Overview
Korean causative verbs express the idea of making, causing, or letting someone do something. English often uses "make someone do" or "have someone do," but Korean builds this meaning directly into the verb using one of six suffixes.
| Suffix | Example |
|---|---|
| ~이 | 먹이다 (to feed), 보이다 (to show) |
| ~히 | 읽히다 (to make read), 앉히다 (to seat someone) |
| ~리 | 알리다 (to inform), 울리다 (to make cry) |
| ~기 | 웃기다 (to make laugh), 남기다 (to leave behind) |
| ~우 | 재우다 (to put to sleep), 깨우다 (to wake up) |
| ~추 | 낮추다 (to lower), 맞추다 (to adjust/match) |
Like passive suffixes, there is no perfect rule for predicting which suffix to use. Each verb must be learned individually.
Part 1: Causative Suffix ~이
| Base verb | Causative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다 (to eat) | 먹이다 | to feed |
| 보다 (to see) | 보이다 | to show |
| 죽다 (to die) | 죽이다 | to kill (cause to die) |
| 녹다 (to melt) | 녹이다 | to melt (something) |
| 끓다 (to boil) | 끓이다 | to boil (something) |
| 속다 (to be fooled) | 속이다 | to fool/deceive |
Example sentences
- 아이에게 밥을 먹여요. (I feed rice to the child.)
- 사진을 보여 줄게요. (I will show you the photo.)
- 물을 끓여요. (I boil water.)
- 사람을 속이면 안 돼요. (You must not deceive people.)
Part 2: Causative Suffix ~히
| Base verb | Causative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 읽다 (to read) | 읽히다 | to make someone read |
| 앉다 (to sit) | 앉히다 | to seat someone |
| 입다 (to wear) | 입히다 | to dress someone |
| 눕다 (to lie down) | 눕히다 | to lay someone down |
| 좁다 (to be narrow) | 좁히다 | to narrow (something) |
Example sentences
- 아이를 의자에 앉혔어요. (I seated the child on the chair.)
- 아이에게 옷을 입혀요. (I dress the child.)
- 아기를 침대에 눕혔어요. (I laid the baby on the bed.)
Part 3: Causative Suffix ~리
| Base verb | Causative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 알다 (to know) | 알리다 | to inform / notify |
| 울다 (to cry) | 울리다 | to make someone cry |
| 돌다 (to turn) | 돌리다 | to turn/spin something |
| 살다 (to live) | 살리다 | to save (a life) |
| 날다 (to fly) | 날리다 | to make fly / to blow away |
Example sentences
- 소식을 알렸어요. (I informed [them] of the news.)
- 동생을 울렸어요. (I made my younger sibling cry.)
- 핸들을 돌려요. (I turn the steering wheel.)
- 환자를 살렸어요. (They saved the patient.)
Part 4: Causative Suffix ~기
| Base verb | Causative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 웃다 (to laugh) | 웃기다 | to make someone laugh |
| 남다 (to remain) | 남기다 | to leave behind |
| 맡다 (to smell/take on) | 맡기다 | to entrust |
| 숨다 (to hide) | 숨기다 | to hide (something) |
| 옮다 (to move) | 옮기다 | to move (something) |
Example sentences
- 그 사람은 정말 웃겨요. (That person is really funny / makes people laugh.)
- 음식을 남기지 마세요. (Please don't leave food behind.)
- 비밀을 숨기지 마세요. (Don't hide secrets.)
- 짐을 옮겼어요. (I moved the luggage.)
Part 5: Causative Suffix ~우
| Base verb | Causative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 자다 (to sleep) | 재우다 | to put to sleep |
| 깨다 (to wake up) | 깨우다 | to wake someone up |
| 타다 (to ride) | 태우다 | to give a ride / to burn |
| 서다 (to stand) | 세우다 | to make stand / to stop |
| 크다 (to be big) | 키우다 | to raise / grow |
Example sentences
- 아기를 재웠어요. (I put the baby to sleep.)
- 아침에 저를 깨워 주세요. (Please wake me up in the morning.)
- 차에 태워 줄게요. (I'll give you a ride.)
- 차를 세워 주세요. (Please stop the car.)
- 강아지를 키워요. (I raise a puppy.)
