-(으)ㄹ까 봐
For Fear That, Worried That
Use -ㄹ까 봐 to show you're doing something because you're worried that something else might happen. It means "worried that..." or "for fear that...".
How It Works
This pattern expresses the speaker's concern or fear about a potential situation, which becomes the reason for the action in the following clause. It's often translated as "worried that...", "afraid that...", or "for fear that...". The full form is -ㄹ까 봐서, but the -서 is commonly omitted.
Conjugation:
It attaches directly to the stem of a verb or adjective.
- Vowel or ㄹ ending stem + -ㄹ까 봐
- 가다 (to go) → 갈까 봐
- 춥다 (to be cold) → 추울까 봐 (ㅂ irregular)
- 만들다 (to make) → 만들까 봐 (ㄹ drops, then ㄹ is added) - Consonant ending stem + -을까 봐
- 먹다 (to eat) → 먹을까 봐
- 작다 (to be small) → 작을까 봐
Tense and Usage:
1. Future/Potential Worry: The most common usage is worrying about something that might happen in the future.
- 늦을까 봐 택시를 탔어요. (I took a taxi because I was worried I would be late.)
2. Worry about a Past Event: You can also express worry about something that might have already happened, but the outcome is unknown to you. In this case, you use -았/었을까 봐.
- 시험에 떨어졌을까 봐 잠을 못 잤어요. (I couldn't sleep because I was worried I might have failed the test.)
- 그 사람이 제 말을 오해했을까 봐 걱정돼요. (I'm worried that person might have misunderstood what I said.)
The key is that -ㄹ까 봐 always introduces a negative possibility that motivates the speaker's actions or feelings.
Examples (4)
- 비가 올까 봐 우산을 가져왔어요.
I brought an umbrella because I was worried it might rain.
Word by Word: Rain might come for fear that umbrella brought.
The speaker was worried about the possibility of rain (비가 올까 봐), so they took the preventative action of bringing an umbrella (우산을 가져왔어요).
- 음식이 부족할까 봐 더 주문했어요.
I ordered more food, worried that there wouldn't be enough.
Word by Word: Food might be insufficient for fear that more ordered.
- 시험에 떨어졌을까 봐 결과를 확인하기가 무서웠어요.
I was scared to check the results, worried that I might have failed the test.
Word by Word: Test might have failed for fear that results checking was scary.
This example uses the past tense form -았을까 봐 to show worry about a past event whose outcome is still unknown to the speaker.
- 아이가 넘어질까 봐 손을 꽉 잡았어요.
I held the child's hand tightly because I was worried they might fall.
Word by Word: Child might fall for fear that hand tightly held.
Common Mistakes
Using -ㄹ까 봐 for positive expectations or hopes.
Not Quite시험에 합격할까 봐 열심히 공부했어요.Better시험에 합격하고 싶어서 열심히 공부했어요.-ㄹ까 봐 is used for negative possibilities or worries. For positive outcomes you want to achieve, use patterns like -고 싶어서 (because I want to) or -기 위해서 (in order to).
Confusing -ㄹ까 봐 (worried that) with -ㄹ까 하다 (thinking of doing).
Different Meaning주말에 영화를 볼까 봐요.Better주말에 영화를 볼까 해요.The incorrect sentence sounds like "I'm worried I might watch a movie on the weekend." -ㄹ까 봐 expresses worry about a potential event. -ㄹ까 하다 expresses one's own intention or thought about doing something.
Learn This First
To express worry 'for fear that', you need the wondering pattern and conjugation.
Related Patterns
- -(으)니까So, Because
Both can express a reason, but -ㄹ까 봐 specifically indicates a reason based on worry about a potential negative event, while -니까 states a more general, direct reason or discovery.
- -아/어서Because of, Therefore
Like -니까, -아/어서 also gives a reason. However, -ㄹ까 봐 is used for a speculative, negative reason (a worry), whereas -아/어서 is used for a direct causal link between two events.
- -(으)ㄹ까 하다Wonder if, Think About
This pattern is often confused with -ㄹ까 봐 due to its similar sound. -ㄹ까 봐 expresses worry ('worried that...'), while -ㄹ까 하다 expresses an intention or thought ('thinking of doing...').
- -(으)ㄹ지도 모르다Might, May Possibly
Both express uncertainty about a future event. -ㄹ지도 모르다 simply states a possibility ('might...'), while -ㄹ까 봐 adds the nuance of being worried about that possibility and usually leads to a preventative action.
- -(으)ㄹ 뻔하다Almost Did
Both relate to negative outcomes. -ㄹ까 봐 is about a potential negative outcome you are worried about, leading to a preventative action. -ㄹ 뻔하다 is about a negative outcome that almost happened but didn't.