Grammar
N이라서
Meaning
IntermediateN(i)raseo
Attaches to a noun to give a reason or cause, meaning 'because it is N' or 'since it's N.' It is the reason form built from 이다 ('to be') + -아서/어서, and marks that the subject or topic being N is the cause of what follows.
Form
Attaches to a noun: N(final consonant) + -이라서, N(no final consonant) + -라서. Like -아/어서, it cannot be followed by a command or suggestion in the next clause (no -이라서 ... -(으)세요/-읍시다).
Examples
설날은 법정 공휴일이라서 보통 3일 동안 쉬어요.
Since Seollal is a legal public holiday, people usually get three days off.
오늘은 주말이라서 사람이 많아요.
Since today is the weekend, there are a lot of people.
저는 학생이라서 시간이 많아요.
Since I'm a student, I have a lot of free time.
여기는 관광지라서 물가가 비싸요.
Since this is a tourist spot, prices are high.
Common mistakes & nuance
The reason here is simply that something is N — no verb is needed. Like all -아/어서 reasons, the clause after it cannot be a command or suggestion; for those, switch to N이니까. In writing you will also meet the slightly more formal N이어서, which means the same thing.
Similar grammar
- 때문에
N이라서 gives a reason by identifying what the subject/topic is ('because [it] is N'). 때문에 marks a noun as the direct cause ('because of N'), without needing an 이다 relationship.