Welcome to today’s lesson on -아/어/여지다 — one of Korean’s most useful grammar patterns! This structure is commonly used in both spoken and written Korean to express a change of state or gradual transition. This pairs naturally with Korean adjective conjugation and descriptive verbs!
In this lesson, we will delve into the fundamentals of “-아/어여지다”, covering its various uses, formation rules, and how it changes depending on the verb it’s attached to. Through illustrative examples and engaging exercises, you will gain a solid foundation in this grammatical concept, bringing you one step closer to mastering the beautiful and intricate Korean language. Let’s get started!
Conjugation
Descriptive verb + 아/어/여지다
- Take an adjective i.e. 좋다
- Drop 다 i.e. 좋
- Pick the appropriate ending based on the below rules.
- If the last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, add 아지다
- If the last vowel is not one of the above, add 어지다
- If it ends with a consonant “ㅂ”, drop “ㅂ” and add 워지다
- 예쁘다 –> 예뻐지다 (to become prettier)
- 무섭다 –> 무서워지다 (to become scared)
- 크다 –> 커지다 (to become bigger)
- 작다 –> 작아지다 (to become smaller)
- 춥다 –> 추워지다 (to become colder)
All of these represent some sort of change over time and this is what “아/어/여지다” means. Also related: Korean Descriptive Verbs, Conjugating Korean Adjectives, and 하다 Verbs.
The “지다” also gets conjugated depending on what you want to say.
Present tense
지다 –> 지 + 어요 –> 져요
- 멀어져요 – It’s becoming further.
- 요즘에는 바빠져요 – I am becoming busier.
- 핸드폰 비싸져요. – The phone is becoming pricier.
Past tense
지다 –> 지 + 었어요 –> 졌어요
- 날씨가 추워졌어요. – The weather got colder.
- 한국어가 쉬어졌어요. – Korean became easier.
- 갑작이 조용해졌어요. – It suddenly became quieter.
Future tense
지다 –> 지 + ㄹ 거예요 –> 질 거예요
- 앞으로 바빠질 거예요. – I will become busier from now on.
- 공부하면 똑똑해질 거예요. – If I study, I will become smarter.
- 이거 입으면 귀여워질 거예요. – If you wear this you will become cuter.
List of common adjectives
| Korean | Conjugation | English |
| 좋다 | 좋아지다 | Become better |
| 나쁘다 | 나빠지다 | Become worse |
| 크다 | 커지다 | Become bigger |
| 작다 | 작아지다 | Become smaller |
| 많다 | 많아지다 | Become a lot |
| 적다 | 적어지다 | Lessen |
| 멀다 | 멀어지다 | Become further |
| 가깝다 | 가까워지다 | Become closer |
| 싸다 | 싸지다 | Become cheaper |
| 비싸다 | 비싸지다 | Become expensive |
| 길다 | 길어지다 | Become longer |
| 짧다 | 짧아지다 | Become shorter |
| 높다 | 높아지다 | Become higher |
| 낮다 | 낮아지다 | Become lower |
| 빠르다 | 빨라지다 | Become faster |
| 느리다 | 느려지다 | Become slower |
| 가볍다 | 가벼워지다 | Become lighter |
| 무겁다 | 무거워지다 | Become heavier |
| 쉽다 | 쉬워지다 | Become easier |
| 어렵다 | 어려워지다 | Become more difficult |
| 덥다 | 더워지다 | Become hotter (weather) |
| 춥다 | 추워지다 | Become colder (weather) |
| 뜨겁다 | 뜨거워지다 | Become hotter (To touch or eat) |
| 차갑다 | 차가워지다 | Become colder (To touch or eat) |
| 따뜻하다 | 따뜻해지다 | Become warmer |
| 시원하다 | 시원해지다 | Become cooler |
| 강하다 | 강해지다 | Become stronger |
| 약하다 | 약해지다 | Become weaker |
| 두껍다 | 두꺼워지다 | Become thicker |
| 얇다 | 얇아지다 | Become thiner |
| 맑다 | 맑아지다 | Become clearer (weather) |
| 흐리다 | 흐려지다 | Become cloudier |
| 깨끗하다 | 깨긋해지다 | Become cleaner |
| 더럽다 | 더러워지다 | Become dirtier |
| 넓다 | 넓어지다 | Become more spacious |
| 좁다 | 좁아지다 | Become narrower |
| 밝다 | 밝아지다 | Become brighter |
| 어둡다 | 어두워지다 | Become darker |
| 바쁘다 | 바빠지다 | Become busier |
| 시끄럽다 | 시끄러워지다 | Become louder |
| 조용하다 | 조용해지다 | Become quieter |
| 맛있다 | 맛있어지다 | Become more delicious |
| 맛없다 | 맛없어지다 | Become not delicoius |
| 귀엽다 | 귀여워지다 | Become cuter |
| 예쁘다 | 예뻐지다 | Become prettier |
| 아름답다 | 아릅다워지다 | Become more beautiful |
| 똑똑하다 | 똑똑해지다 | Become smarter |
| 착하다 | 착해지다 | Become kinder |
| 행복하다 | 행복해지다 | Become happier |
Activity 1
Fill in the blanks
- 커피가 __________. The coffee became cold.
- 줄이 ________. – The line became long.
- 방이 __________. – The room became clean.
- 이제 질찍 _________. – It’s getting dark sooner.
- 사람들이 ________. – There will become more people/There will be more people.
Activity 1 Answers
- 커피가 차가워졌어요_. The coffee became cold.
- 줄이 길어줬어요. – The line became long.
- 방이 깨긋해졌어요. – The room became clean.
- 이제 질찍 어두워져요. – It’s getting dark sooner.
- 사람들이 많아질 거예요. – There will become more people/There will be more people.