#grammar lesson

Hi! This is Admin Yu. Today’s grammar lesson will be on passive voice in Korean.

1. Passive Suffix

Passive verbs can be made by using passive suffixes -이/히/리/기-

• 보다(to see) → 보이다(to be seen)
• 묻다(to bury) → 묻히다(to be buried)
• 물다(to bite) → 물리다(to be bitten)
• 쫓다(to chase) → 쫓기다(to be chased)

The stem(어간) of passive verb includes the passive suffix! So when you conjugate the verb, you don’t have to change the suffix since stem is the part that doesn’t change.

경찰이 도둑을 잡다(The police catch a thief) → 도둑이 경찰에게 잡히다(A thief be caught by the police)
경찰이 도둑을 잡았다(The police caught a thief) → 도둑이 경찰에게 잡히었다/잡혔다(A thief was caught by the police)
바다가 보이는 방(room where sea can be seen = room with sea view)
산에 묻힌 보물(treasure buried in the mountain)

2. –어지다

‘-어지다’ can make passive voice.

• 만들다(to make) → 만들어지다(to be made)
• 이루다(to accomplish) → 이루어지다(to be accomplished)
• 지우다(to erase) → 지워지다(to be erased)
• 뒤집다(to turn over) → 뒤집어지다(to be turned over)

내 꿈이 이루어졌다(My dream came true)
지워진 기록(erased record)

3. -되다, -당하다

Noun + ‘-되다, -당하다’ can make passive voice.

• 결정(decision) → 결정되다(to be decided)
• 발견(discovery) → 발견되다(to be discovered)
• 가공(processing) → 가공되다(to be processed)
• 감염(infection) → 감염되다(to be infected)
• 계획(plan) → 계획되다(to be planned)
• 취소(cancel) → 취소되다(to be canceled)

대통령이 당선되었다(The president was elected)
파티가 취소되었다(The party was canceled)

• 고문(torture) → 고문당하다(to be tortured)
• 무시(ignorance) → 무시당하다(to be ignored)

그 아이는 부모에게 무시당했다(The child was ignored by his parents)

I hope this grammar lesson helped!

-Written and edited by Admin Yu

You did not “seen” her, you either “saw” her or you HAVE seen her.

Now you just SAW the appropriate use of the word SEE.