불합격시키다

When you hear 불합격시키다, think of the moment a teacher or judge says, 'I'm sorry, you didn't make the cut.' It is a causative verb, meaning it turns the state of 'failing' into an active decision made by someone else.

You use this when someone in authority—like a professor grading a paper or a hiring manager reviewing a resume—decides that the applicant has not reached the passing standard. It is a very specific word that carries a sense of finality and official judgment.

Unlike just saying 'failed,' this word highlights the active role of the person doing the failing. It is a powerful word used in professional and academic settings to describe the outcome of rigorous testing or selection processes.

The word is built from the Hanja characters 不 (불 - not), 合格 (합격 - passing/qualification), and the causative suffix 시키다 (to make/cause). This structure is classic in Korean for creating precise, descriptive verbs.

Historically, the concept of 'passing' (합격) was tied to the old civil service examinations (Gwageo) in Korea. If you didn't pass, you were 'not qualified.' Over time, as modern education and corporate systems evolved, the need for a verb to describe the act of rejecting someone became essential.

The suffix '시키다' is fascinating because it transforms a noun-based concept into a dynamic action. It reflects a shift in language where we needed to define not just the state of failure, but the authority behind the decision to fail someone.

You will mostly see this in formal contexts. Think of job interviews, college admissions, or certification exams. It is rarely used in casual, friendly conversation unless you are joking about a harsh teacher.

Common collocations include 면접에서 불합격시키다 (to fail someone in an interview) or 시험에서 불합격시키다 (to fail someone in an exam). It is almost always used with an object, as someone must be the target of the failure.

The register is quite formal. If you are talking to a friend, you might just say '떨어뜨리다' (to drop/fail someone), which sounds much more natural and less clinical than '불합격시키다.'

While '불합격시키다' is a literal verb, it is often associated with phrases like 고배를 마시다 (to drink the bitter cup, meaning to fail). While you don't use the verb *in* the idiom, they share the same emotional space.

Another related expression is 낙방하다, which is a more literary or traditional way of saying someone failed. When a committee decides to '불합격시키다,' the candidate is said to have '낙방했다.'

You might also hear 탈락시키다, which is a near-synonym often used in competitions or reality shows. It implies being 'eliminated' from the pool of candidates, which feels very similar to the formal process of '불합격시키다.'

Grammatically, this is a transitive verb. It requires an object (the person being failed). You cannot just say 'He failed.' You must say 'He failed the student.' The pattern is [Subject] + [Object] + [불합격시키다].

Pronunciation is tricky because of the double consonants. It is pronounced [불합격씨키다]. The 'ㅅ' in '시키다' becomes a tense 'ㅆ' sound because of the preceding '격' (k-sound) stop.

Rhyming or rhythmically similar words include '합격시키다' (the opposite) and '탈락시키다' (to eliminate). Focus on the sharp stop at the '격' syllable to sound like a native speaker.