3 · Passive and causative
Making and letting: -게 하다
the long causative
Stem plus -게 하다 works for any verb: someone makes or lets someone else do something.
The pattern is the bare stem, then -게, then 하다, with no vowel choice: 가게 하다, 먹게 하다, 기다리게 하다. 하다 carries everything else: 가게 했어요, 가게 하세요, 가게 해 주세요. Unlike the suffix causative, it works for any verb, and with an adjective it means "make something so": 방을 따뜻하게 해요, "I make the room warm".
The person made to act usually takes 을/를 when the verb has no object of its own (아이를 울게 했어요) and 에게 or 한테 when it has one (아이에게 채소를 먹게 했어요). The subject particle is possible too, and common when the clause is long: 엄마는 제가 밤늦게 못 나가게 해요.
The pattern covers both "make" and "let"; the context decides. With 주다 it is clearly a favour, "let": 저도 한번 운전하게 해 주세요, "let me have a go at driving too". With 못 it is "not let, stop": 못 가게 했어요. The everyday apology 기다리게 해서 죄송합니다, "sorry to have kept you waiting", is probably where learners meet it first.
English speakers sometimes reach for 만들다 because English says "make". -게 만들다 does exist and is stronger, often for unwelcome effects (사람을 화나게 만들어요), but the plain pattern is -게 하다. And do not confuse it with -게 되다: 하다 is what you make happen to someone else, 되다 is what happens to you.
The form
| any stem | 가다 → 가게 해요 |
| past | 가게 했어요 |
| let me (a favour) | 가게 해 주세요 |
| not let | 못 가게 해요 |
| make (stronger) | 가게 만들어요 |
| sorry to keep you waiting | 기다리게 해서 죄송합니다 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
-게 하다 attaches to any stem, including verbs with no causative suffix.
선생님은 학생들에게 매일 일기를 쓰게 하세요.The teacher has the pupils write a diary every day.
It can mean "make" or "let"; with 주다 it is a favour, "let me".
저도 한번 운전하게 해 주세요.Let me have a go at driving too.
With 못 it means "not let, stop someone doing".
엄마는 제가 밤늦게 못 나가게 해요.My mum does not let me go out late at night.
The person made to act takes 을/를 with a verb that has no object.
그 사람은 항상 친구들을 기다리게 해요.That person always keeps their friends waiting.
A closer look
-게 하다 and -게 만들다
-게 만들다 is the stronger, more colloquial cousin. It suggests that the result was brought about by force of circumstance or against someone's wishes: 그 말이 저를 화나게 만들었어요, "that remark made me angry".
Sentences in which a thing causes a feeling — "the news made me happy" — are possible with either verb, but they can sound translated. Korean often prefers to name the person who feels: 그 소식을 듣고 기뻤어요, "I was happy to hear the news".
How to spot it
- -게 하다
- -게 해 주세요
- 못 -게 하다
- -게 만들다
Example sentences
오래 기다리게 해서 죄송합니다.I am sorry to have kept you waiting so long.
부모님이 저를 혼자 유학 가게 해 주셨어요.My parents let me go and study abroad on my own.
엄마는 저에게 매일 채소를 먹게 했어요.My mum made me eat vegetables every day.
사장님이 직원들을 일찍 퇴근하게 하셨어요.The boss let the staff go home early.
저는 동생에게 제 일기장을 못 보게 했어요.I did not let my younger sibling read my diary.
방을 따뜻하게 해 드릴까요?Shall I warm the room up for you?
7 more example sentences
아이들을 밖에서 마음껏 놀게 했어요.We let the children play outside as much as they liked.
제가 직접 확인하게 해 주세요.Please let me check it myself.
추우니까 아이들을 밖에 못 나가게 하세요.It's cold, so don't let the children go outside.
이 노래는 항상 저를 행복하게 해요.This song always makes me happy.
선생님은 수업 시간에 휴대폰을 못 쓰게 하세요.The teacher does not let us use our phones in class.
그 사람은 항상 사람들을 웃게 만들어요.That person always makes people laugh.
딸에게 피아노를 배우게 했어요.I had my daughter learn the piano.
Worth knowing (1)
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Sorry to keep you waiting
The -게 하다 sentence heard most often is probably an apology: 기다리게 해서 죄송합니다. Among friends it becomes 기다리게 해서 미안해.
기다리게 해서 미안해.Sorry I kept you waiting.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
-게 되다 is what happens to you; -게 하다 is what you make happen to somebody else. A teacher who makes the class redo its homework needs 하다.
Ge hada: you make it happen to someone; ge doeda: it happens to you.
Your turn
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