Ever hear sentences like “문이 열렸어요” and wonder who opened it? Or “선생님이 학생들을 앉혔어요” and think, wait—how did 앉다 become 앉히다? Today you’ll learn how Korean uses passive and causative verbs to talk about results (“was opened”) and to make things happen (“made someone sit”). By the end, you’ll form natural sentences for everyday situations at work, school, and home.

Why passives and causatives matter

• Passives describe what happened to something, often without naming the doer: 문이 열렸어요 (The door opened/was opened).
• Causatives show that someone causes another person to do something or causes a state: 선생님이 학생들을 앉혔어요 (The teacher seated the students).

In Korean, small suffixes change meaning a lot. Master the common patterns and you’ll sound much more native.

Notice how the passive “문이 열렸어요” focuses on the result, while the active “문을 열었어요” focuses on the doer.

Core patterns to know (overview)

• Passive: -이/히/리/기, -어/아지다, (하다 →) 되다
• Causative: -이/히/리/기, -우/구/추, -게 하다

We’ll practice them step by step.

문이 .

제가 문이 열었어요. → 문이 열렸어요. With passive, the affected thing is the subject (문이). Don’t mix active subject with passive verb.

Passive toolbox in action

Use passives to describe processes, rules, and results—common in office emails and announcements:

• 회의실은 미리 예약되어야 합니다. (The meeting room must be reserved in advance.)
• 회의가 취소됐어요. (The meeting was canceled.)
• 새 제품은 다음 달에 공개됩니다. (The new product will be released next month.)

Cultural note: Korean often avoids naming the agent to be polite or neutral. Saying “문이 열렸어요” can be safer than “누가 문을 열었어요?” in some contexts.

Causative basics: make/let someone do it

Causatives show you cause an action or state.

• 앉다 → 앉히다 (to seat)
• 먹다 → 먹이다 (to feed)
• 자다 → 재우다 (to put to sleep)
• 울다 → 울리다 (to make (someone) cry) or “to ring” (alarm, bell)
• 웃다 → 웃기다 (to make (someone) laugh)
• 보다 → 보이다 (to show)
• 타다 → 태우다 (to make someone ride; give someone a ride)

Also, -게 하다 means “make/let someone do”: 선생님이 학생들을 발표하게 했어요 (The teacher made the students present).

선생님이 학생들을 .

사장님이 우리를 회의에 참석하게 .

-게 하다 nuances

• Stronger: 시키다 is “order/assign,” often used at work: 상사가 일을 시켰어요.
• -게 하다 can be “make” or “let,” depending on context and tone.
• Formal rule-setting: -도록 하다 (more formal): 안전수칙을 지키도록 하세요.

Cultural note: Using -게 하다 about yourself (저를 … 하게 했어요) can feel awkward unless you’re emphasizing someone forced you. Usually you say what you did: 저는 발표했어요.

사진을 주세요.

Mini-summary

• Passives: focus on results and rules (문이 열렸어요, 보고서가 작성돼요). Use -이/히/리/기, -어/아지다, and 되다.
• Causatives: show causing/allowing (앉히다, 먹이다, 재우다, 보이다, -게 하다). Great for classroom, parenting, and workplace.
• Tone: Passives can soften statements; -게 하다 can feel strong or permissive depending on context.

Quick practice ideas

• At work: Write a short update with 3 passive sentences.
• At home: Describe your morning routine with 2 causative sentences (e.g., “알람이 저를 일찍 일어나게 해요”).
• With friends: Ask politely using causative: 사진 좀 보여 주세요.

You’re doing great—these small endings are big power. Keep noticing them in signs, emails, and shows. The more you see them, the more natural your Korean will sound!