Verbs make up the single most important class of words in Korean, and are the elements through which many of the language’s most important semantic
contrasts are expressed.
15.1 Action verbs versus descriptive verbs
The category of verb in Korean is more comprehensive than in English, encompassing both words that denote actions action verbs and words that
denote states descriptive verbs. The latter may be called ‘adjectives,’ but they must be distinguished from English adjectives since they can carry tense marking.
15.1.1 How to distinguish between the two types of verbs
• Action verbs form their present tense in the -다 style, as -ㄴ는다.
병헌이가 낮잠을 잔다. Byoung-hun is taking a nap.
성아가 김밥을 먹는다. Sung-ah is eating a seaweed roll.
In contrast, descriptive verbs form their present tense without a suffix, as -다. 영화가 재미있다.
The movie is fun. 거리가 한산하다.
The street is quiet and empty. 하늘이 다.
The sky is clear. •
Action verbs and compound verbs ending in 있다없다 have the present tense adnominal form -는.
낮잠을 자는 병헌이 Byoung-hun, who is taking a nap
김밥을 먹는 성아 Sung-ah, who is eating a seaweed roll
재미있는 영화 fun movie
In contrast, descriptive verbs have the present tense adnominal form -ㄴ은. 한산한 거리
quiet and empty street 은 하늘
clear sky A small number of words can function as either action verbs or descriptive verbs.
키가 크다. He’s tall. 키가 아 도 큰다. He’s still growing.
시간이 늦다. It’s late. 교에 늦는다. You’re getting late for school.
15.1.2 How to convert descriptive verbs into action verbs
• By adding -어 지다
Descriptive verb Action verb
짧다; 길다 짧아지다; 길어지다
춥다; 덥다 추워지다; 더워지다
까 다 까매지다
예쁘다 예뻐지다
요새 여성들의 치마가 점점 짧아진다. These days, women’s skirts are getting shorter and shorter.
날씨도 따뜻해지고 낮도 많이 길어졌어요. The weather has gotten warmer and the day time has gotten a lot longer.
피부가 하 더니 빛에 점점 까매진다. Her white skin is gradually darkening under the sun.
원래도 예뻤지만 더 예뻐졌네요. You were pretty before, but have gotten even prettier.
• By adding -어 하다 to certain verbs denoting psychological states
Descriptive verb Action verb
좋다; 싫다 좋아하다; 싫어하다
반 다; 귀찮다 반가워하다; 귀찮아하다
피곤하다 피곤해하다
-고 싶다 -고 싶어하다
Whereas a descriptive verb talks about an inner feeling, the corresponding action verb evokes an external manifestation of the feeling – perhaps a smile in
the case of 반가워하다 ‘be glad’ or a frown in the case of 귀찮아하다 ‘feel bothered.’
In talking about psychological states, either a descriptive verb or an action verb is possible when the subject is the speaker.
정말 부럽다. 내가 얼마나 부러워하는지 아니? I am so envious. Do you know just how much I envy you?
However, things work differently for other types of subjects. You can ask another person about hisher inner feelings using a descriptive verb, as in 많이
섭섭했죠? ‘You were very much disappointed, right?’ However, the action verb is required for commands, as in 너무 섭섭해하지 마세요. ‘Don’t be too
disappointed.’ Moreover, only the action verb is possible with a third person subject.
할머니가 많이 반가워 하시지? Grandma was so glad to see you, wasn’t she?
언니가 동유럽으로 배 여 을 가고 싶어해요. My sister wants to go backpacking in eastern Europe.
The difference between
X
가 좋아요 and
X
를 좋아해요
X
가 좋아요 is ambiguous between ‘
X
is good’ and ‘I like
X.
’ So 고기가 좋아요 can mean either ‘the meat is good in quality’ or ‘I like meat.’ In contrast, X 를 좋아-
해요 can only mean ‘I like
X
.’ Moreover, there is a difference between two expressions even when they both mean
‘I like
X
’:
X
가 좋아요 can be based on temporary feelings, but
X
를 좋아해요 always makes a general statement about liking. Therefore, 날씨가 좋아요 is an acceptable
way to say ‘I like the weather,’ as one looks out at the sky, but 날씨를 좋아해요 is not. 비오는 날씨를 좋아해요 ‘I like rainy weather’ is fine because it is based on
general experience, not on a one-time feeling. Upon walking into a store and finding a nice bag, one can say 이 가방이 좋아요 ‘I like this bag’ or 이런 가방을 좋아해요 ‘I
like this type of bag,’ but not 이 가방을 좋아해요.
15.2 Intransitive verbs versus transitive verbs
Intransitive verbs denote actions and states that have a single principal participant –
the subject. 개가 사 게 짖는다.
The dog is barking fiercely. 아기가 정말 귀여워요.
The baby is so cute. Transitive verbs denote actions or states involving two principal participants –
the subject and the direct object. The subject is not overtly expressed in the second sentence.
친구가 책을 잃어버렸다. My friend lost the book.
매일 아침 우유를 마십니다. I drink milk every morning.
