Making Others Act: Direct vs. Indirect Causatives (-이/히/리/기- vs. -게 하다)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use -이/히/리/기- for direct physical involvement and -게 하다 for indirect, permitted, or mediated actions.
- Use morphological (-이/히/리/기-) for direct, physical, or immediate causation: '엄마가 아이에게 옷을 입혔다' (Mom dressed the child).
- Use periphrastic (-게 하다) for indirect, permitted, or forced actions: '선생님이 학생에게 숙제를 하게 했다' (Teacher made the student do homework).
- Some verbs have unique causative forms (e.g., 자다 -> 재우다), while -게 하다 works with almost any verb.
Overview
At the C2 level, mastering Korean causatives moves beyond simple translation of "to make someone do something." It involves understanding the fundamental linguistic distinction between direct and indirect causation, a concept that shapes how speakers frame agency, responsibility, and social dynamics. Korean expresses this through two primary structures: the lexical causative (어휘적 사동, eohwijeok sadong), formed with suffixes like -이/히/리/기-, and the syntactic causative (통사적 사동, tongsajeok sadong), formed with the -게 하다 pattern.
The core difference lies in the perceived distance between the causer and the resulting action. Lexical causatives, which create a single, new verb, imply a direct, often physical, and immediate involvement. Think of a puppeteer pulling the strings; the action is a direct consequence of the causer's manipulation.
The causee (the one performing the action) has little to no agency and is often treated as the direct object of the new verb. For example, 아이에게 옷을 입히다 (to dress a child) portrays the causer as the one performing the action on the child.
Conversely, the syntactic causative -게 하다 suggests an indirect influence, such as giving permission, issuing a command, or creating a situation that leads to an action. It functions more like a film director giving instructions to an actor. The director causes the performance, but the actor retains their own agency in executing it.
This structure, [Subject]가 [Causee]에게/가 [Verb]-게 하다, preserves the causee as the subject of their own action within a subordinate clause. Mastering this distinction is not merely a grammatical exercise; it is essential for navigating social hierarchies and expressing nuanced relationships with precision and appropriateness.
How This Grammar Works
-이/히/리/기-)- Intransitive to Transitive: An intransitive verb (with only a subject) becomes a transitive verb (with a subject and an object). The original subject becomes the new object.
아이가 앉는다.(The child sits.) →엄마가 아이를 앉힌다.(The mom seats the child.)- In the second sentence,
앉히다is a new transitive verb, and아이(child) is its direct object.
- Transitive to Ditransitive: A transitive verb (subject, object) becomes a ditransitive verb (subject, indirect object, direct object). The original subject becomes the new indirect object.
학생이 책을 읽는다.(The student reads the book.) →선생님이 학생에게 책을 읽힌다.(The teacher makes the student read the book.)- Here,
읽히다is a ditransitive verb. The causer is선생님, the causee is학생(now the indirect object), and책remains the direct object.
-게 하다)하다 as its verb. The subordinate clause contains the causee and the action they perform, marked with the adverbializer -게.- Structure:
[Causer]가/이 [Causee]에게/한테/더러 [Action Verb Stem]-게 하다
의사가 환자에게 약을 먹게 했다 (The doctor had the patient take the medicine) can be analyzed as two events: (1) The doctor did something, and (2) as a result, the patient took the medicine. The patient retains their agency as the one performing the act of 먹다.기쁘게 하다, to make happy) and 하다 verbs (공부하게 하다, to make study), where lexical causatives cannot be formed.Formation Pattern
보다 (see) | 보이다 (show) | 자료를 보여주십시오. / 자료 좀 보여줘. |
먹다 (eat) | 먹이다 (feed) | 고양이에게 밥을 먹입니다. / 고양이 밥 먹였어. |
앉다 (sit) | 앉히다 (seat) | 손님을 자리에 앉혔습니다. / 여기에 앉혀. |
읽다 (read) | 읽히다 (make read) | 매일 아이에게 책을 읽힙니다. / 동생한테 읽혔어. |
밝다 (be bright) | 밝히다 (reveal, light) | 진실을 밝혀야 합니다. / 불을 밝혀. |
