Change & Gradual Change in Korean || Using 어지다 and -게 되다

Q: What’s the difference between -아/어지다 and -게 되다?

-아/어지다 expresses a change in state (e.g. "to become cold"), while -게 되다 focuses on a change in situation or circumstance (e.g. "ended up doing something").

Q: Can I use -아/어지다 with action verbs?

No, -아/어지다 is typically used with descriptive verbs (adjectives), not action verbs. For example: 예뻐지다 (to become pretty).

Q: How do I conjugate verbs with -게 되다?

Add -게 되다 to the verb stem , then conjugate 되다 according to the tense and politeness level. For example: 가게 됐어요 (I ended up going).

Q: Are -아/어지다 and -게 되다 interchangeable?

Not usually. -아/어지다 is used for natural or passive changes in condition, while -게 되다 highlights external circumstances or unexpected developments.

Q: Can I study Korean at LTL Language School?

Yes! You can study with us in Seoul , in our Hongdae location , or online if you prefer learn from home. Contact us here if you have any questions.

Home B1 Change & gradual change in Korean

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HOW TO USE –아/어지다 AND -게 되다

Understanding how to express change in Korean is crucial for achieving fluency.

In Korean, two primary grammatical structures convey change and gradual change: –아/어지다 and -게 되다. These structures help describe transformations in states, conditions, or circumstances over time.

CHANGE WITH -아/어지다

-아/어지다 is used with adjectives to indicate a change in state or condition. It translates to become or get in English.

PATTERN

Adjective + -아/어지다

Notes on the sentence structure:

Attach -아지다 to adjectives ending in ㅏ or ㅗ.
Attach -어지다 to adjectives ending in other vowels.
Attach -해지다 to adjectives derived from 하다 verbs.

Base Adjective	Conjugated Form	Meaning
작다 (small)	작아지다	to become smaller
크다 (big)	커지다	to become bigger
춥다 (cold)	추워지다	to become colder
더럽다 (dirty)	더러워지다	to become dirty
조용하다 (quiet)	조용해지다	to become quiet

Example Sentences:

날씨가 추워졌어요

_{The weather has become cold}

View More Examples:

방이 더러워졌어요	The room has become dirty
도시가 커졌어요	The city has grown bigger

View Example Dialogue:

요즘 날씨가 너무 춥지 않아요?

_{Isn’t the weather too cold these days?}

맞아요. 갑자기 추워졌어요

_{That’s right. It suddenly became cold}

그러게요. 지난주까지는 따뜻했는데요

_{Yeah, it was warm until last week}

그러니까요. 갑자기 겨울이 온 것 같아요

_{I know, it feels like winter suddenly arrived}

그래서 사람들의 옷도 두꺼워진 것 같아요

_{So, it seems like people’s clothes have also gotten thicker}

옷이 두꺼워야 몸이 따뜻해지니까요

_{That’s because clothes need to be thick for the body to become warm}

GRADUAL CHANGE WITH -게 되다

-게 되다 is used with verbs to indicate that something happened gradually, often beyond the speaker’s control. It can translate as “came to be,” “ended up,” or “became.”

PATTERN

Verb stem + -게 되다

Notes on the sentence structure:

Attach -게 되다 to the verb stem.
If the verb is in the past tense, use -게 됐다 or -게 되었다.
If the verb is in the future tense, use -게 될 것이다.

Base Verb	Conjugated Form	Meaning
알다 (to know)	알게 되다	to come to know
좋아하다 (to like)	좋아하게 되다	to come to like
한국어를 배우다 (to learn Korean)	한국어를 배우게 되다	to end up learning Korean
운전하다 (to drive)	운전하게 되다	to end up driving

Example:

한국 음식을 좋아하게 됐어요

_{I came to like Korean food}

View More Examples:

갑자기 일을 그만두게 됐어요.	I ended up quitting my job suddenly.
매일 운동을 하게 되었어요.	I ended up exercising every day.

View Example Dialogue:

왜 한국어를 배우게 됐어요?

_{Why did you end up learning Korean?}

한국 드라마를 많이 봐서 관심이 생겼어요

_{I watched a lot of Korean dramas, so I became interested}

저도 그래요! 처음에는 관심 없었는데 한국 음악을 듣다 보니까 점점 좋아하게 됐어요

_{Me too! At first, I wasn’t interested, but after listening to Korean music, I gradually came to like it.}

맞아요. 저도 K-pop을 듣다가 한국어를 배우게 됐어요

_{That’s right. I started listening to K-pop and ended up learning Korean}

COMPARING -아/어지다 AND -게 되다

Aspect	-아/어지다	-게 되다
Used with	Adjectives	Verbs
Meaning	Change in state	Gradual change in action or situation
Example	날씨가 추워졌어요. The weather became cold.	한국어를 배우게 됐어요. I ended up learning Korean.

Summary

Use -아/어지다 for adjectives to show a change in state.
Use -게 되다 for verbs to express a gradual, often unintentional, change in action or behavior.

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FAQs

What’s the difference between -아/어지다 and -게 되다?

-아/어지다 expresses a change in state (e.g. “to become cold”), while -게 되다 focuses on a change in situation or circumstance (e.g. “ended up doing something”).

Can I use -아/어지다 with action verbs?

No, -아/어지다 is typically used with descriptive verbs (adjectives), not action verbs. For example: 예뻐지다 (to become pretty).

How do I conjugate verbs with -게 되다?

Add -게 되다 to the verb stem, then conjugate 되다 according to the tense and politeness level.

For example: 가게 됐어요 (I ended up going).

Can these patterns be used in the past or future tense?

Yes! Both expressions can be used in all tenses. Example:

추워졌어요 (It became cold – past)

배우게 될 거예요 (I will end up learning – future)

Are -아/어지다 and -게 되다 interchangeable?

Not usually.

-아/어지다 is used for natural or passive changes in condition, while -게 되다 highlights external circumstances or unexpected developments.