Making Someone Do Something: Causative Verbs
Say "make someone do something" in Korean with causative verbs (먹이다, 입히다, 울리다, 웃기다, 깨우다, 낮추다) and the general pattern -게 하다.
Mr. Gaon · Grammar, vocabulary & TOPIKWhat you will learn in this lesson
- Recognize causative verbs made with -이-, -히-, -리-, -기-, -우-, -구-, -추-
- Use everyday causatives like 먹이다, 입히다, 깨우다, 태우다
- Make any verb causative with -게 하다
- Tell causatives apart from passives that look the same
Hello! Last time we learned passives: things that happen to someone. Today is the opposite direction: making someone or something do an action. Parents feed children, wake them up and put them to sleep, so this grammar lives in everyday life.
What does causative mean?
A causative sentence has someone who causes an action and someone (or something) who actually does it or changes.
아기가 밥을 먹어요. — The baby eats. 엄마가 아기에게 밥을 먹여요. — The mother feeds the baby (makes the baby eat).
Korean has two main ways to make causatives:
1. A suffix added to the verb or adjective stem: -이-, -히-, -리-, -기-, -우-, -구-, -추-. This makes a new dictionary word, like 먹이다 (to feed). 2. The pattern -게 하다, which works with almost any verb: 먹게 하다 (to make / let someone eat).
As with passives, you cannot always predict which suffix a word takes, so learn the common ones as vocabulary.
Suffix causative: "to make (someone/something) do or become…"
- -이-: 먹다 → 먹이다 (feed), 보다 → 보이다 (show), 끓다 → 끓이다 (boil something), 죽다 → 죽이다 (kill).
- -히-: 입다 → 입히다 (dress someone), 앉다 → 앉히다 (seat someone), 눕다 → 눕히다 (lay someone down), 넓다 → 넓히다 (widen).
- -리-: 울다 → 울리다 (make cry), 알다 → 알리다 (inform), 살다 → 살리다 (save a life), 얼다 → 얼리다 (freeze something).
- -기-: 웃다 → 웃기다 (make laugh), 씻다 → 씻기다 (wash someone), 신다 → 신기다 (put shoes on someone), 맡다 → 맡기다 (entrust).
- -우-: 깨다 → 깨우다 (wake someone), 자다 → 재우다 (put to sleep), 타다 → 태우다 (give a ride; also burn), 비다 → 비우다 (empty).
- -구-: 달다 (become hot) → 달구다 (heat up); this group is small.
- -추-: 낮다 → 낮추다 (lower), 늦다 → 늦추다 (delay), 맞다 → 맞추다 (fit, match).
- 아빠가 아이에게 이유식을 먹였어요. appaga aiege iyusigeul meogyeosseoyo.Dad fed the child baby food.
- 엄마가 아이에게 따뜻한 옷을 입혔어요. eommaga aiege ttatteutan oseul ipyeosseoyo.Mom dressed the child in warm clothes.
- 그 영화가 저를 울렸어요. geu yeonghwaga jeoreul ullyeosseoyo.That movie made me cry.
- 민수 씨는 사람들을 잘 웃겨요. minsu ssineun saramdeureul jal utgyeoyo.Minsu makes people laugh a lot.
- 내일 아침 7시에 깨워 주세요. naeil achim 7sie kkaewo juseyo.Please wake me up at 7 tomorrow morning.
- 소리 좀 낮춰 줄래요? sori jom natchwo jullaeyo?Could you turn the volume down a bit?
Everyday causative verbs
| Suffix | Base | Causative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| -이- | 먹다 | 먹이다 | to feed |
| -이- | 보다 | 보이다 | to show |
| -히- | 입다 | 입히다 | to dress someone |
| -히- | 앉다 | 앉히다 | to seat someone |
| -리- | 울다 | 울리다 | to make cry |
| -리- | 알다 | 알리다 | to let know, inform |
| -기- | 웃다 | 웃기다 | to make laugh |
| -우- | 깨다 | 깨우다 | to wake someone up |
| -우- | 타다 | 태우다 | to give someone a ride |
| -추- | 낮다 | 낮추다 | to lower |
웃기다 is also used as an adjective-like word: 이 영상 진짜 웃겨요 (This video is really funny).
Here is the tricky part: some causatives look exactly like passives. 보이다 can mean "to be seen" or "to show". Look at the particles: if there is an object with 을/를, it is usually the causative.
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Passive or causative? Look for 을/를
- 창문 밖으로 산이 보여요. changmun bakkeuro sani boyeoyo. I can see a mountain out the window. Passive: 산이 is the subject, no object.