15.2.1 A difference between English and Korean
Many verbs in English can be either intransitive or transitive e.g., ‘The door openedHe opened the door’, but only very few can be used in both ways in
Korean.
Verbs Intransitive use
Transitive use
움 이다 move 몸이 안 움 인다.
My body won’t move. 몸을 못 움 이겠어.
I can’t move my body.
멈추다 stop 차가 자기 멈췄다.
The car stopped suddenly. 차를 자기 멈췄다.
He stopped the car suddenly. The following table contains verbs that can be both intransitive and transitive in
English, but require two distinct forms in Korean. The suffixes -이, -히, etc. that are responsible for the intransitive–transitive alternation in these examples
are discussed in more detail below.
English Verbs Intransitive Transitive
decrease
줄다
X
decreases 줄
이다 decrease
X
increase 늘다
X
increases 늘
리다 increase
X
attach
붙다
X
sticks 붙
이다 attach
X
boil 끓다
X
boils 끓
이다 boil
X
melt
다
X
melts 이다 melt
X
freeze 얼다
X
freezes 얼
리다 freeze
X
burn 타다
X
burns 태
우다 burn
X
wake up 깨다
X
wakes up 깨
우다 wake
X
up
open 열
리다
X
opens 열다
open
X
close 히다
X
closes 다
close
X
Intransitive Transitive 바지가 좀 줄었다. 바지를 아 더 줄여야겠어.
The pants got a little shorter. I need to shorten the pants more.
라면이 아 다 안 끓었어. 라면을 좀 더 끓이자.
The ramen hasn’t boiled all the way yet. Let’s boil the ramen a little more. 고기가 좀 탔네요.
고기를 일부러 태운 거예요? The meat burned a little.
Did you burn the meat on purpose? 차문이 열렸어요.
차문을 누가 열었지요? The car door is open.
Who opened the car door?
15.2.2 Noun
–
verb compounds
A similar contrast is found with certain noun–verb compounds, where 되다 or 나다 is used for the intransitive version and 하다 or 내다 for the transitive
version.
Nouns Intransitive Transitive
시작 beginning 준비 preparation
예 reservation 음 recording
되다 하다
열 heat; anger 끝 end
힘 energy 겁 timidity
소문 rumor 고장 break-down
신경질 irritability 기운 energy 사고 accident 시간 time
짜증 irritated feeling 나다
내다
생 thought
기 memory 나다
하다 NOTE: These patterns can be used with or without a particle on the noun
– either 겁나다겁내다 or 겁이 나다겁을 내다. See 15.3.3 for more discussion of 되다
versus 하다.
Intransitive Transitive 예 됐습니까?
언제 예 을 하셨는데요? Has it been reserved?
When did you reserve it? 음이 안 됐어요.
음을 다시 해 보세요. It’s not recorded.
Try and record it again. 얘기가 아 안 끝났어.
이제 얘기를 그만 끝내자. Our conversation is not finished yet.
Now let’s stop and end our conversation. 컴퓨터가 고장났어요.
컴퓨터를 또 고장냈어요? The computer broke down.
Did you break the computer again? 전화번호가 생 났어요.
전화번호를 기 해요? The phone number came to my mind.
Do you remember the phone number? 요새 시간이 안 나요.
시간을 좀 내 보세요. I don’t have time these days.
Try to make some time.
15.3 Special sub-types of intransitive verbs
Several sub-types of intransitive verbs are identified based on the presence of particular suffixes andor special verbs.
15.3.1 Intransitive verbs with the suffix -이히기리
A limited set of transitive verbs form their intransitive counterparts with the help of the suffixes -이, -히, -기, or -리. A few examples are presented in the table
below, followed by examples of their various uses.
Transitive verbs Intransitive verbs with -이히기리
덮다 cover
X
섞다 mix
X
바꾸다 switch
X
잠그다 lock
X
덮 이다
X
be covered
섞 이다
X
be mixed 바뀌다
X
be switched 뀌 꾸이 잠기다
X
be locked 기 그이
꽂다 insert
X
뽑다 pick
X
찍다 photograph
X
다 bury
X
꽂 히다
X
be inserted 뽑
히다
X
be picked 찍
히다
X
be photographed 히다
X
be buried 끊다
cut
X
off 뜯다
pluck
X
안다 hugcaress X
끊 기다
X
be cut off 뜯
기다
X
be plucked 안
기다 X be huggedcaressed
다 hear
X
찌르다 pokestab
X
끌다 pull
X
들 리다
X
be heard 찔
리다
X
be pokedstabbed 끌
리다
X
be pulled
Uses of intransitive verbs with -이히기리
•
P
assive
Passives turn a transitive sentence around and present it from the perspective of the one who is affected by the action rather than the one who performs it.
청소년들이 이 책을 많이 읽습니다. transitive Many teenagers read this book.
이 책이 청소년들에게 많이 읽 니다. passive This book is read by many teenagers.
고양이가 쥐를 잡았다. transitive The cat caught the mouse.
쥐가 고양이한테 잡 다. passive The mouse was caught by the cat.