Part 6: Causative Suffix ~추
| Base verb | Causative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 낮다 (to be low) | 낮추다 | to lower |
| 높다 (to be high) | 높이다/높추다 | to raise |
| 맞다 (to be correct) | 맞추다 | to match / adjust |
| 늦다 (to be late) | 늦추다 | to delay / postpone |
Example sentences
- 소리를 낮춰 주세요. (Please lower the volume.)
- 시간을 맞춰야 해요. (We need to match the time.)
- 출발 시간을 늦췄어요. (I delayed the departure time.)
Sentence Structure
Causative sentences typically follow this pattern:
Subject + person being caused + 에게/한테 + object + causative verb
엄마가 아이에게 우유를 먹여요. The mother feeds milk to the child.
선생님이 학생에게 책을 읽혀요. The teacher makes the student read the book.
Comparing active, causative, and passive
| Type | Korean | English |
|---|---|---|
| Active | 아이가 밥을 먹어요 | The child eats rice |
| Causative | 엄마가 아이에게 밥을 먹여요 | The mother feeds the child rice |
| Passive | 밥이 먹혀요 | The rice is eaten |
Causative ~이/히/리/기 vs. ~게 하다
Korean has a second causative construction: verb stem + ~게 하다. This is more productive (works with any verb) and often implies permission or indirect causation.
| Suffix causative | ~게 하다 causative | Nuance difference |
|---|---|---|
| 먹이다 | 먹게 하다 | Direct feeding vs. letting/making eat |
| 웃기다 | 웃게 하다 | Directly causing laughter vs. making laugh |
| 앉히다 | 앉게 하다 | Physically seating vs. telling to sit |
Key differences
| Feature | Suffix causative | ~게 하다 |
|---|---|---|
| Directness | More direct, physical | Indirect, permission-like |
| Productivity | Limited (memorize each) | Works with any verb |
| Formality | Neutral | Slightly more formal/indirect |
Examples: - 아이를 앉혔어요. (I sat the child down. -- physically placed them) - 아이를 앉게 했어요. (I had the child sit down. -- told them to sit)
Verbs That Are Both Passive and Causative
Some suffixed verbs can be either passive or causative depending on context. This is a common source of confusion.
| Verb | As passive | As causative |
|---|---|---|
| 보이다 | to be seen (산이 보여요) | to show (사진을 보여요) |
| 읽히다 | to be read (잘 읽혀요) | to make read (학생에게 읽혀요) |
| 들리다 | to be heard (잘 들려요) | to make hear / stop by |
Context and sentence structure clarify the meaning.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Correction | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 먹히다 for "feed" | 먹이다 | 먹히다 is passive (to be eaten), not causative |
| 잠우다 | 재우다 | 자다 → 재우다 (stem changes to 재) |
| Using suffix causative for all verbs | Use ~게 하다 when no suffix form exists | Not all verbs have suffix causatives |
Essential Causative Pairs to Memorize
| Base | Causative | Daily usage |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다 (eat) | 먹이다 (feed) | 고양이에게 먹이를 먹여요 |
| 자다 (sleep) | 재우다 (put to sleep) | 아기를 재워요 |
| 깨다 (wake) | 깨우다 (wake up) | 7시에 깨워 주세요 |
| 보다 (see) | 보이다 (show) | 보여 주세요 |
| 알다 (know) | 알리다 (inform) | 결과를 알려 주세요 |
| 울다 (cry) | 울리다 (make cry) | 동생을 울리지 마세요 |
| 웃다 (laugh) | 웃기다 (make laugh) | 정말 웃겨요 |
| 입다 (wear) | 입히다 (dress) | 아이에게 옷을 입혀요 |
| 타다 (ride) | 태우다 (give ride) | 태워 줄게요 |
| 서다 (stand) | 세우다 (stop/erect) | 차를 세워요 |
Summary
- Korean causative verbs use six suffixes: ~이, ~히, ~리, ~기, ~우, ~추.
- Each verb has a specific suffix -- memorization is required.
- Suffix causatives imply direct causation (physically doing something to/for someone).
- ~게 하다 is an alternative that works with any verb and implies indirect causation or permission.
- Some verbs share the same suffix form for passive and causative -- context determines meaning.
- The most essential pairs for daily use: 먹이다 (feed), 재우다/깨우다 (sleep/wake), 보이다 (show), 알리다 (inform).