합격시키다

Hey there! Let's talk about 합격시키다. This is a very useful Korean verb that literally means 'to make someone pass.' Think of it as the active version of 'passing' a test.

When you are an examiner, a teacher, or a hiring manager, you aren't just passing the test yourself—you are the one granting the pass to someone else. That is exactly where this word comes into play! It's all about the agency of the person in charge.

You will hear this word a lot in school or office settings. If a professor decides to give a student a passing grade, they are 합격시키다-ing them. It's a great word to describe the moment someone gets the green light to move forward in their career or studies.

The word 합격시키다 is a combination of two main parts: 합격 (passing an exam) and -시키다 (a causative suffix).

The root 합격 (合格) comes from Sino-Korean characters, where '합' means to match or join, and '격' refers to a standard or a level. So, literally, it means 'matching the standard.' When you add -시키다, you are turning that state of 'matching the standard' into an action performed on someone else.

Historically, this reflects the rigorous nature of the old civil service examinations in Korea. The examiner was the one who held the power to decide who met the standard. Over time, this evolved into the modern usage we see today, covering everything from driving tests to corporate job interviews.

You use 합격시키다 when you are talking about the authority figure or the system. For example, 'The company decided to 합격시키다 the candidate.' It is almost always used in a professional or academic register.

Common collocations include 면접에서 합격시키다 (to pass someone in an interview) or 시험에 합격시키다 (to pass someone in an exam). You wouldn't typically use this in casual conversation with friends unless you are joking about being a strict teacher.

Remember, this is a transitive verb, so it needs an object—the person being passed. It’s a very specific word that carries a sense of responsibility and finality in the decision-making process.

While 합격시키다 is a direct verb, it appears in many common phrases:

• 합격의 기쁨을 주다: To give the joy of passing.
• 불합격시키다: The opposite, to fail someone.
• 전원 합격시키다: To pass everyone in a group.
• 까다롭게 합격시키다: To pass someone only after strict scrutiny.
• 운 좋게 합격시키다: To pass someone by a stroke of luck.

These expressions help you describe the manner in which someone is passed, adding color to your sentences about exams and hiring.

Grammatically, 합격시키다 acts like any regular causative verb in Korean. It follows the structure: [Object] + [Location/Context] + 합격시키다.

The pronunciation is straightforward but watch the double consonants! It sounds like hap-gyeok-shi-ki-da. The 'kk' sound in gyeok is tense, so make sure to snap that sound clearly.

It rhymes loosely with words ending in -시키다 like 공부시키다 (to make someone study) or 이해시키다 (to make someone understand). Keep your stress even across the syllables for a natural, native-like flow.