알다 (know) | 알리다 (inform) | 소식을 사람들에게 알립니다. / 빨리 알려줘. |
울다 (cry) | 울리다 (make cry) | 그 영화가 저를 울렸습니다. / 동생 울리지 마. |
살다 (live) | 살리다 (save, revive) | 의사가 환자를 살렸습니다. / 그를 살려야 해. |
웃다 (laugh) | 웃기다 (make laugh) | 그 코미디언은 사람들을 웃깁니다. / 너무 웃겨. |
신다 (wear shoes) | 신기다 (put shoes on someone) | 아이에게 신발을 신깁니다. / 신발 신겨줄게. |
숨다 (hide) | 숨기다 (hide something) | 비밀을 숨기지 마십시오. / 돈을 숨겼어요. |
자다 (sleep) | 재우다 (put to sleep) | 아기를 침대에 재웁니다. / 강아지 재웠어. |
깨다 (wake up) | 깨우다 (wake someone up) | 아침 7시에 깨워 주십시오. / 내일 깨워줘. |
돋다 (sprout) | 돋구다 (heighten, stimulate) | 식욕을 돋구는 냄새입니다. / 분위기를 돋구자. |
낮다 (be low) | 낮추다 (lower) | 목소리를 낮추십시오. / 온도를 낮춰. |
-게 하다
-게 하다
가다 (go) | 가게 하다 | 부장님이 저를 출장 가게 하셨습니다. / 엄마가 가게 했어. |
행복하다 (be happy) | 행복하게 하다 | 당신은 저를 행복하게 합니다. / 나를 행복하게 해. |
하다 Verb | 운동하다 (exercise) | 운동하게 하다 | 코치가 매일 두 시간씩 운동하게 합니다. / 억지로 운동하게 하지 마. |
-게 하다 the default, safe choice when you are unsure if a lexical causative exists or is appropriate for the context.
When To Use It
- Use the lexical causative for hands-on, direct physical actions.
간호사가 환자를 침대에 눕혔다.(The nurse laid the patient on the bed.) - Direct physical contact.미용사가 내 머리를 예쁘게 만져주었다.is natural, but내 머리를 예쁘게 하게 했다would sound bizarre, as if you ordered the hairdresser to make your hair pretty rather than them performing the service.- Use
-게 하다for giving instructions, permission, or causing an action without physical contact. 교수님이 학생들에게 과제를 제출하게 했다.(The professor had the students submit the assignment.) - A command.부모님께서 제가 밤늦게까지 공부하게 허락하셨다.(My parents permitted me to study until late at night.) - Permission.
- Use the lexical causative for immediate, often uncontrollable emotional or physical reactions.
그의 농담이 나를 웃겼다.(His joke made me laugh.) -웃기다implies an involuntary burst of laughter.갑자기 큰 소리가 나서 아기를 놀렸다.(A sudden loud noise startled the baby.) -놀리다is an instantaneous reaction.- Use
-게 하다when a situation, story, or sustained condition causes a state or feeling. 그 영화의 마지막 장면은 관객들을 슬프게 했다.(The final scene of the movie made the audience sad.) - The sadness is a result of processing the narrative, not a physical poke.오랜 기다림이 그를 지치게 만들었다.(The long wait made him tired.) - A gradual process. Note:-게 만들다is often used interchangeably with-게 하다and can sometimes carry a slightly stronger nuance of creation or transformation.
- Lexical causatives often describe causing a natural, expected action.
끓다(to boil) ->물을 끓이다(to boil water). This is the standard, default way to express this.자다(to sleep) ->아기를 재우다(to put a baby to sleep). This is a common caretaking activity.- Using
-게 하다in these contexts can sound overly clinical or detached.물을 끓게 하다is grammatically correct but might imply setting up a scientific experiment to make water boil, rather than just making tea.
Common Mistakes
먹이다 vs. 사주다먹이다 (to feed) when treating someone to a meal. 어제 친구에게 저녁을 먹였어요 sounds like you spoon-fed your friend.- Why it's a mistake:
먹이다implies a relationship of dependency and care, like a parent feeding a child, a nurse feeding a patient, or an owner feeding a pet. It removes the agency of the eater. - Correction: Use
사주다(to buy for someone),대접하다(to treat/host), or simply같이 먹다(to eat with). - Correct:
어제 친구에게 저녁을 사줬어요.(I bought my friend dinner yesterday.)
-이/히/리/기- are used for both voices. The key is analyzing the sentence structure and the particles used.보이다: Can mean 'to be seen' (passive) or 'to show' (causative).- Passive:
여기서 남산타워가 잘 보여요.(Namsan Tower is clearly visible from here.) - The subject남산타워가is what is being seen. - Causative:
제가 찍은 사진을 보여드릴게요.(I will show you the photos I took.) - The speaker (subject) shows the object사진을. 읽히다: Can mean 'to be read' (passive) or 'to make read' (causative).- Passive:
이 소설은 술술 잘 읽힌다.(This novel reads smoothly / is easy to read.) - Focus is on the quality of the book소설은. - Causative:
엄마가 동생에게 어려운 책을 억지로 읽혔다.(Mom forced my younger sibling to read a difficult book.) - Causer엄마가makes causee동생에게perform the action.
