Overview
In Korean, passive voice shifts the focus from the doer of an action to the receiver. Instead of "I opened the door," you say "The door was opened." Korean forms passives primarily by adding one of four suffixes to the verb stem: ~이, ~히, ~리, or ~기.
| Suffix | Attaches to stems ending in | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ~이 | ㅎ, ㅂ, ㄱ, and others | 보이다, 쓰이다, 놓이다 |
| ~히 | ㅂ, ㄱ, ㄷ, and others | 잡히다, 먹히다, 닫히다 |
| ~리 | ㄹ, ㄴ, and others | 열리다, 들리다, 걸리다 |
| ~기 | ㄴ, ㅁ, and others | 안기다, 끊기다, 빼앗기다 |
There is no single rule that perfectly predicts which suffix to use. Learners must memorize the passive form for each verb.
Part 1: Passive Suffix ~이
The suffix ~이 attaches to certain verb stems to create a passive meaning.
| Active | Passive | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 보다 (to see) | 보이다 | to be seen, to be visible |
| 쓰다 (to use/write) | 쓰이다 | to be used, to be written |
| 놓다 (to put/place) | 놓이다 | to be placed |
| 쌓다 (to stack) | 쌓이다 | to be stacked, to pile up |
| 바꾸다 (to change) | 바뀌다 | to be changed |
Example sentences
- 산이 잘 보여요. (The mountain is clearly visible.)
- 이 단어가 자주 쓰여요. (This word is frequently used.)
- 책이 책상 위에 놓여 있어요. (The book is placed on the desk.)
- 일이 많이 쌓였어요. (Work has piled up a lot.)
Part 2: Passive Suffix ~히
The suffix ~히 typically attaches to stems ending in ㅂ, ㄱ, or ㄷ.
| Active | Passive | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 잡다 (to catch) | 잡히다 | to be caught |
| 먹다 (to eat) | 먹히다 | to be eaten |
| 읽다 (to read) | 읽히다 | to be read |
| 닫다 (to close) | 닫히다 | to be closed |
| 막다 (to block) | 막히다 | to be blocked |
| 밟다 (to step on) | 밟히다 | to be stepped on |
Example sentences
- 범인이 경찰에게 잡혔어요. (The criminal was caught by the police.)
- 문이 닫혀 있어요. (The door is closed.)
- 길이 막혔어요. (The road is blocked / There is a traffic jam.)
- 이 책은 잘 읽혀요. (This book reads well / is easy to read.)
Part 3: Passive Suffix ~리
The suffix ~리 most commonly attaches to stems ending in ㄹ or ㄴ.
| Active | Passive | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 열다 (to open) | 열리다 | to be opened |
| 듣다 (to hear) | 들리다 | to be heard |
| 걸다 (to hang) | 걸리다 | to be hung / to take (time) |
| 팔다 (to sell) | 팔리다 | to be sold |
| 풀다 (to untie) | 풀리다 | to be untied / solved |
| 알다 (to know) | 알리다 | to be known / to notify |
| 밀다 (to push) | 밀리다 | to be pushed |
Example sentences
- 문이 열렸어요. (The door was opened / opened.)
- 음악이 잘 들려요. (The music can be heard well.)
- 이 가방은 잘 팔려요. (This bag sells well.)
- 문제가 풀렸어요. (The problem was solved.)
Part 4: Passive Suffix ~기
The suffix ~기 attaches to stems ending in ㄴ, ㅁ, and some others.
| Active | Passive | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 안다 (to hold/hug) | 안기다 | to be held |
| 끊다 (to cut off) | 끊기다 | to be cut off |
| 감다 (to wind/wrap) | 감기다 | to be wound / to catch a cold |
| 빼앗다 (to snatch) | 빼앗기다 | to be snatched |
| 쫓다 (to chase) | 쫓기다 | to be chased |
Example sentences
- 아기가 엄마에게 안겼어요. (The baby was held by the mother.)
- 전화가 끊겼어요. (The phone was cut off / disconnected.)
- 시간에 쫓기고 있어요. (I am being chased by time / pressed for time.)
Sentence Structure: Active vs. Passive
Active and passive sentences have different structures in Korean.
Active sentence
Subject + Object + Active verb
경찰이 범인을 잡았어요. The police caught the criminal.
Passive sentence
Subject + Agent marker + Passive verb
범인이 경찰에게 잡혔어요. The criminal was caught by the police.
Key differences:
| Element | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Doer (경찰이) | Receiver (범인이) |
| Object/Agent | Receiver + 을/를 | Doer + 에게/한테/에 의해 |
| Verb | Active (잡다) | Passive (잡히다) |
Agent markers
| Marker | Usage |
|---|---|
| 에게 / 한테 | People or animals (spoken: 한테, written: 에게) |
| 에 | Non-living things, forces, situations |
| 에 의해(서) | Formal/literary "by" (similar to English "by") |
Examples: - 고양이한테 물렸어요. (I was bitten by a cat.) - 비에 젖었어요. (I got wet by rain.) - 그 법에 의해 결정되었습니다. (It was decided by that law.)
Common Passive Verbs to Memorize
These are the most frequently used passive verbs in daily Korean:
| Active | Passive | Common usage |
|---|---|---|
| 보다 | 보이다 | 안 보여요 (I can't see it) |
| 듣다 | 들리다 | 잘 안 들려요 (I can't hear well) |
| 열다 | 열리다 | 문이 열려요 (The door opens) |
| 닫다 | 닫히다 | 문이 닫혀요 (The door closes) |
| 잡다 | 잡히다 | 택시가 안 잡혀요 (I can't catch a taxi) |
| 팔다 | 팔리다 | 잘 팔려요 (It sells well) |
| 막다 | 막히다 | 길이 막혀요 (Traffic is jammed) |
| 걸다 | 걸리다 | 감기에 걸렸어요 (I caught a cold) |
Passive vs. ~아/어지다
Korean also has another way to express passive-like meaning using ~아/어지다. This is sometimes called the "descriptive passive" or "change of state."
| Form | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ~이/히/리/기 | True passive of action verbs | 문이 열리다 (the door is opened) |
| ~아/어지다 | Change of state, becoming | 날씨가 좋아지다 (weather gets better) |
~아/어지다 often works with adjectives to mean "become": - 예쁘다 → 예뻐지다 (to become pretty) - 크다 → 커지다 (to become big) - 좋다 → 좋아지다 (to become good)
Some verbs use ~아/어지다 for passive when no ~이/히/리/기 form exists: - 만들다 → 만들어지다 (to be made) - 지우다 → 지워지다 (to be erased)
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Correction | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 문을 열렸어요 | 문이 열렸어요 | Passive subject uses 이/가, not 을/를 |
| 보히다 | 보이다 | 보다 takes ~이, not ~히 |
| 듣이다 | 들리다 | 듣다 takes ~리 (stem becomes 들) |
| Using passive with 을/를 | Use 이/가 for subject | Passive subject is not an object |
Summary
- Korean passive voice uses four suffixes: ~이, ~히, ~리, ~기.
- There is no perfect rule for which suffix to use -- memorization is necessary.
- In passive sentences, the subject receives the action, and the doer is marked with 에게/한테/에.
- The most common passive verbs (보이다, 들리다, 열리다, 닫히다, 잡히다, 막히다) appear constantly in daily Korean.
- For adjectives and some verbs without a passive form, use ~아/어지다 instead.
- Never use the object particle 을/를 with the subject of a passive sentence -- use 이/가.