그러니까 (geureonikka) — The Word That Gives a Reason and Also Says "Exactly"
그러니까 (geureonikka) means “for that reason” or “in other words.” You use it when what you just said is the grounds for what comes next, or when you want to fold up something you already said and hand it over again.
But the place where Korean learners actually run into this word for the first time is usually not a textbook. A friend says 요즘 월세 진짜 말도 안 돼 (yojeum wolse jinjja maldo an dwae) — “rent these days is absolutely insane” — and the person listening nods and tosses out one short word. 그러니까 (geureonikka). Here it isn’t a reason and it isn’t a restatement. It’s “that’s exactly what I’m saying” — full agreement. If the three dictionary senses are the skeleton of this word, real conversation stacks two more things on top of that skeleton: chiming in, and stalling for time. Today we’ll look at both layers.
First, the skeleton. 그러니까 (geureonikka) is a fossilized form of 그러하다 (geureohada), “to be so,” plus the connective ending -니까 (-nikka), which marks a reason. That’s why the word doesn’t just report a result and stop — it gives the listener a little push. This is exactly why commands and suggestions attach to it so easily. 비 온대. 그러니까 우산 챙겨. (bi ondae. geureonikka usan chaenggyeo.) — “They say it’s going to rain, so take an umbrella” — sounds perfectly natural, but 비 온대. 그래서 우산 챙겨. (bi ondae. geuraeseo usan chaenggyeo.) sounds a bit off. 그래서 (geuraeseo) connects a result that has already happened, as in 그래서 나는 우산을 챙겼다 (geuraeseo naneun usaneul chaenggyeotda), “so I took an umbrella,” while 그러니까 (geureonikka) leads into “so you should do this too.”
The second sense, “in other words,” gets heard several times a day in meeting rooms and at service counters. It’s the slot where you fold someone’s long explanation into something short and check it back with them. The third sense has no content at all. It’s closer to a sound that comes out of your mouth while you’re still picking your words. Think of it as sitting where English so… or Japanese えーと would sit, and you’ll get the feel of it.
Checking it in the National Institute of Korean Language dictionary
그러니까 (geureonikka) 「부사」 / Adverb
- 그런 이유로. 또는 그런 까닭에. (For that reason; on those grounds.)
- [en] so — For that reason, or therefore.
- [ja] それゆえ【それ故】 — そのような理由で。または、そんなわけで。
- [es] por tal motivo, por eso, por lo tanto, por consiguiente, por lo mismo — Por tal motivo. O por tal razón.
- [zh] 因此，所以 — 因为那个原因；或因为那样的缘故。 — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
- 다시 말해서. 또는 바꾸어 말하자면. (That is to say; to put it another way.)
- [en] that is to say — In other words, or put differently.
- [ja] だから — すなわち。または、言い換えると。
- [es] o sea, a saber, es decir — O sea. En otras palabras.
- [zh] 换言之；或换句话说。 — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
- 말을 시작하자면. (To begin speaking; well, to start with.)
- [en] so — To begin with.
- [ja] だから — 話をはじめると。
- [es] para comenzar — Para empezar la conversación.
- [zh] 怎么说呢 — 说起话来的话。 — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
Portuguese glosses aren’t included in the dictionary, so the following are our own translations — 1) por isso, portanto 2) ou seja, isto é 3) bem…, então…
Below are the real usage examples the dictionary provides, quoted as they are, with a note on the kind of situation each one comes from.
그러니까 말이야. 얼른 경기가 회복되었으면 좋겠어. Exactly. I really hope the economy bounces back soon. — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
This is agreement layered onto someone else’s complaint. 그러니까 말이야 (geureonikka mariya) is a slightly longer way of agreeing than plain 그러니까 (geureonikka), and it carries the warmth of being frustrated right along with the other person.
그러니까요. 만들기가 쉽지 않더라고요. Exactly. It turned out to be pretty hard to make. — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
This is the polite version of the same agreement. Add a single 요 (yo) and it becomes something you can say in front of your boss at work. This is the form learners should memorize first.