공부하다 (*공부히다) is a common error.- Why it's a mistake: These forms are fixed in the lexicon. For any verb without a dedicated short form, especially
하다verbs, the only option is the syntactic causative. - Correction: Always use
-게 하다for하다verbs and any other verb you aren't sure about. - Correct:
아버지는 아들이 의사가 되기를 바라며 공부하게 했다.(The father, hoping his son would become a doctor, made him study.)
- Example:
사장님께 서류를 보이셨어요?(Did you show the documents to the boss?) is fine. But saying제가 사장님을 앉혔습니다(I seated the boss) sounds like you physically placed your boss in a chair, which is absurd. - Correction: In situations of authority or when respecting someone's autonomy,
-게 하다or other respectful phrasings are necessary. For a boss, you would not 'make' them do anything. Instead, you would use request forms:사장님께 서류를 검토해 달라고 부탁드렸습니다.(I asked the boss to review the documents.)
Real Conversations
Observing how these forms are used in natural contexts is key to internalizing the nuance.
Scenario 1
- 신입 (New Employee): 선배님, 제가 이메일 초안을 작성했는데, 고객사에 보내기 전에 한번 보여드려도 될까요?
(Sunbaenim, I've drafted the email. Before I send it to the client, may I show it to you?)
- Usage: 보여드리다 is the humble form of the causative 보이다 (to show). It's a direct action.
- 선배 (Senior Employee): 네, 좋아요. 그리고 첨부 파일은 고객사가 바로 열어볼 수 있게 PDF로 보내게 하세요.
(Yes, sounds good. And have the attachment sent as a PDF so the client can open it right away.)
- Usage: 보내게 하세요 is an indirect command (make it so that it is sent), delegating the action while specifying the desired outcome.
Scenario 2
- 친구 1: 어제 '피식대학' 새 영상 봤어? 진짜 너무 웃겨서 지하철에서 소리 내고 웃었네.
(Did you see the new Psick Univ video yesterday? It was so funny I laughed out loud on the subway.)
- Usage: 웃기다 is used for an involuntary, direct emotional reaction. The video's content directly caused the laughter.
- 친구 2: 헐 대박 ㅋㅋ 나도 보게 링크 좀 보내줘.
(OMG awesome lol. Send me the link so I can watch it too.)
- Usage: 보게 보내줘 (send it so I can watch) uses -게 in its sense of purpose or enablement, which is closely related to the causative -게 하다.
Scenario 3
- 할머니 (Grandmother): 아이고, 우리 강아지. 이리 와. 할미가 밥 먹여줄게.
(Aww, my puppy. Come here. Grandma will feed you.)
- Usage: 먹여줄게 is the classic use of 먹이다 in a context of care and affection. The causee (the child) is a passive and willing recipient.
- 엄마 (Mother): 어머니, 괜찮아요. 이제 혼자서도 잘 먹어요. 스스로 먹게 해야 습관이 들어요.
(It's okay, Mother. He eats well on his own now. We have to let him eat by himself so he develops the habit.)
- Usage: 먹게 해야 shows the indirect, guiding nature of -게 하다. The goal is to foster the child's independence, not just to get food into them.
Quick FAQ
-게 하다 instead of an existing lexical causative always wrong?Not grammatically wrong, but it can be stylistically awkward or less natural. If a common, dedicated verb like 보이다 (to show) or 재우다 (to put to sleep) exists, it is almost always the preferred choice in direct contexts. Using 보게 하다 sounds more detached, like you enabled viewing access rather than actively showing something.
-게 하다, -도록 하다, and -시키다?They represent different degrees of force and nuance.
-게 하다is the most neutral and versatile form for indirect causation.-도록 하다is softer and often used for suggestions, instructions, or ensuring a certain state is achieved.회의 전까지 자료를 준비하도록 하세요.(Please ensure the materials are prepared before the meeting.)-시키다is the strongest and most forceful, implying a direct order or assignment, often used with Sino-Korean nouns.팀장님이 야근을 시켰어요.(The team lead made me work overtime.)공부시키다(to force someone to study) is much stronger than공부하게 하다(to have someone study).
Yes, but only with the -게 하다 pattern. You attach it to the descriptive verb stem to mean 'to make it so that [adjective]'. For example: 방을 깨끗하게 하다 (to make the room clean). You cannot add a lexical suffix; *깨끗히다 does not exist.
