Expressing Change of State with '지다'

01

Forming the Construction

The formation follows the standard vowel harmony rules used when conjugating verbs into the present tense. You take the adjective stem and add the appropriate connecting vowel (아 (a), 어 (ŏeoŏe), or 여 (yŏyeoyŏye)) followed by 지다 (ji·daji·daji·daci·ta).

• If the last vowel of the stem is ㅏ (a) or ㅗ (o), add 아지다 (a·ji·daa·ji·daa·ji·daa·ci·ta).
• If the last vowel is anything else, add 어지다 (ŏ·ji·daeo·ji·daŏ·ji·dae·ci·ta).
• If the adjective ends in 하다 (ha·daha·daha·daha·ta), it changes to 해지다 (hæ·ji·dahae·ji·dahae·ji·dahay·ci·ta).

• 기분이 좋아져요.

  ki·bun·i cho·a·jyŏ·yo.gi·bun·i jo·a·jyeo·yo.ki·bun·i cho·a·jyŏ·yo.ki·pun·i co·a·cye·yo.

  My mood is getting better.

• 방이 깨끗해져요.

  bang·i ggæ·ggŭt·hæ·jyŏ·yo.bang·i ggae·ggeut·hae·jyeo·yo.bang·i kkae·kkŭt·hae·jyŏ·yo.pang·i kkay·kkut·hay·cye·yo.

  The room is becoming clean.

02

Expressing Completed Change (Past Tense)

This grammar point is most frequently used in the past tense. When you want to say that something "is now X" because it "became X," Korean speakers use the past tense form 졌다 (jyŏt·dajyeot·dajyŏt·dacyet·ta) (a contraction of 지었다 (ji·ŏt·daji·eot·daji·ŏt·daci·et·ta)). This indicates the change has already happened and the result is currently visible.

For example, to say "The weather is cold (now, compared to before)," you literally say "The weather became cold."

• 날씨가 추워졌어요.

  nal·ssi·ga chʰu·wŏ·jyŏ·ssŏ·yo.nal·ssi·ga chu·wŏ·jyeo·sseo·yo.nal·ssi·ga ch'u·wŏ·jyŏ·ssŏ·yo.nal·ssi·ka chu·wŏ·cye·sse·yo.

  The weather has become cold.

• 머리가 길어졌어요.

  mŏ·ri·ga kir·ŏ·jyŏ·ssŏ·yo.meo·ri·ga gir·eo·jyeo·sseo·yo.mŏ·ri·ga kir·ŏ·jyŏ·ssŏ·yo.me·li·ka kir·e·cye·sse·yo.

  My hair has grown long.

• 컴퓨터가 빨라졌어요.

  kʰŏm·pʰyu·tʰŏ·ga bbal·la·jyŏ·ssŏ·yo.keom·pyu·teo·ga bbal·la·jyeo·sseo·yo.k'ŏm·p'yu·t'ŏ·ga ppal·la·jyŏ·ssŏ·yo.khem·phyu·the·ka ppal·la·cye·sse·yo.

  The computer became faster.

03

Expressing Ongoing Change (Present Tense)

Using the present tense 지다 (ji·daji·daji·daci·ta) (conjugated as 져요 (jyŏ·yojyeo·yojyŏ·yocye·yo)) indicates a general trend or a change that is currently in progress. It is often used with adverbs like 점점 (jŏm·jŏmjeom·jeomjŏm·jŏmcem·cem) - gradually.

• 하늘이 어두워져요.

  ha·nŭr·i ŏ·du·wŏ·jyŏ·yo.ha·neur·i eo·du·wŏ·jyeo·yo.ha·nŭr·i ŏ·du·wŏ·jyŏ·yo.ha·nur·i e·tu·wŏ·cye·yo.

  The sky is getting dark.

• 한국어가 재미있어져요.

  han·gu·gŏ·ga chæ·mi·i·ssŏ·jyŏ·yo.han·gu·geo·ga jae·mi·i·sseo·jyeo·yo.han·gu·gŏ·ga chae·mi·i·ssŏ·jyŏ·yo.han·ku·ke·ka cay·mi·i·sse·cye·yo.

  Korean is becoming interesting.

04

Irregular Adjectives

If an adjective is irregular, it must be conjugated according to its irregularity rules before adding 지다 (ji·daji·daji·daci·ta). A common group involves ㅂ (p) irregular adjectives, where the ㅂ (p) changes to 우 (u) before adding 어지다 (ŏ·ji·daeo·ji·daŏ·ji·dae·ci·ta), resulting in 워지다 (wŏ·ji·dawŏ·ji·dawŏ·ji·dawŏ·ci·ta).

• 시험이 어려워졌어요.

  si·hŏm·i ŏ·ryŏ·wŏ·jyŏ·ssŏ·yo.si·heom·i eo·ryeo·wŏ·jyeo·sseo·yo.si·hŏm·i ŏ·ryŏ·wŏ·jyŏ·ssŏ·yo.si·hem·i e·lye·wŏ·cye·sse·yo.

  The test became difficult. (from 어렵다 (ŏ·ryŏp·daeo·ryeop·daŏ·ryŏp·dae·lyep·ta))

• 음식이 매워져요.

  ŭm·si·gi mæ·wŏ·jyŏ·yo.eum·si·gi mae·wŏ·jyeo·yo.ŭm·si·gi mae·wŏ·jyŏ·yo.um·si·ki may·wŏ·cye·yo.

  The food is getting spicy. (from 맵다 (mæp·damaep·damaep·damayp·ta))