Passive Voice in Korean

피동

This article is part of the Korean grammar tree on Settemila Lingue.

Overview

Korean passive voice is formed through two main methods at the CEFR B1 level: suffix passives (-이/히/리/기) and the -아/어지다 pattern. Not all verbs have passive forms, and the specific suffix depends on the verb. The agent (doer) is marked with 에게/한테 (by person) or 에 (by thing/natural force).

Korean uses passive voice less frequently than English. It focuses on the result or state rather than the actor, and is common for describing situations, changes of state, and outcomes.

How It Works

Suffix Passives (-이/히/리/기)

Suffix	Active	Passive	Meaning
-이	보다 → 보이다	be seen	see → be seen
-히	읽다 → 읽히다	be read	read → be read
-리	열다 → 열리다	be opened	open → be opened
-기	잠그다 → 잠기다	be locked	lock → be locked

-아/어지다 Pattern

Used when no suffix passive exists or for adjectives (change of state):

Active/Adjective	Passive/Change	Meaning
깨다 → 깨지다	be broken	break → be broken
좋다 → 좋아지다	become good	good → become good
나쁘다 → 나빠지다	become bad	bad → become bad

Examples in Context

Korean	Romanization	English	Note
문이 열렸어요.	mu-ni yeol-lyeo-sseo-yo	The door was opened.	suffix passive
책이 읽혔어요.	chae-gi ik-yeo-sseo-yo	The book was read.	suffix passive
문제가 풀렸어요.	mun-je-ga pul-lyeo-sseo-yo	The problem was solved.	suffix passive
창문이 깨졌어요.	chang-mu-ni kkae-jyeo-sseo-yo	The window broke.	-아/어지다
날씨가 추워졌어요.	nal-ssi-ga chu-wo-jyeo-sseo-yo	The weather got cold.	change of state
소문이 퍼졌어요.	so-mu-ni peo-jyeo-sseo-yo	The rumor spread.	natural process
산이 보여요.	sa-ni bo-yeo-yo	The mountain is visible.	suffix passive
이름이 불렸어요.	i-reu-mi bul-lyeo-sseo-yo	The name was called.	suffix passive

Common Mistakes

Creating passive forms that do not exist

Wrong: 먹이다 as passive of 먹다 (먹이다 is actually causative: "to feed")
Right: Not all verbs have suffix passives; use context or rephrase
Why: Korean passive suffixes are lexicalized — you must learn which verbs have which forms. Some suffixes create causatives, not passives.

Using 되다 as a universal passive marker

Wrong: 먹되다 (trying to passivize 먹다)
Right: Use natural expressions: 음식이 다 먹혔어요 or rephrase actively
Why: 되다 works as passive mainly with 하다 verbs: 결정하다 → 결정되다 (be decided). It is not a universal passive marker.

Confusing passive and change-of-state

Wrong: Thinking 좋아졌어요 means "was liked"
Right: 좋아졌어요 means "became good / got better"
Why: -아/어지다 with adjectives means "become" (change of state), not passive.

Usage Notes

Korean often prefers active constructions or uses passive naturally for situations where the agent is unknown or unimportant. 하다 verbs frequently have 되다 passives: 완성하다 → 완성되다 (be completed), 발견하다 → 발견되다 (be discovered). In formal writing and news, passives are more common than in casual speech.

Practice Tips

Learn passive verb pairs as vocabulary: 열다/열리다, 잠그다/잠기다, 보다/보이다, 듣다/들리다.
Practice describing room/environment states: 문이 닫혀 있어요, 불이 꺼져 있어요.
Note the difference between -아/어지다 with adjectives (change) and verbs (passive).