Mastering Korean Passives and Causatives: Sound Natural Like a Native

Bridge the gap from intermediate to advanced by capturing the subtle nuances of "Being" and "Making."

Korean classroom setting representing advanced grammar learning

As an italki tutor, I have met hundreds of students who hit a "wall" once they reach the intermediate level. You can form basic sentences, but you often feel that your Korean sounds "too English." This is usually because of Passive (피동) and Causative (사동). In English, we focus on "Who did what," but in Korean, the focus often shifts to "What happened" or "What state it is in." Mastering these will make you sound 10x more natural in 2026.

1. The Power of Passive (피동): Focusing on the Result

In Korean, the passive voice is used more frequently than in English to describe a state or a result where the "doer" is not the focus. It often uses suffixes like -이, -히, -리, -기 or -어지다.

Nuance Comparison:

Active: 경찰이 도둑을 잡았어요 (The police caught the thief) - Focuses on the police's action.
Passive: 도둑이 경찰에게 잡혔어요 (The thief was caught by the police) - Focuses on the thief's situation.
State Passive: 날씨가 풀렸어요 (The weather has loosened/thawed) - Very common! Koreans rarely say "The sun thawed the weather." We focus on the changed state.

2. Causative (사동): Making or Letting Things Happen

Causative forms (-게 하다, -시키다) express that a subject makes someone else perform an action. This is where intermediate learners get confused with English "make," "let," or "have."

-게 하다 is the standard way to express "making someone do something," but it has a softer, indirect nuance. On the other hand, -시키다 is often used for tasks, orders, or institutional actions (Common in business).

아이를 공부하게 했어요 (I made/persuaded the child to study - Indirect).
부장님이 일을 시켰어요 (The manager assigned/ordered the work - Direct/Order).
웃음이 나를 행복하게 해요 (Laughter makes me happy).

3. Deep Nuance: -어지다 vs -게 되다

Many students ask: "Both mean a change happened, so what's the difference?" This is the heart of intermediate Korean linguistics.

-어지다 (Passive/Change): Focuses on the natural transition or the resulting state.
(예) 날씨가 추워졌어요 (It became cold - focus on the current cold state).
-게 되다 (Eventual Change): Focuses on the process or external factors that led to the change.
(예) 한국에 오게 되었어요 (I ended up coming to Korea - focus on the circumstances that brought me here).

4. Real-life Examples: Business and Daily Socializing

In 2026, social harmony is still a core value in Korea. Using passive or causative forms correctly helps you avoid sounding too aggressive or demanding.

English Thinking	Natural Korean (Passive/Causative)
The file is deleted.	파일이 삭제되었습니다 (More common than "I deleted it").
I will make him call you.	그분이 전화 드리게 할게요 (Polite and professional).
The price rose.	가격이 인상되었습니다 (Standard business notice).

5. Avoid Over-translation: When NOT to Use Passives

The most common mistake for English speakers is translating "is being + verb-ed" literally. In Korean, we often use "Noun + 중 (In the middle of)" instead of a complex passive structure.

Instead of saying "The report is being reviewed" (보고서가 검토되어지고 있어요 - awkward!), try "보고서 검토 중입니다" (The report is under review). This is the secret to sounding like a professional working in Seoul today.

Teacher Hoon's Native Advice

Think of Korean passives as a "Scene Description." Imagine you are a camera just showing the result (The door is open). When you focus too much on "Who did it," you lose the natural flow of the Korean language. Try to observe how news anchors and drama characters describe situations—you'll notice they use passives to sound neutral and causative to sound considerate!

Still Struggling with the "Wall" of Intermediate Korean?

Grammar is not just about rules; it's about feeling the nuance. Let's practice these passives and causatives through real conversation roleplays. Book a session on italki today and let's level up your Korean!

Master Nuance with Teacher Hoon