🧭 Say It Right #1 — Passive & Causative
✅ Updated
Say It Right is a series for learners bridging from intermediate to advanced. Each post helps you sound more natural in Korean meetings, writing, and everyday talk.
📌 Helpful before you start
📑 Table of Contents
🎯 Goals
- Understand when to use 피동(-어지다/되다) vs 사동(-게 하다/-시키다).
- Separate result/state from command/making someone do.
- Eliminate English-style literal translation errors.
📘 Core Concepts
피동 (-어지다 / -되다)
Focuses on what changed or happened.
문이 열렸다. / 서비스가 복구되었다. (“The door opened.” / “The service was restored.”)
사동 (-게 하다)
Means “make/let someone do.” Softer in tone.
팀을 집중하게 했다. (“Made the team focus.”)
사동 (-시키다)
Formal or institutional tone. Common in business or policy.
직원을 교육시킨다. (“Train the employees.”)
✏️ Examples + Quick Quiz
- The file was deleted → 파일이 삭제되었다.
- The price was lowered → 가격이 인하되었다.
- Make him wait → 여기서 기다리게 하세요.
- The story made me cry → 그 이야기가 나를 울게 했다.
💡 English vs Korean: Passive Usage Gap
Main idea: English uses passive voice to hide the doer or sound formal. Korean often expresses the same meaning through 피동 (-어지다/되다), or even by removing the subject or focusing on state instead of action.
- 1) State-first view: Korean prefers describing the state — “문이 잠겼다” (The door is locked) — not who locked it.
- 2) Subject omission: Notices like “연장되었습니다” omit the subject naturally (“It has been extended”).
- 3) Tone control with causative: -게 하다 softens requests, while -시키다 sounds formal or directive.
- 4) Avoid overusing passives: Instead of translating every “be + verb-ed,” Korean may use nouns or adjectives, e.g. “검토 중입니다” (Under review) instead of “is being reviewed.”
Tip: If the actor matters → use active/causative. If only the result matters → use passive/state form.
EN: “The release was delayed.” → KR: “출시가 연기되었습니다.” (neutral) or “회사가 출시를 연기했습니다.” (actor-focused)
🌏 Culture Note
In Korean offices, politeness often comes from verb choice. “제출하게 하십시오” is formal; “제출해 주세요” feels warmer and more natural in teamwork contexts.
