4 · Passive and causative
Direct or indirect causative
two kinds of causing
먹이다 is putting food in someone's mouth; 먹게 하다 is getting them to eat — the suffix is hands-on.
Where a verb has a suffix causative, it usually has -게 하다 as well, and the two are not interchangeable: 먹이다 and 먹게 하다, 입히다 and 입게 하다, 앉히다 and 앉게 하다, 재우다 and 자게 하다. The suffix form is direct: the causer does it, often with their own hands. -게 하다 is indirect: the causer gives an instruction or permission, and the other person still does the action themselves.
엄마가 아기에게 밥을 먹였어요 pictures a mother holding the spoon; 엄마가 아이에게 밥을 먹게 했어요, a mother making the child eat its dinner, spoon in the child's own hand. 아이에게 옷을 입혔어요 is "I dressed the child"; 아이가 혼자 옷을 입게 했어요, "I let the child get dressed alone".
The more a suffix verb has drifted from its root, the further apart the two become. 살리다is "save a life"살게 하다"let someone live (somewhere)"; 알리다is "inform"알게 하다"bring someone to know"; 웃기다is "amuse"웃게 하다"get someone to laugh"
For 하다verbs시키다plays the part of the suffix: 청소시키다 is giving someone the cleaning to do, while 청소하게 하다 is letting or making them do it. A rule of thumb for English speakers: "feed", "dress", "put to bed", "seat" → the suffix; "make, let, get someone to" → -게 하다. When in doubt, -게 하다 is always grammatical — but it sounds distant where hands-on care is meant.
The form
| hands-on: feed | 아기에게 밥을 먹여요 |
| get someone to eat | 아이에게 밥을 먹게 해요 |
| dress someone | 아이에게 옷을 입혀요 |
| let them dress | 아이가 혼자 옷을 입게 해요 |
| put to bed | 아기를 재워요 |
| make go to bed | 아이를 일찍 자게 해요 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
The suffix causative means doing it to the other person directly, often with your own hands.
할머니가 아기에게 이유식을 먹여 주셨어요.Grandma fed the baby some baby food.
-게 하다 means getting the other person to do it themselves.
엄마는 아이가 혼자 밥을 먹게 했어요.The mother had the child eat without help.
A suffix verb that has drifted from its root means something -게 하다 does not.
의사가 환자를 살렸어요.The doctor saved the patient's life.
For 하다 verbs, 시키다 is the direct causative.
선생님이 학생들에게 교실 청소를 시켰어요.The teacher had the pupils clean the classroom.
A closer look
Why there are two
The suffix causatives are old words, a closed set that no new verb joins. Each is a single verb with its own dictionary entry, and over time many have taken on meanings of their own. -게 하다 is a pattern: it works with any verb, new or old, and its meaning is exactly the sum of its parts.
That is why the direct reading belongs to the suffix: a single word describes a single action. The pattern describes two — somebody causing, somebody else doing — and so it leaves room for the other person's own will.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
-
the verb has no suffix causative
only -게 하다 is possible, or a different verb carries the direct meaning: 보내다 "send", 데려가다 "take someone along".
아침마다 아이를 학교에 보내요.Every morning I send the child off to school.
Verbs such as 가다 and 오다 never had a suffix causative, so Korean uses separate words for the hands-on version.
How to spot it
- 먹이다
- 먹게 하다
- 입히다
- 입게 하다
- 시키다
Example sentences
아빠가 아이에게 잠옷을 입혔어요.Dad put the child into pyjamas.
아빠는 아이가 스스로 잠옷을 입게 했어요.Dad let the child put her pyjamas on by herself.
간호사가 환자를 침대에 눕혔어요.The nurse laid the patient on the bed.
의사는 환자를 하루 종일 누워 있게 했어요.The doctor made the patient stay lying down all day.
엄마가 노래를 불러서 아기를 재웠어요.The mother sang the baby to sleep.
엄마는 아이들을 아홉 시에 자게 해요.The mother makes the children go to bed at nine.
8 more example sentences
선생님이 아이들을 한 줄로 세웠어요.The teacher lined the children up.
선생님은 아이들이 줄을 서서 기다리게 했어요.The teacher had the children wait in a queue.
그 코미디언은 관객을 계속 웃겼어요.The comedian kept the audience laughing.
친구를 제 방에서 하룻밤 자게 했어요.I let my friend stay the night in my room.
엄마가 아이 손을 씻겨 줬어요.The mother washed the child's hands.
엄마는 아이가 밥 먹기 전에 손을 씻게 했어요.The mother had the child wash his hands before eating.
사장님이 신입 사원에게 일을 많이 시켜요.The boss gives the new employee a lot of work.
할아버지가 손자를 무릎에 앉혔어요.Grandad sat his grandson on his knee.
Worth knowing (1)
-
시키다: order, or have done
On its own 시키다 also means "to order" in a restaurant or by delivery: 짜장면 두 그릇 시켰어요. Behind a 하다 noun it makes the direct causative: 공부시키다, 운동시키다.
배고프니까 치킨이나 시켜 먹을까요?I'm hungry — shall we order some chicken?
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
A baby too young to eat alone is fed: the mother holds the spoon, so the suffix verb fits. 먹게 했어요 would mean she got the baby to eat by itself.
Suffix: your hands do it; -ge hada: your words get it done.
Your turn
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