HYEJU LANGUAGE LAB · INTERMEDIATE 13 · LESSON 98
사동 -이/히/리/기/우/구/추-Make / have / let someone…
A causative verb means “make someone (or something) do or be something.” Like passives, they come in vocabulary pairs: 먹다 (eat) → 먹이다 (feed), 입다 (wear) → 입히다 (dress someone), 자다 (sleep) → 재우다 (put to sleep). The person made to act usually takes 에게 or 을/를.
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A situation you already know
It’s late, and the baby still won’t sleep. Dad says:
I’ll put the baby to sleep now.
자다 is what the baby does (sleep). 재우다 is what Dad does to the baby (put to sleep).
Build the form
- 먹다 → 먹 + 이 → 먹이다Complete expression
- 입다 → 입 + 히 → 입히다Complete expression
- 울다 → 울 + 리 → 울리다Complete expression
- 웃다 → 웃 + 기 → 웃기다Complete expression
- 자다 → 자 + 이 + 우 → 재우다Complete expression
- 낮다 → 낮 + 추 → 낮추다Complete expression
- -이-: 먹다 → 먹이다, 보다 → 보이다 (show), 죽다 → 죽이다.
- -히-: 입다 → 입히다, 앉다 → 앉히다, 읽다 → 읽히다 (make someone read), 넓다 → 넓히다.
- -리-: 울다 → 울리다, 알다 → 알리다, 살다 → 살리다, 놀다 → 놀리다 (tease).
- -기-: 웃다 → 웃기다, 신다 → 신기다, 씻다 → 씻기다, 맡다 → 맡기다.
- -우/구/추-: 깨다 → 깨우다, 자다 → 재우다, 타다 → 태우다; 낮다 → 낮추다, 늦다 → 늦추다.
- Some forms look like passives (보이다, 읽히다). Causatives take an object; passives don’t.
Think in Korean · an English-speaker’s guide
- English uses “make / let / have someone do.” Korean has two routes: a causative verb (먹이다) or -게 하다 (먹게 하다). The verb often means you do it directly (spoon-feeding); -게 하다 often means you cause or allow it.
- Many causatives are everyday words of their own: 알리다 (inform), 웃기다 (be funny), 맡기다 (leave something with someone), 태우다 (give someone a ride).
- Not every verb has one: ✗가이다. Use -게 하다 instead: 가게 하다.
Six examples in context
Mom fed the baby milk.
I dressed the child in warm clothes.
That friend is really funny.
Please wake me up at 7 tomorrow morning.
I’ll let you know as soon as the results are out.
Could you turn the volume down a little?
Compare with related patterns
피동 (passive)
문이 열렸어요.Passive (Lesson 91): the affected thing is the subject, and there is no object.
-게 하다
아이에게 채소를 먹게 했어요.“I made / let the child eat vegetables.” Works with any verb, and is often less direct than 먹였어요.
-아/어 주다
아이에게 책을 읽어 줬어요.“I read a book to the child” (I did the reading). 읽혔어요 means I made the child read.
| Pattern | Choose it when… |
|---|---|
| 사동 verbs | you make someone do or be something (often directly) |
| -게 하다 | cause or allow an action; works with any verb |
| 피동 verbs | the affected thing is the subject |
| -아/어 주다 | you do it for someone |
Common mistakes
If the baby drinks by itself, use 먹다. 먹이다 needs someone who feeds.
Dressing someone → 입히다, and that person takes 에게.
가다 has no causative verb; use -게 하다.
깨다 = wake up (yourself); 깨우다 = wake someone up.
Mini practice · six questions
Try each one before opening the answer. Translation answers are models; other natural wording is possible.
- Use the causative verb아기에게 이유식을 ______. (먹다)
Check answer
아기에게 이유식을 먹였어요.
먹다 → 먹이다 → 먹였어요.
- Use the causative verb외출하기 전에 아이에게 신발을 ______. (신다)
Check answer
외출하기 전에 아이에게 신발을 신겼어요.
신다 → 신기다 → 신겼어요.
- Choose the natural form아침 7시에 저를 (깨 / 깨워) 주세요.
Check answer
깨워
Waking someone else → 깨우다.
- Choose the natural form이 소식을 모두에게 (알아 / 알려) 주세요.
Check answer
알려
Make others know → 알리다.
- Fix the mistake친구를 집에 가였어요.
Check answer
친구를 집에 가게 했어요.
No causative verb for 가다 → -게 하다.
- Say it in KoreanThat movie made me cry.
Check answer
그 영화가 저를 울렸어요.
울다 → 울리다 → 울렸어요.
Today’s key point
Causative verbs are vocabulary pairs (먹이다, 입히다, 울리다, 웃기다, 깨우다, 낮추다). They take an object; the person made to act takes 에게 or 을/를. No causative verb? Use -게 하다.
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