Korean verbs are changed to the passive by adding μ΄, ν, 리, or κΈ° to the verb stem. Which syllable you add usually depends on the letter the verb ends with; however, there are many exceptions to this rule and you simply have to memorize most of the words.
Passive verbs with the suffix “-μ΄”
| Transitives | English translations | Passives | English translations |
| λλ€ λμμ λμ΅λλ€ | to put | λμ΄λ€ λμ¬μ λμ λλ€ | to be put |
| μλ€ μμμ μμ΅λλ€ | to pile | μμ΄λ€ μμ¬μ μμ λλ€ | to be piled up |
| λ°κΎΈλ€ λ°κΏμ λ°κΏλλ€ | to change | λ°λλ€ λ°λμ΄μ λ°λλλ€ | to be changed |
| λ³΄λ€ λ΄μ λ΄ λλ€ | to see | 보μ΄λ€ 보μ¬μ 보μ λλ€ | to be seen |
| μ°λ€ μ¨μ* μλλ€ | to use to write | μ°μ΄λ€ μ°μ¬μ μ°μ λλ€ | to be used to be written |
| κΉλ€ κΉμμ κΉμ΅λλ€ | to peel to carve | κΉμ΄λ€ κΉμ¬μ κΉμ λλ€ | to be peeled to be trimmed |
Passive verbs with the suffix “-ν”
| Transitives | English translations | Passives | English translations |
| λ«λ€ λ«μμ λ«μ΅λλ€ | to close to shut | λ«νλ€ λ«νμ λ«νλλ€ | to be shut |
| μ½λ€ μ½μ΄μ μ½μ΅λλ€ | to read | μ½νλ€ μ½νμ μ½νλλ€ | to be read |
| λ§λ€ λ§μμ λ§μ΅λλ€ | to block | λ§νλ€ λ§νμ λ§νλλ€ | to be blocked |
| μ‘λ€ μ‘μμ μ‘μ΅λλ€ | to grab | μ‘νλ€ μ‘νμ μ‘νλλ€ | to be grabbed |
| λ¨Ήλ€ λ¨Ήμ΄μ λ¨Ήμ΅λλ€ | to eat | λ¨Ήνλ€ λ¨Ήνμ λ¨Ήνλλ€ | to be eaten |
| κ½λ€ κ½μμ κ½μ΅λλ€ | to stick in | κ½νλ€ κ½νμ κ½νλλ€ | to be stuck in |
| λ°λ€ λ°μμ λ°μ΅λλ€ | to step on | λ°νλ€ λ°νμ λ°νλλ€ | to be stepped |
| μ°λ€ μ°μ΄μ μ°μ΅λλ€ | to take photo to stamped to dip | μ°νλ€ μ°νμ μ°νλλ€ | to be stabbed to be taken photo |
| λ½λ€ λ½μμ λ½μ΅λλ€ | to pull to pick | λ½νλ€ λ½νμ λ½νλλ€ | to be pulled to be picked |
Passive verbs with the suffix “-리”
| Transitives | English translations | Passives | English translations |
| κ±Έλ€ κ±Έμ΄μ κ²λλ€* | to hang to bet | κ±Έλ¦¬λ€ κ±Έλ €μ 걸립λλ€ | to be hung to be caught |
| λ£λ€ λ€μ΄μ* λ£μ΅λλ€ | to hear | λ€λ¦¬λ€ λ€λ €μ λ€λ¦½λλ€ | to be heard |
| μ΄λ€ μ΄μ΄μ μ½λλ€* | to open | μ΄λ¦¬λ€ μ΄λ €μ μ΄λ¦½λλ€ | to be opened |
| νλ€ νμμ νλλ€* | to sell | νλ¦¬λ€ νλ €μ ν립λλ€ | to be sold |
| λ°λ€ λ°μ΄μ λ°λλ€* | to push | λ°λ¦¬λ€ λ°λ €μ λ°λ¦½λλ€ | to be pushed |
| νλ€ νμ΄μ νλλ€* | to untie to release | νλ¦¬λ€ νλ €μ ν립λλ€ | to be untied |
| λΆλ₯΄λ€ λΆλ¬μ* λΆλ¦ λλ€ | to call to sing | λΆλ¦¬λ€ λΆλ €μ λΆλ¦½λλ€ | to be called to be sung |
| λ¬λ€ λ¬μμ λ΅λλ€* | to hang to attach | λ¬λ¦¬λ€ λ¬λ €μ λ¬λ¦½λλ€ | to be hooked to be attached |
| λ¨λ€ λ¨μ΄μ λ±λλ€* | to shake | λ¨λ¦¬λ€ λ¨λ €μ λ¨λ¦½λλ€ | to be shaken |
Passive verbs with the suffix “-κΈ°”
| Transitives | English translations | Passives | English translations |
| λλ€ λμ΄μ λμ΅λλ€ | to cut (off) | λκΈ°λ€ λ겨μ λκΉλλ€ | to be cut (off) |
| μλ€ μμμ μμ΅λλ€ | to hug to embrace | μκΈ°λ€ μ겨μ μκΉλλ€ | to be embraced to be hugged |
| μ«λ€ μ«μμ μ«μ΅λλ€ | to pursue to follow to drive out | μ«κΈ°λ€ μ«κ²¨μ μ«κΉλλ€ | to be pursued |
| μ°’λ€ μ°’μ΄μ μ°’μ΅λλ€ | to tear up | μ°’κΈ°λ€ μ°’κ²¨μ μ°’κΉλλ€ | to be torn to be ripped |
| μ»λ€ μ»μ΄μ μ»μ΅λλ€ | to wash | μ»κΈ°λ€ μ»κ²¨μ μ»κΉλλ€ | to be washed |
| λ΄λ€ λ΄μμ λ΄μ΅λλ€ | to put in | λ΄κΈ°λ€ λ΄κ²¨μ λ΄κΉλλ€ | to be put in |
| κ°λ€ κ°μμ κ°μ΅λλ€ | to wind to close eyes | κ°κΈ°λ€ κ°κ²¨μ κ°κΉλλ€ | to be wound for eyes to be closed |

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