This is a critical point. With lexical causatives, the causee is usually marked with the object particle 을/를 if the base verb was intransitive (아이를 재우다), or the dative particle 에게/한테 if the base verb was transitive (학생에게 책을 읽히다). With -게 하다, the causee is most often marked with 에게/한테, but can also be marked with the subject particle 이/가, emphasizing their role as the subject of the embedded clause. 선생님이 철수에게 청소를 하게 했다 vs. 선생님이 철수가 청소를 하게 했다. The latter subtly gives more focus to 'Cheolsu' as the agent of cleaning.
They are grammatically possible but can be cumbersome. They occur when -게 하다 is applied to a verb that is already a lexical causative. For example: 감독은 배우에게 아이를 울리게 했다. (The director made the actor make the child cry). In this sentence, 울리다 is the first causative (actor makes child cry), and -게 하다 is the second (director makes actor do it).
Morphological Causative Suffixes
| Base Verb | Causative Form | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
|
먹다
|
먹이다
|
to feed
|
이
|
|
읽다
|
읽히다
|
to make read
|
히
|
|
살다
|
살리다
|
to save/revive
|
리
|
|
남다
|
남기다
|
to leave behind
|
기
|
|
자다
|
재우다
|
to put to sleep
|
우
|
|
타다
|
태우다
|
to give a ride
|
우
|
Meanings
These structures express that a subject causes an object to perform an action or enter a state. The choice depends on the degree of directness and physical involvement.
Direct Causation
The subject is physically involved in the action.
“아이가 강아지에게 물을 먹였다.”
“엄마가 아기에게 옷을 입혔다.”
Indirect Causation
The subject causes the action through command, permission, or arrangement.
“부장님이 직원에게 보고서를 쓰게 했다.”
“엄마가 아이에게 채소를 먹게 했다.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Stem + 게 하다
|
공부하게 했다
|
|
Negative
|
Stem + 게 하지 않다
|
공부하게 하지 않았다
|
|
Question
|
Stem + 게 했나요?
|
공부하게 했나요?
|
|
Direct
|
Stem + 이/히/리/기
|
먹이다
|
|
Short Answer
|
네, 하게 했어요.
|
Yes, I made them do it.
|
|
Past
|
Stem + 게 했다
|
가게 했다
|
Formality Spectrum
그에게 식사를 하게 하십시오. (Giving instructions)
그에게 식사를 하게 하세요. (Giving instructions)
그에게 밥 먹여. (Giving instructions)
밥 좀 먹여라. (Giving instructions)
Causative Agency Map
Direct
- 먹이다 to feed
Indirect
- 먹게 하다 to make eat
Examples by Level
엄마가 아기에게 우유를 먹여요.
Mom feeds the baby milk.
선생님이 학생을 앉게 했어요.
The teacher made the student sit.
옷을 입히세요.
Please dress him/her.
친구를 기다리게 하지 마세요.
Don't make your friend wait.
경찰이 범인을 세웠어요.
The police made the criminal stand.
그 영화는 나를 울게 했어요.
That movie made me cry.
아이에게 책을 읽혔어요.
I made the child read a book.
문을 열게 해 주세요.
Please let me open the door.
사장님이 직원을 야근하게 했어요.
The boss made the employee work overtime.
얼음을 녹이려면 열을 가하세요.
To melt the ice, apply heat.
그 소식은 모두를 놀라게 했어요.
That news surprised everyone.
동생에게 방을 청소하게 시켰어요.
I made my brother clean the room.
정부는 물가를 안정시키기 위해 노력하고 있다.
The government is trying to stabilize prices.
그는 자신의 생각을 모두에게 이해하게 만들었다.
He made everyone understand his thoughts.
아이를 재우고 나서야 쉴 수 있었다.
I could only rest after putting the child to sleep.
그의 행동은 나를 화나게 만들었다.
His behavior made me angry.
그 사건은 그를 평생 죄책감에 시달리게 했다.
That event made him suffer from guilt for his whole life.
그는 청중을 감동시키기 위해 최선을 다했다.
He did his best to move the audience.
이 약은 통증을 완화시키는 효과가 있다.
This medicine has the effect of alleviating pain.
그는 자신의 주장을 관철시키기 위해 노력했다.
He tried to push through his argument.
그는 자신의 야망을 실현시키기 위해 모든 것을 희생했다.
He sacrificed everything to realize his ambition.
이 정책은 지역 경제를 활성화시키는 데 기여할 것이다.