- 친구에게 사진을 보여 줬어요. chinguege sajineul boyeo jwosseoyo. I showed my friend a photo. Causative: 사진을 is the object.
- 아이가 엄마에게 안겼어요. aiga eommaege angyeosseoyo. The child was held by its mother. Passive of 안다.
- 엄마가 아이를 씻겼어요. eommaga aireul ssitgyeosseoyo. Mom washed the child. Causative of 씻다; 아이를 is the object.
- 이 책은 학생들에게 많이 읽혀요. i chaegeun haksaengdeurege mani ilkyeoyo. This book is widely read by students. Passive: no object.
- 선생님이 학생들에게 책을 읽혔어요. seonsaengnimi haksaengdeurege chaegeul ilkyeosseoyo. The teacher had the students read a book. Causative: 책을 is the object.
"to make / let / have someone do…" — works with almost any verb or adjective.
- Attach -게 to the stem with no change: 가다 → 가게 하다, 먹다 → 먹게 하다, 공부하다 → 공부하게 하다.
- The person who does the action takes 에게/한테 or 을/를 (or 이/가 in some sentences): 아이에게 책을 읽게 했어요.
- Negative: -지 못하게 하다 (prevent), -지 않게 하다 (make sure … doesn’t).
- With adjectives: 방을 따뜻하게 했어요 (I made the room warm).
- 선생님이 학생들에게 큰 소리로 읽게 하셨어요. seonsaengnimi haksaengdeurege keun soriro ikge hasyeosseoyo.The teacher had the students read aloud.
- 엄마가 저를 일찍 자게 했어요. eommaga jeoreul iljjik jage haesseoyo.Mom made me go to bed early.
- 의사가 환자에게 술을 마시지 못하게 했어요. uisaga hwanjaege sureul masiji motage haesseoyo.The doctor didn’t let the patient drink alcohol.
- 걱정하지 않게 할게요. geokjeonghaji anke halgeyo.I won’t make you worry. (I’ll make sure you don’t worry.)
먹이다 or 먹게 하다?
When both forms exist, they often feel different.
The suffix causative usually means the causer acts directly with their own hands: 엄마가 아기에게 우유를 먹였어요 — Mom fed the baby milk (she held the bottle).
-게 하다 usually means the causer only gives an instruction or permission, and the other person does the action: 엄마가 아이에게 우유를 먹게 했어요 — Mom made (or let) the child drink milk (the child drank it alone).
This is a tendency, not a strict law, but it is a helpful guide. When you are not sure whether a suffix causative exists, -게 하다 is always a safe choice.
More examples from daily life
- 택시 기사님이 저를 역 앞에 태워 주셨어요. taeksi gisanimi jeoreul yeok ape taewo jusyeosseoyo. The taxi driver took me to the front of the station. 태우다 = give a ride.
- 결과가 나오면 알려 드릴게요. gyeolgwaga naomyeon allyeo deurilgeyo. I’ll let you know when the results come out. 알리다 + 드리다 (humble).
- 회의 시간을 30분 늦춰도 될까요? hoeui siganeul 30bun neutchwodo doelkkayo? Could we push the meeting back 30 minutes?
- 아기를 침대에 눕혔어요. agireul chimdaee nupyeosseoyo. I laid the baby on the bed.
- 냉장고를 좀 비워야겠어요. naengjanggoreul jom biwoyagesseoyo. I should empty the fridge a bit.
A busy evening at home
Check quiz
Q1. What is the causative of 입다 (to wear)?
Q2. "Please wake me up at 6."
Q3. In which sentence is 보이다 causative?
Q4. Which means the doctor only told the patient to rest?
Q5. Choose the right verb: 목소리를 좀 ( ) 주세요. (Please lower your voice.)
Q6. What does 그 사람은 정말 웃겨요 mean?
Wonderful! Try describing a morning routine for a child: 깨워요, 씻겨요, 입혀요, 먹여요. If one verb doesn’t come to mind, use -게 하다. You are doing very well.
Key points
- Causative suffixes: -이-, -히-, -리-, -기-, -우-, -구-, -추-.
- Useful pairs: 먹이다, 입히다, 울리다, 웃기다, 깨우다, 재우다, 태우다, 낮추다.
- -게 하다 works with almost any verb: 가게 하다, 공부하게 하다.
- Suffix forms often mean direct action; -게 하다 often means instruction or permission.
- If a 보이다-type verb has an object with 을/를, it is usually causative.
Recommended official free resources
- Korean Basic Dictionary (multilingual) — National Institute of Korean Language
- Study Korean — Overseas Koreans Agency
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