haru Korean › Grammar › Level 3A › 피동 -이/히/리/기
피동 -이/히/리/기 — passive verbs — things that happen by themselves (a first look: ten common ones)
Passive verbs — things that happen by themselves (a first look: ten common ones). Korean grammar for intermediate learners — Level 3A, lesson 6: 일요일에는 아무 약속도 없어요 (No plans at all on Sunday — places, plans and things that just happen).
What it means
A passive verb tells what happens to something, not who does it. Compare 민수 씨가 문을 닫았어요 (Minsu closed the door) with 문이 닫혔어요 (the door closed): the door is now the subject with 이/가, and we don't say who did it — or nobody did. Korean makes a passive by adding -이-, -히-, -리- or -기- to the verb stem. No rule always works, so learn them as words — but there is a pattern: after a vowel or ㅎ usually -이- (보다 → 보이다, 쓰다 → 쓰이다, 쌓다 → 쌓이다); after ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ or ㅈ usually -히- (닫다 → 닫히다, 잡다 → 잡히다); after ㄹ -리- (열다 → 열리다, 팔다 → 팔리다, and 듣다 → 들리다); after ㄴ, ㄶ or ㅁ -기- (끊다 → 끊기다, 안다 → 안기다). These ten are the ones you'll meet most. They conjugate like any verb: 보여요, 닫혀요, 열렸어요, 끊겼어요, 열립니다. You already know one passive as a word: 길이 막혀요 (the roads are jammed). 보이다 and 들리다 mean 'can be seen, can be heard' — things come into your eyes and ears: 창밖으로 한강이 보여요, 음악 소리가 들려요. Today is a first look; Level 3B adds the opposite, causative verbs.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -이- | 모음 · ㅎ (보통) | 보다 + 이 → 보이다 |
| -히- | ㄱ · ㄷ · ㅂ · ㅈ | 닫다 + 히 → 닫히다 |
| -리- | ㄹ · ㄷ 불규칙 | 열다 + 리 → 열리다 |
| -기- | ㄴ · ㄶ · ㅁ | 끊다 + 기 → 끊기다 |
Key points
- Passive = the thing that happens becomes the subject: 문을 닫았어요 (someone closed it) → 문이 닫혔어요 (it closed). 을/를 → 이/가, and the verb takes -이-, -히-, -리- or -기-.
- Which one? Learn them as words. Mostly: vowel or ㅎ → 이 (보이다 · 쌓이다) · ㄱ ㄷ ㅂ ㅈ → 히 (닫히다 · 잡히다) · ㄹ → 리 (열리다 · 팔리다; 듣다 → 들리다) · ㄴ ㄶ ㅁ → 기 (끊기다 · 안기다).
Examples
- 누가 했는지 말하지 않을 때 써요: 문을 닫았어요 → 문이 닫혔어요.
- 을/를 → 이/가: 창문을 열었어요 → 창문이 열렸어요.
- -이-: 보이다 · 쓰이다 · 쌓이다 -히-: 닫히다 · 잡히다
- -리-: 열리다 · 들리다 · 팔리다 -기-: 끊기다 · 안기다
- 다른 동사처럼 바뀌어요: 닫혀요 · 닫혔어요 · 열립니다.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 3A, lesson 6; Yonsei University Korean 3-1, lesson 3; Ewha Womans University Korean 3-2, lesson 11; Hongik University Korean 2B, lesson 10; Hanyang University Korean 3-1, lesson 3.