Korean grammar patterns › Level 2
-아/어지다
become (change of state with adjectives); be done (passive)
Level 2 · TOPIK I · beginner
How to use it
With adjectives it shows a change: 추워지다 'get cold', 커지다 'get bigger'. With some verbs it makes a passive or 'it works / gets done' meaning: 만들어지다, 잘 써지다.
Forming it
| 크다 | → 커지다 |
| 따뜻하다 | → 따뜻해지다 |
| 예쁘다 | → 예뻐지다 |
| 만들다 | → 만들어지다 |
Write it as one word: 예뻐지다 (✗ 예뻐 지다). Don't mix up 좋아지다 'get better' and 좋아하다 'like'.
Examples
봄이 되니까 날씨가 따뜻해졌어요.
Now that it's spring, the weather has gotten warm.
이 볼펜은 글씨가 정말 잘 써져요.
This pen writes really well.
Compared with similar patterns
-게 되다 is a change in situation or action caused by circumstances; many common verbs use passive suffixes instead (보이다, 열리다); -아/어 보이다 means 'look (adj)', not 'become'.