If you are studying Korean grammar eul tenikka, this lesson is the one to keep. You will learn how -(으)ㄹ 테니까 works in real conversation, when to use it, and the mistakes English speakers make first. This is a Korean intermediate grammar guide with examples, romanization, and a five-minute speaking drill.
By the end you should be able to hear -(으)ㄹ 테니까 in dramas and K-talk, then reuse it in your own sentences. Read once. Say the examples out loud. Then drill the same lines on Practice.
What -(으)ㄹ 테니까 means
-(으)ㄹ 테니까 packages intention plus reason. The speaker commits to one action so the listener can do another. English “I’ll… so you…” is the closest map. It is the housework sentence: 내가 청소할 테니까 너는 요리해.
테니까 comes from 터이다 (expected situation) + 니까 (because). You do not need that etymology to use it. You need the split: my part / your part.
How to form it
- Verb stem + -(으)ㄹ 테니까
- First person is the default: 제가 할 테니까…
- Follow it with a request or suggestion: …해 주세요 / …하세요 / …해
- Past intention is rare; this pattern faces the near future.
-(으)ㄹ 테니까 examples
Use these Korean grammar eul tenikka example sentences as a speaking list. Korean first, then pronunciation, then English.
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 나는 거실 청소를 할 테니까 넌 주방을 해 줘. | naneun geosil cheongsoreul hal tenikka neon jubangeul hae jwo. | I’ll clean the living room, so you do the kitchen. |
| 제가 예약할 테니까 시간만 알려 주세요. | jega yeyakhal tenikka siganman allyeo juseyo. | I’ll make the reservation, so just tell me the time. |
| 택시 부를 테니까 앞에서 기다려. | taeksi bureul tenikka apeseo gidaryeo. | I’ll call a taxi, so wait out front. |
| 밥은 내가 할 테니까 설거지만 해 줘. | babeun naega hal tenikka seolgeojiman hae jwo. | I’ll cook, so just do the dishes. |
| 제가 설명할 테니까 걱정하지 마세요. | jega seolmyeonghal tenikka geokjeonghaji maseyo. | I’ll explain, so don’t worry. |
| 비가 올 테니까 우산 가져가세요. | biga ol tenikka usan gajyeogaseyo. | It’s going to rain, so take an umbrella. |
When to use it
- Splitting chores, trip prep, or a group project.
- Reassuring someone: I’ll handle X, so relax.
- Warning based on a likely future: 막힐 테니까 일찍 나가.
Common mistakes
These are the traps English speakers hit when they translate word-for-word. Fix the pattern, not just the vocabulary.
Watch-out
❌ 할 테니까 used for a past reason
✅ 해서 / 니까 in the past
테니까 looks forward. 바빠서 못 갔어요 is the past reason.
Watch-out
❌ Always using 니까 alone
✅ 할 테니까 when you personally will do it
하니까 is because. 할 테니까 is because I am going to.
Watch-out
❌ Using it for third-person chores without context
✅ Keep first person or a clear weather/traffic prediction
민수가 할 테니까 is possible but sounds like you are speaking for Minsu.
Mini dialogue
Read it twice. Second time, cover the English.
| Speaker | Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 오늘 집들이 준비 어떻게 할까요? | oneul jipdeuri junbi eotteoke halkkayo? | How should we prep for the housewarming? |
| B | 내가 음식을 시킬 테니까 너는 청소만 해. | naega eumsigeul sikil tenikka neoneun cheongsomman hae. | I’ll order the food, so you just clean. |
| A | 좋아. 나는 화장실이랑 거실 할게. | joa. naneun hwajangsiri-rang geosil halge. | Okay. I’ll do the bathroom and living room. |
Don’t mix these up
을게요 is a simple promise (제가 할게요). 을 테니까 adds the so-you-can… half. If there is no second action, 을게요 is cleaner.
Five-minute Korean speaking practice
Korean speaking practice beats extra grammar notes. Do this once today, then again tomorrow without looking.
- Read each example slowly, Korean only.
- Say it at natural speed. Record yourself if you can.
- Cover the Korean and rebuild the sentence from English.
- Swap in your own details: your job, your city, your weekend.
Starter lines for today:
- 제가 계산할 테니까 자리 맡아 주세요.
- 먼저 갈 테니까 나중에 오세요.
- 창문을 닫을 테니까 에어컨 켜도 돼요.
Lesson summary
- Pattern: -(으)ㄹ 테니까
- Search topic: Korean grammar eul tenikka
- -(으)ㄹ 테니까 = I will do X, so you (can) do Y.
- Say it out loud on Practice, then come back to Guides if a particle still feels sticky.
Homework
- Write three chore-split sentences for a shared house.
- Turn one 을게요 promise into 을 테니까 + a request.
- Say a weather version: 더울 테니까 물 가져가.
Korean grammar eul tenikka: quick answers
Is 테니까 polite?
The ending on the second clause sets politeness: 해 주세요 vs 해. 테니까 itself is neutral.
Can it mean “because it will probably”?
Yes. 막힐 테니까 지하철 타. Here it is a prediction, not a personal chore split.
Keep going
Want a path, not a single grammar point? Open Learn or browse the rest of this series in Korean intermediate.