HYEJU LANGUAGE LAB · INTERMEDIATE 06 · LESSON 91
피동 -이/히/리/기-Be seen, be opened, be caught…
Korean passive verbs are mostly separate words that you learn in pairs: 열다 (open something) → 열리다 (be opened / open). The suffix is one of -이-, -히-, -리-, -기-. The thing affected becomes the subject, and the person who did it is often left out.
Listen buttons use your device’s Korean voice. A Korean voice must be installed and available to the browser.
A situation you already know
You walk into the classroom and notice the door is open. You didn’t see who opened it.
Oh? The door is open.
열다 needs someone who opens the door. 열리다 lets the door itself be the subject, which is perfect when you don’t know or don’t need to say who did it.
Build the form
- 보다 → 보 + 이 → 보이다Complete expression
- 닫다 → 닫 + 히 → 닫히다Complete expression
- 열다 → 열 + 리 → 열리다Complete expression
- 듣다 → 들 + 리 → 들리다Complete expression
- 안다 → 안 + 기 → 안기다Complete expression
- 끊다 → 끊 + 기 → 끊기다Complete expression
- -이-: 보다 → 보이다, 쓰다 → 쓰이다, 놓다 → 놓이다, 바꾸다 → 바뀌다.
- -히-: 닫다 → 닫히다, 먹다 → 먹히다, 잡다 → 잡히다, 읽다 → 읽히다.
- -리-: 열다 → 열리다, 듣다 → 들리다, 팔다 → 팔리다, 걸다 → 걸리다.
- -기-: 안다 → 안기다, 끊다 → 끊기다, 쫓다 → 쫓기다.
- No rule predicts the suffix, so learn each pair as vocabulary. Many verbs have no suffix passive at all (주다, 만나다).
- If you mention who did it, use 에게/한테 for people and animals: 고양이가 개한테 쫓겼어요.
Think in Korean · an English-speaker’s guide
- English can make almost any verb passive with “be + past participle.” Korean only has passive forms for some verbs, so ✗만나지다 or ✗주이다 do not exist. When there is no passive verb, Korean simply uses an active sentence.
- 보이다 and 들리다 match “can see / can hear”: 산이 보여요 (I can see a mountain), 음악이 들려요 (I can hear music). English starts with “I,” but Korean makes the thing seen or heard the subject.
- Some -이/히/리/기 verbs are causatives, not passives: 먹이다 (feed), 입히다 (dress someone). The same suffix can do both jobs, so check the meaning.
Six examples in context
You can see the sea out the window.
I can hear a piano from next door.
The door shut because of the wind.
The thief was caught by the police.
This book is widely read around the world.
The call got cut off in the middle.
Compare with related patterns
-아/어지다
날씨가 따뜻해졌어요.“The weather got warmer.” Adjective + -아/어지다 is a change of state (Lesson 76), not a passive.
사동 (causative)
엄마가 아기에게 우유를 먹였어요.“Mom fed the baby milk.” The suffix looks similar, but here someone makes another person do something.
-게 되다
다음 달부터 서울에서 일하게 됐어요.“From next month, I’ll be working in Seoul.” A change in circumstances (Lesson 72), not a passive verb.
| Pattern | Choose it when… |
|---|---|
| 피동 -이/히/리/기- | the affected thing is the subject (be seen, be opened) |
| -아/어지다 | a quality changes over time |
| 사동 -이/히/리/기/우- | someone makes another do something |
| -게 되다 | circumstances lead to a new situation |
Common mistakes
With 문이 as the subject, use the passive 열리다.
The thing heard is the subject: 이/가, not 을/를.
The doer takes 에게/한테.
만나다 has no passive verb; use an active sentence.
Mini practice · six questions
Try each one before opening the answer. Translation answers are models; other natural wording is possible.
- Change to the passive여기에서 남산타워가 잘 ______. (보다)
Check answer
여기에서 남산타워가 잘 보여요.
보다 → 보이다 → 보여요.
- Change to the passive통화하다가 갑자기 전화가 ______. (끊다)
Check answer
통화하다가 갑자기 전화가 끊겼어요.
끊다 → 끊기다 → 끊겼어요.
- Choose the natural form바람 때문에 문이 (닫았어요 / 닫혔어요).
Check answer
닫혔어요
문이 is the subject → passive.
- Choose the natural form고양이가 개(를 / 한테) 쫓겼어요.
Check answer
한테
The dog is the chaser (the doer) → 한테.
- Fix the mistake밖에서 이상한 소리를 들려요.
Check answer
밖에서 이상한 소리가 들려요.
소리 is the subject of 들리다.
- Say it in KoreanThe tickets sold out quickly.
Check answer
표가 빨리 팔렸어요.
팔다 → 팔리다 → 팔렸어요.
Today’s key point
Passive verbs are vocabulary pairs: 보이다, 닫히다, 열리다/들리다, 안기다/끊기다. The affected thing is the subject (이/가); the doer, if needed, takes 에게/한테. Not every verb has a passive form.
Keep learning
M.A. in Korean Language Education · Certified Korean language teacher
About the educator →