Becoming, growing, appearing, drying, breaking: how Korean says that something changes.
Korean has two simple ways to say that something changes. 되다 follows a noun — 의사가 되다, to become a doctor — and the noun takes 이/가, not the object particle an English speaker reaches for. And almost any adjective becomes a verb of change with -아/어지다: 크다, to be big; 커지다, to get bigger. The rest are changes in themselves: things harden, dry, rot, break, appear and disappear.
The words
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Verb (40)
되다to becomeVerb2
동생은 내년에 대학생이 돼요.My sister becomes a university student next year.
The noun before it takes 이/가: 선생님이 됐어요.
생기다to come into being, appear; to open (of a shop)Verb2
회사 근처에 새 카페가 생겼어요.A new café has opened near the office.
Also of problems and plans: 일이 생겼어요, something has come up.
없어지다to disappear, go missingVerb3
책상 위에 둔 지갑이 없어졌어요.The wallet I left on the desk has gone missing.
사라지다to vanish, disappear from sightVerb3
해가 뜨니까 안개가 사라졌어요.When the sun came up, the fog disappeared.
없어지다 is everyday and can mean lost; 사라지다 is vanishing from view.
나타나다to appear, show upVerb3
어두운 골목에서 고양이 한 마리가 나타났어요.A cat appeared out of the dark alley.
늘어나다to increase, grow in numberVerb3
요즘 혼자 사는 사람이 늘어나고 있어요.More and more people are living alone these days.
줄어들다to decrease, shrinkVerb3
운동을 시작한 뒤로 몸무게가 줄어들었어요.My weight has gone down since I started exercising.
커지다to get bigger, growVerb3
아이가 크면서 신발 사이즈도 커졌어요.As the child grew, so did their shoe size.
작아지다to get smaller; to become too smallVerb3
작년에 산 바지가 작아졌어요.The trousers I bought last year are too small for me now.
달라지다to change, become differentVerb3
머리 모양을 바꾸니까 분위기가 많이 달라졌어요.Changing your hairstyle has made you look quite different.
많아지다to become more numerous, increaseVerb2
주말이라서 공원에 사람이 많아졌어요.It is the weekend, so the park has got busier.
길어지다to get longerVerb3
여름이 되니까 낮이 길어졌어요.Now that it is summer, the days have got longer.
짧아지다to get shorterVerb3
가을이 되면 해가 점점 짧아져요.In autumn the days get shorter and shorter.
높아지다to rise, get higherVerb3
이 문제에 대한 사람들의 관심이 점점 높아지고 있어요.People's interest in this issue is steadily growing.
낮아지다to fall, get lowerVerb3
해가 지니까 기온이 많이 낮아졌어요.The temperature has dropped a lot now that the sun has set.
넓어지다to get widerVerb3
도로가 넓어져서 차가 덜 막혀요.The road has been widened, so the traffic is lighter.
빨라지다to get fasterVerb3
새 컴퓨터로 바꾸니까 속도가 빨라졌어요.Since I switched to a new computer, everything has got faster.
느려지다to get slowerVerb3
인터넷이 갑자기 느려졌어요.The internet has suddenly got slow.
밝아지다to get brighterVerb3
전등을 바꾸니까 방이 훨씬 밝아졌어요.The room got much brighter when I changed the light.
어두워지다to get darkVerb3
겨울에는 다섯 시만 되면 어두워져요.In winter it gets dark as soon as it is five o'clock.
Irregular: 어둡다 → 어두워지다.
좋아지다to get better, improveVerb2
약을 먹고 나서 몸이 좋아졌어요.I feel better since taking the medicine.
나빠지다to get worseVerb2
스마트폰을 많이 봐서 눈이 나빠졌어요.My eyesight has got worse from looking at my phone so much.
어려워지다to get harderVerb3
중학교에 가니까 수학이 어려워졌어요.Maths got harder when I went to secondary school.
가까워지다to get closerVerb3
같이 여행을 다녀온 뒤로 친구와 더 가까워졌어요.My friend and I have grown closer since our trip together.
멀어지다to drift apart, grow distantVerb3
이사한 후로 그 친구와 사이가 멀어졌어요.Since I moved, that friend and I have drifted apart.
익숙해지다to get used toVerb3
이제 매운 음식에 익숙해졌어요.I have got used to spicy food now.
친해지다to become friends, get closeVerb3
같은 동아리에서 활동하면서 금방 친해졌어요.We became friends quickly through being in the same club.
깨지다to break, shatterVerb3
컵을 떨어뜨려서 깨졌어요.I dropped the cup and it broke.
망가지다to be ruined, broken (beyond use)Verb3
바람이 너무 세서 우산이 망가졌어요.The wind was so strong that my umbrella was wrecked.
A machine that simply stops working is 고장 나다.
찢어지다to tear, ripVerb3
물건을 너무 많이 넣어서 종이봉투가 찢어졌어요.I put too much in the paper bag and it tore.
쉬워지다to get easierVerb3
연습을 계속하니까 발음이 쉬워졌어요.With practice, the pronunciation has got easier.
굳다to harden, setVerb3
떡이 하룻밤 사이에 딱딱하게 굳었어요.The rice cakes went hard overnight.
마르다to dry (out)Verb3
빨래가 햇볕에 금방 말랐어요.The washing dried quickly in the sun.
Irregular: 말라요, 말랐어요. Also means to be thin.
썩다to rot, decayVerb3
사탕을 너무 많이 먹어서 이가 썩었어요.I ate too many sweets and got tooth decay.
Also of food going rotten.
강해지다to get strongerVerb3
꾸준히 운동해서 몸이 강해졌어요.Regular exercise has made me stronger.
약해지다to get weaker, die downVerb3
비가 그치고 바람도 약해졌어요.The rain has stopped and the wind has died down too.
식다to cool down, get coldVerb3
커피가 식기 전에 드세요.Drink your coffee before it gets cold.
퍼지다to spreadVerb3
그 소문이 학교 전체에 퍼졌어요.The rumour spread through the whole school.
오르다to rise, go upVerb3
월급이 올라서 기분이 좋아요.I got a pay rise, so I am in a good mood.
Irregular: 올라요, 올랐어요. Also to climb.
비싸지다to get more expensiveVerb3
배달 음식이 예전보다 많이 비싸졌어요.Takeaway food has got a lot more expensive than it used to be.
This list belongs to The scaffolding — 30 lists and 1195 words that can also be practised as a whole.
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Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.