그러니까 너도 빨리 네 얘기를 하란 말이야. So that’s why you should hurry up and tell me your side of it. — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
This is the first sense — 그러니까 (geureonikka) as a reason. Someone has just laid out their whole situation, and now they’re pushing the other person: “and for that reason, you too.” Notice that a command form follows it.
그러니까 제가 말씀드리고 싶은 것은……. So what I’d like to say is… — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
This is the second sense. It’s a signal that the speaker has been going on for a while and is now starting to summarize themselves — especially common in meetings and presentations.
사장님, 그러니까, 이번 일은 말이죠. Sir, so… about this matter… — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)
The third sense. It isn’t attached to anything before or after — it’s just dropped into the middle of the sentence. It’s the sound of catching your breath before bringing up something difficult.
A real conversation
Situation: Saturday afternoon, in front of an apartment building’s main gate, where they’ve arranged to buy a secondhand desk. The seller hasn’t shown up for twenty minutes.
Emily: 벌써 이십 분째야. 연락도 안 받아. It’s already been twenty minutes. And they’re not picking up.
Jun-kyung: 그러니까. 못 올 거면 문자라도 하나 주든가. Tell me about it. If they can’t make it, they could at least send a text.
Emily: 그냥 갈까? 나 다섯 시에 약속 있는데. Should we just go? I’ve got plans at five.
Jun-kyung: 아니 그러니까 내 말은, 조금만 더 기다려 보자고. 이 가격에 이런 책상 없어. No, what I mean is, let’s wait just a little longer. You won’t find a desk like this at this price.
Emily: 음… 그러니까, 딱 십 분만 더? Um… so… just ten more minutes?
Jun-kyung: 딱 십 분. 그때도 안 오면 나도 포기야. Exactly ten. If they’re still not here, I’m giving up too.
그러니까 (geureonikka) shows up three times in this short exchange, and it means something different every time. The first is chiming in, the second is “in other words,” and the third is the pause of someone choosing their words. This is exactly why you hear this word so constantly in Korean conversation.
This sounds awkward
✗ (chiming in while your manager is talking) 네, 그러니까. (ne, geureonikka.) ✓ (chiming in while your manager is talking) 네, 그러니까요. (ne, geureonikkayo.) → The agreement-style 그러니까 (geureonikka) is casual speech all by itself. Drop it into the middle of polite speech and it sounds like you suddenly switched to informal language. That one syllable 요 (yo) keeps the temperature right.
✗ (explaining the same thing for the third time, to someone senior to you) 그러니까 제가 아까부터 말씀드렸잖아요. (geureonikka jega akkabuteo malsseumdeuryeotjanayo.) — So, like I’ve been telling you this whole time. ✓ 제 설명이 부족했네요. 다시 말씀드리면… (je seolmyeongi bujokhaenneyo. dasi malsseumdeurimyeon…) — I didn’t explain that well. Let me put it another way… → The sentence is in polite form, but it doesn’t land as polite. 그러니까 (geureonikka) has that built-in force of pushing the listener, so paired with 아까부터 (akkabuteo), “since a while ago,” it reads as “how many times do I have to say this?” Frustration seeps through here, so it’s safer to avoid it with people senior to you.
Example sentences by situation
1) Reason — when you want someone to do something
You’re checking tomorrow’s schedule late at night and you see the weather forecast.
내일 비 온대. 그러니까 우산 꼭 챙겨. (naeil bi ondae. geureonikka usan kkok chaenggyeo.) They say it’s going to rain tomorrow. So make sure you take an umbrella.
If you swap 그러니까 (geureonikka) for 그래서 (geuraeseo) here, the sentence goes awkward. The slot right before a command or suggestion belongs to 그러니까 (geureonikka).
2) In other words — folding up a long explanation and checking it back
In a meeting, someone has spent five minutes explaining why the schedule slipped, and you want to confirm just the conclusion.
그러니까 결론은, 이번 달 안에는 어렵다는 말씀이시죠? (geureonikka gyeollon-eun, ibeon dal ane-neun eoryeopdaneun malsseum-isijyo?) So the bottom line is, you’re saying it can’t be done within this month, right?
Because this pattern lets you pull out the main point without cutting the other person off, it’s extremely useful in workplace Korean.
