 계기로 한국어 공부를 시작하게 됐어요.Korean dramas were what got me started studying Korean.
올림픽 개최를 계기로 도시의 교통 시설이 크게 개선되었다.Hosting the Olympics became the occasion for major improvements to the city's transport facilities.
Don’t mix up
-을/를 계기로vsN을/를 통해(서)통해 marks the means or channel through which something happens; 계기로 marks the event that triggered a change. 책을 통해 정보를 얻었다 vs 그 책을 계기로 작가의 꿈을 갖게 되었다.
-을/를 계기로vsV + 는 바람에는 바람에 gives an unexpected cause of a usually bad, immediate result; 계기로 introduces a turning point leading to a new start or development. 늦잠을 자는 바람에 지각했다 vs 지각한 것을 계기로 생활 습관을 바꿨다.
-을/를 계기로vsN을/를 기회로 (삼아)기회로 삼아 stresses deliberately using a favorable chance; 계기로 just says the event triggered the change, whether planned or not, good or bad. 방학을 기회로 삼아 운동을 시작했다 vs 사고를 계기로 운동을 시작했다.
How to build it
N+을/를 계기로 (하여)
V/A+-(으)ㄴ/는 것을 계기로
이번 사고 → 이번 사고를 계기로; 입학하다 → 입학한 것을 계기로
- It attaches directly only to nouns. With a verb, nominalize it first: -(으)ㄴ 것을 계기로 (e.g. 결혼한 것을 계기로).
- The second clause usually expresses a change, a new start or a decision (시작하다, 결심하다, -게 되다, 바뀌다), not an ordinary one-off action.
- The noun is usually a notable event (accident, trip, meeting, anniversary). It is common in writing, news and speeches; in casual talk 때문에 or 덕분에 often sounds more natural.
- Related forms: N을/를 계기로 하여 (more formal) and N이/가 계기가 되어 (the event is the subject).
Classic mistake
Wrong: 한국 친구를 사귀다를 계기로 한국어를 배우기 시작했어요.
Right: 한국 친구를 사귄 것을 계기로 한국어를 배우기 시작했어요.
계기로 needs a noun before 을/를, so a verb must be turned into a noun phrase with -(으)ㄴ 것.
Practise -을/를 계기로 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)ㅁ에 따라Use -(으)ㅁ에 따라 in formal writing to say that as one situation changes or progresses, another change follows from it.
- -(으)ㅁ으로써-(으)ㅁ으로써 presents the first action as the means or method that brings about the result in the second clause: 'by doing A, B happens'.
- -다 (표제·제목)In headlines, titles, captions and chapter headings, a verb in its bare dictionary form (stem + 다) states an event briefly and impersonally, usually one that has just happened: 'X wins', 'X opens'.
- -에 걸쳐-에 걸쳐 shows that an action or state stretches over a whole span of time, an area, or a series of occasions.
- -에 달려 있다N에 달려 있다 means that the outcome in the subject is decided by N: 'it all depends on N'.
- -에 이르기까지N에 이르기까지 marks the far end of a wide range, stressing that everything from one point all the way to N is included.
- -을/를 두고N을/를 두고 marks the issue that people argue about, debate, worry over or judge, like 'over / concerning N'.
- -을/를 비롯해N을/를 비롯해 puts the most important or representative member of a group first and then includes the others: 'including, above all, from N to the rest'.
- -을/를 바탕으로N을/를 바탕으로 means using N as the foundation or source material for creating, developing or judging something.