This policy will contribute to revitalizing the local economy.
그는 상대방을 설득시켜 자신의 편으로 만들었다.
He persuaded the other party and made them his ally.
그의 연설은 국민들을 단결하게 하는 힘이 있었다.
His speech had the power to unite the people.
Easily Confused
Both use the same suffixes.
Both mean 'to make do'.
Some verbs have unique forms.
Common Mistakes
먹게 했다 (for feeding)
먹였다
자게 했다 (for putting to sleep)
재웠다
입게 했다 (for dressing someone)
입혔다
읽게 했다 (for reading to someone)
읽혔다
앉게 했다 (for forcing to sit)
앉혔다
죽게 했다 (for killing)
죽였다
타게 했다 (for giving a ride)
태웠다
보게 했다 (for showing)
보였다
울게 했다 (for making cry)
울렸다
살게 했다 (for saving)
살렸다
녹게 했다 (for melting)
녹였다
남게 했다 (for leaving behind)
남겼다
깨게 했다 (for waking up)
깨웠다
익게 했다 (for cooking)
익혔다
Sentence Patterns
___을/를 ___게 하다
___에게 ___을/를 먹이다
___이/가 나를 ___게 만들다
___을/를 ___시키다
Real World Usage
보고서를 작성하게 하세요.
아이를 재우고 올게요.
이 영화 진짜 웃게 만드네!
이것을 보게 해 주세요.
따뜻하게 해 주세요.
팀원들을 협력하게 했습니다.
Check the dictionary
Passive vs Causative
Use -게 하다 for safety
Politeness
Smart Tips
Use -게 하다 if you are unsure of the specific suffix.
Use -게 하다 for clarity and professional tone.
Use the suffix for direct physical involvement.
Check if it's passive or causative.
Pronunciation
Suffix assimilation
Suffixes often cause sound changes in the base verb.
Commanding
먹여! ↗
Firm instruction
Memorize It
Mnemonic
If you touch it, use the suffix; if you just say it, use -게 하다.
Visual Association
Imagine a puppet master. If he pulls the strings directly (suffix), the puppet moves. If he just gives an order (게 하다), the puppet moves itself.
Rhyme
Suffixes for touch, -게 하다 for command, keep them separate, go as planned.
Story
I wanted my dog to eat. I fed him (먹였다 - direct). Then I wanted him to wait. I made him wait (기다리게 했다 - indirect).
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences about your day using both causative types.
Cultural Notes
Using -게 하다 is often more polite than direct commands.
Morphological forms are used for daily care.
Some causative forms have historical roots.
The morphological causative suffixes are ancient, dating back to Middle Korean.
Conversation Starters
어떻게 아이를 재우나요?
직원에게 일을 어떻게 시키나요?
영화를 보고 울어본 적 있나요?
요즘 무엇이 당신을 웃게 하나요?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
엄마가 아이에게 밥을 ___.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
아이를 자게 했다 (for putting to sleep).
그가 웃었다 -> 그가 나를 ___.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
정부는 물가를 ___.
그는 자신의 야망을 ___ 위해 노력했다.
나 / 친구 / 기다리다 / 하게 했다
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises엄마가 아이에게 밥을 ___.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
아이를 자게 했다 (for putting to sleep).
그가 웃었다 -> 그가 나를 ___.
살다 -> ?
정부는 물가를 ___.
그는 자신의 야망을 ___ 위해 노력했다.
나 / 친구 / 기다리다 / 하게 했다
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesThe movie made me cry.
있나요? / 웃게 / 무엇이 / 당신을
Match the following:
Choose the best sentence for: 'I let my friend use my phone.'
할머니를 소파에 ____.
경찰이 범인을 죽였어요. (Context: The police caused the suspect to die accidentally by blocking the road)
Inform the manager.
Caption: 'This filter makes you look pretty.'
아이들에게 책을 ____.
자게 / 아기를 / 했어요 / 엄마가
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
To distinguish between direct and indirect causation.
You must memorize them as they are lexicalized.
Yes, it is highly productive.
No, choose based on directness.
Passive is different; it removes the agent.
Yes, you can add honorific markers.
Yes, especially -게 하다.
Start with -게 하다.
Scaffolded Practice
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2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Hacer + infinitive
Korean has morphological suffixes.
Faire + infinitive
Korean has morphological suffixes.
Lassen + infinitive
Korean has morphological suffixes.
Seru/saseru
Korean suffixes are more varied.
Form IV/II verbs
Korean uses suffixes.
Shi/rang
Korean is agglutinative.