3) Opening your mouth — when the request feels delicate
You’re in the salon chair, mentally sorting out how to ask for the cut you want.
그러니까… 앞머리는 그대로 두고 옆만 조금 다듬어 주세요. (geureonikka… ammeori-neun geudaero dugo yeopman jogeum dadeumeo juseyo.) So… please leave the bangs as they are and just trim the sides a little.
The 그러니까 (geureonikka) in this slot has almost no meaning. The sentence works fine without it, but adding it signals “I’m still putting my thoughts together right now,” and it sounds far more natural.
Polite, casual, and similar expressions
| Expression | Tone / strength | Where it’s used |
|---|---|---|
| 그러니까 (geureonikka) | Casual, relaxed | Friends, family, peers |
| 그러니까요 (geureonikkayo) | Polite agreement | Work, first meetings, people senior to you |
| 그니까 (geunikka) | Lighter and quicker | Peer conversation, messaging. Not used in writing |
| 그래서 (geuraeseo) | Neutral, just links a result | Anywhere. But a command after it sounds odd |
| 그러므로 (geureumeuro) | Stiff and logical | Writing, presentations, reports. Rarely spoken |
The last two rows are the ones to watch. If a learner takes 그러므로 (geureumeuro), learned from a textbook, straight into everyday conversation, it sounds like reading a court verdict aloud to a friend. 그니까 (geunikka), on the other hand, is easier to pronounce and comes up far more often in real speech — but put it in an email or a report and it looks careless. 그니까 (geunikka) when speaking, 그러니까 (geureonikka) when writing — split it that way and you won’t go wrong.
Cultural background — the warmth that chiming in creates
In Korean conversation, the listener doesn’t stay quiet. While the other person is talking, they keep dropping in sounds like 어 (eo), 진짜? (jinjja?), 맞아 (maja), and 그러니까 (geureonikka). This is called 맞장구 (matjanggu), chiming in. Learners from cultures where listening means silence often mistake these sounds for interruptions, but in Korea it’s the opposite. If you make no sound at all and just listen, it gives the impression that you’re not interested in what the other person is saying.
And there’s a reason 그러니까 (geureonikka) holds a special place on that list. 맞아 (maja) confirms that what the other person said is true, and 진짜? (jinjja?) expresses surprise. But 그러니까 (geureonikka) carries the meaning “I’ve been thinking that all along too.” It pulls the moment of agreement back to before the other person even spoke. That’s why it attaches so well to complaints and gripes. Prices, weather, the boss, traffic — this word gets passed back and forth most often over the things two people can be exasperated about together.
The etymology explains this character too. 그러니까 (geureonikka) is an adverb fossilized from the stem of 그러하다 (geureohada) plus the reason-marking connective ending -니까 (-nikka). -니까 (-nikka) is originally the ending you use when the speaker is the one holding the grounds. So an attitude of “I know the reason” has been inside 그러니까 (geureonikka) from the start — and when it’s used to chime in, that shows up as empathy, “I know it too”; when it’s used in an explanation, it shows up as pressure, “listen to me.” That’s why the very same word can sound warm in one place and exasperated in another.
It’s fun to watch a Korean drama with the subtitles off and just count this one word. When characters sit facing each other in a café badmouthing someone, the short line one of them fires back the instant the other finishes talking — it’s usually 그러니까 (geureonikka).
Today’s quiz
A friend sighs and says 요즘 물가 진짜 미쳤어 (yojeum mulga jinjja michyeosseo) — “prices these days are insane.” You’ve been feeling exactly the same way. What’s the one word that gets that across?
① 그래서. ② 그러니까. ③ 그러므로.
Answer: ②
① 그래서? (geuraeseo?) comes out sounding like “so what do you want me to do about it?” — rude. ③ is written-style language that belongs in a presentation, so in front of a friend it sounds like a joke. The only right answer in this slot is ②, 그러니까 (geureonikka). If the other person is senior to you, just switch it to 그러니까요 (geureonikkayo).
Definitions and example sentences are from the National Institute of Korean Language’s Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr); that portion of this post, including our translations, is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.