In Korean, the passive voice is used to indicate that the subject of the sentence is acted upon by someone or something else. It is often formed by adding specific suffixes to verbs or by using special passive verbs. Here are the main methods to form the passive voice in Korean:

1. Using Passive Verb Endings

Several common passive verb endings are:

• -이: Added to some verbs whose stems end in consonants (other than ㄹ).
• -히: Added to some verbs whose stems end in ㅎ or consonants other than ㄹ.
• -리: Added to some verbs whose stems end in ㄹ.
• -기: Added to some verbs whose stems end in vowels or specific consonants.

Examples:

1. -이:
   • 보다 (to see) → 보이다 (to be seen)
     • 책이 보인다. (The book is seen.)
2. -히:
   • 닫다 (to close) → 닫히다 (to be closed)
     • 문이 닫혔다. (The door was closed.)
3. -리:
   • 걸다 (to hang) → 걸리다 (to be hung)
     • 그림이 벽에 걸렸다. (The picture was hung on the wall.)
4. -기:
   • 안다 (to hold) → 안기다 (to be held)
     • 아이가 엄마에게 안겼다. (The child was held by the mother.)

2. Using the Verb “되다” (to become)

The verb 되다 can be used with other verbs to indicate a passive meaning. It is often used when the action is more abstract or when emphasizing the result of the action.

Example:

• 결정하다 (to decide) → 결정되다 (to be decided)
  • 회의는 다음 주로 결정되었다. (The meeting was decided to be next week.)

3. Using the Verb “받다” (to receive)

The verb 받다 is sometimes used with verbs to indicate receiving an action, thus creating a passive meaning.

Example:

• 초대하다 (to invite) → 초대를 받다 (to be invited)
  • 저는 파티에 초대를 받았어요. (I was invited to the party.)

Example Sentences

1. Simple Passive Construction:
   • 문이 열렸다. (The door was opened.)
   • 창문이 닫혔다. (The window was closed.)
2. Passive with “되다”:
   • 문제가 해결되었다. (The problem was solved.)
   • 계획이 변경되었다. (The plan was changed.)
3. Passive with “받다”:
   • 그 사람은 많은 사랑을 받았다. (That person received a lot of love.)
   • 학생들은 상을 받았다. (The students received awards.)

Practice Sentences

1. The book was read by many people.
   • 책이 많은 사람들에게 읽혔다.
2. The homework was completed by the student.
   • 숙제가 학생에 의해 완성되었다.
3. The building was constructed by the company.
   • 건물이 회사에 의해 건설되었다.
4. The letter was written by my friend.
   • 편지가 내 친구에 의해 쓰여졌다.
5. The cake was made by my mother.
   • 케이크가 어머니에 의해 만들어졌다.

Summary

Understanding and using the passive voice in Korean requires familiarity with specific verb endings, the use of auxiliary verbs like 되다 and 받다, and recognizing the context in which passive constructions are appropriate. These structures help to express actions where the focus is on the subject being acted upon rather than the agent performing the action.

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