INT 18 | Passive ~이, 히, 리, 기~

3 Ways to change active verbs to passive:

By inserting one of the suffixes ~이,히,리,기~ in active verbs
By conjugating the active verbs with the ending ~어/아지다
By changing 하다 to 되다

When passive structure is used:

When something is done to the subject without their active actions
When an inanimate subject is used: English intransitive verbs are passive in Korean
like “the door isn’t opening.”

~이~

• When verb stem ends with a vowel (without 받침)
  OBJ을/를 보다 to look, to watch SUB이/가 보이다 to be seen
  제가 표지판을 봐요. (I look at the sign.) 표지판이 (저한테) 보여요. The sign is seen (by me).
  In Korean, “I can see…” is said in a passive sentence: 표지판이 보여요.
  “I can’t see it” is also “안 보여요.”, not “못 봐요.”
  When something is visible to you instead of you actively watching it, use sth-이/가 보이다
  
  OBJ을/를 쓰다 to use, to write SUB이/가 쓰이다 to be used, written
  요즘 운전할 때 구글 지도를 써요. (I use Google Maps when driving) – my active action
  요즘 운전할 때 구글 지도가 쓰여요. (Google Maps are used when driving) – focusing on Google Maps
  
• When verb stem ends with ㅎ: has no sound, thus phonetically same as vowel endings
  OBJ을/를 쌓다 to pile up SUB이/가 쌓이다 to be piled up
  요즘 스트레스가 많이 쌓여요. (I’m under a lot of stress nowadays.)
  – We do not say “요즘 스트레스를 쌓아요” because it’s not an active action of piling stress up, but it’s what happened to you, so it’s delivered through the passive voice. You are just in that situation.
  
  할 일이 쌓여 있어요. (There’s a pile of work to do.)
  – Things to do were piled up and are waiting for you. Passive verbs are often combined with ~아/어 있다 to describe the current state.
  
• When verb stem ends with a tense consonant (ㄲ)
  OBJ을/를 섞다 to mix up SUB이/가 섞이다 to be mixed up
  재료들을 섞어요. Mix the ingredients.
  재료들이 섞여요. Ingredients get mixed.

~리~

• When verb stem ends with ㄹ
  OBJ을/를 열다 to open SUB이/가 열리다 to be opened
  바람이 문을 열었어요. The wind opened the door.
  문이 (바람에) 열렸어요. The door got opened by the wind.
  – When the subject is inanimate (바람: the wind), it is more natural to use the passive sentence. This is similar to English intransitive verbs with inanimate subjects.
  
  OBJ을/를 물다 to bite SUB이/가 물리다 to be bitten
  모기가 다리를 물었어요. A mosquito bit my leg.
  다리가 (모기에) 물렸어요. My leg got bitten (by a mosquito).
  – “I got a mosquito bite” in Korean is said as “모기(에) 물렸어요.”, focusing on the mosquito bite because it was carried out by the mosquito and thus is said in passive.

~히~

• When verb stem ends with stop consonants: ㄱ,ㄷ,ㅂ
  OBJ을/를 막다 to block SUB이/가 막히다 to be blocked, clogged
  길이 막혀요. / 차가 막혀요. The road/cars are blocked. = There’s traffic jam.
  변기가 막혔어요. The toilet is clogged.
  기가 막혀! Energy is blocked! (= speechless and at loss for words both positively and negatively)
  
  OBJ을/를 닫다 to close SUB이/가 막히다 to be closed
  바람이 문을 닫았어요. The wind closed the door.
  문이 (바람에) 닫혔어요. The door got closed by the wind.
  – When the subject is inanimate (바람: the wind), it is more natural to use the passive sentence. This is similar to English intransitive verbs with inanimate subjects.
  
  OBJ을/를 잡다 to catch, grab SUB이/가 잡히다 to be caught, grabbed
  경찰이 도둑을 잡았어요. The police caught the thief.
  도둑이 경찰에(경찰한테) 잡혔어요. The thief got caught by the police.
  
  일이 손에 안 잡혀요. The work is not grabbed by my hand.
  – when you cannot concentrate and get a grab of your work.

~기~

• When verb stem ends with a nasal sound (ㄴ,ㅁ) or an alveolar behind upper teeth (ㄴ, ㅅ, ㅈ)
  OBJ을/를 안다 to hug SUB이/가 안기다 to be hugged
  엄마가 아기를 안았어요. Mom hugged the baby.
  아기가 엄마한테 안겼어요. The baby is hugged by mom.
  
  나한테 안겨! Be hugged by me! (When you are going to hug them, telling them to be in your arms)
  
  
• Some of ㄷ 받침 follow this conjugation rule (alveolar)
  OBJ을/를 믿다 to believe, trust SUB이/가 잡히다 to be believed, trusted
  저는 걔 말을 안 믿어요. I don’t believe her/his words. (my active choice and agentive action)
  저는 걔 말이 안 믿겨요. As for me, her/his words are not believed. (focusing on their words being not believable. In English, this is equivalent to “I can’t believe…”)