-게 되다 expresses a change that happens naturally due to circumstances rather than direct intention. It means "come to [verb]," "end up [verb]-ing," or "become able to [verb]." This pattern emphasizes how situations develop naturally rather than through deliberate action.
Structure
Verb stem + -게 되다
Breakdown:
- -게: Adverbial ending (so that, to the extent that)
- 되다: To become
Literal meaning: "Become such that [verb]" → "Come to [verb]"
Conjugation
Present Tense
Formal: -게 됩니다
Polite: -게 돼요 / -게 되어요
Casual: -게 돼 / -게 되어
Past Tense
Formal: -게 됐습니다 / -게 되었습니다
Polite: -게 됐어요 / -게 되었어요
Casual: -게 됐어 / -게 되었어
Future Tense
Formal: -게 될 것입니다
Polite: -게 될 거예요
Casual: -게 될 거야
Core Meanings
1. Gradual Change/Development
Something happens through natural progression:
- 한국어를 하게 됐어요 (came to speak Korean)
- 좋아하게 됐어요 (came to like it)
- 이해하게 됐어요 (came to understand)
2. Circumstantial Outcome
Something happens due to external circumstances:
- 이사하게 됐어요 (ended up moving)
- 그만두게 됐어요 (ended up quitting)
- 만나게 됐어요 (ended up meeting)
3. Acquiring Ability
Becoming able to do something:
- 운전하게 됐어요 (became able to drive / started driving)
- 수영하게 됐어요 (became able to swim)
- 요리하게 됐어요 (became able to cook / started cooking)
4. Passive Sense
Things happening to you rather than by you:
- 알게 됐어요 (came to know / found out)
- 듣게 됐어요 (came to hear / heard)
- 보게 됐어요 (came to see / saw)
Politeness Levels
Formal (합니다체)
- 알게 됩니다 (come to know)
- 만나게 됩니다 (come to meet)
- 가게 됩니다 (come to go)
Polite (해요체)
- 알게 돼요 (come to know)
- 만나게 돼요 (come to meet)
- 가게 돼요 (come to go)
Casual (반말)
- 알게 돼 (come to know)
- 만나게 돼 (come to meet)
- 가게 돼 (come to go)
Common Usage Patterns
Life Changes
Major life transitions:
- 결혼하게 됐어요 (came to get married / got married)
- 취직하게 됐어요 (came to get a job / got employed)
- 이사하게 됐어요 (came to move / moved)
- 유학가게 됐어요 (came to study abroad)
Starting New Activities
Beginning something new:
- 한국어를 배우게 됐어요 (came to learn Korean / started learning)
- 운동하게 됐어요 (came to exercise / started exercising)
- 일하게 됐어요 (came to work / started working)
- 다니게 됐어요 (came to attend / started attending)
Acquiring Knowledge/Skills
Learning or realizing:
- 알게 됐어요 (came to know)
- 깨닫게 됐어요 (came to realize)
- 이해하게 됐어요 (came to understand)
- 할 수 있게 됐어요 (became able to do)
Meeting People
Encounters and relationships:
- 만나게 됐어요 (came to meet)
- 친해지게 됐어요 (came to become close)
- 알게 됐어요 (came to know / got to know)
- 사귀게 됐어요 (came to date / started dating)
Ending Things
Stopping or finishing:
- 그만두게 됐어요 (came to quit / ended up quitting)
- 끝나게 됐어요 (came to end / ended)
- 헤어지게 됐어요 (came to break up)
Time Expressions
Present - Current State
How things are now:
-
지금은 한국에 살게 됐어요
(Now I'm living in Korea / I came to live in Korea) -
요즘 운동하게 됐어요
(These days I'm exercising / I started exercising)
Past - How It Happened
How things came to be:
-
작년에 한국에 오게 됐어요
(Last year I came to Korea) -
친구 소개로 알게 됐어요
(I got to know through a friend's introduction)
Future - What Will Happen
What will come to pass:
-
내년에 졸업하게 될 거예요
(Next year I'll come to graduate / I'll graduate) -
곧 만나게 될 거예요
(We'll come to meet soon)
Common Expressions
Discovering/Learning
- 알게 됐어요 (came to know / found out)
- 깨닫게 됐어요 (came to realize)
- 배우게 됐어요 (came to learn)
- 이해하게 됐어요 (came to understand)
Life Transitions
- 결혼하게 됐어요 (got married)
- 취직하게 됐어요 (got a job)
- 이사하게 됐어요 (moved)
- 졸업하게 됐어요 (graduated)
Relationships
- 만나게 됐어요 (met / came to meet)
- 사귀게 됐어요 (started dating)
- 헤어지게 됐어요 (broke up)
- 친해지게 됐어요 (became close)
Activities
- 시작하게 됐어요 (started / came to start)
- 하게 됐어요 (came to do)
- 다니게 됐어요 (started attending)
- 일하게 됐어요 (started working)
Expressing Cause/Reason
Because of Circumstances
-(으)면서 -게 되다:
- 공부하면서 한국어를 하게 됐어요
(While studying, I came to speak Korean)
-아/어서 -게 되다:
- 이사해서 새 친구들을 만나게 됐어요
(Because I moved, I came to meet new friends)
-(으)니까 -게 되다:
- 일이 바쁘니까 운동 못 하게 됐어요
(Because work is busy, I can't exercise)
Negative Forms
Didn't Come To
안 -게 되다:
- 안 가게 됐어요 (ended up not going)
- 안 만나게 됐어요 (ended up not meeting)
-지 않게 되다:
- 가지 않게 됐어요 (came not to go)
- 만나지 않게 됐어요 (came not to meet)
Unable To
못 -게 되다:
- 못 가게 됐어요 (became unable to go)
- 못 만나게 됐어요 (became unable to meet)
Question Forms
How Did It Happen?
어떻게 -게 됐어요?:
-
어떻게 한국어를 하게 됐어요?
(How did you come to speak Korean?) -
어떻게 만나게 됐어요?
(How did you come to meet?)
What Happened?
어떻게 됐어요?:
- 일이 어떻게 됐어요?
(How did things turn out?)
Will It Happen?
-게 될까요?:
-
만나게 될까요?
(Will we come to meet?) -
성공하게 될까요?
(Will it come to succeed?)
Comparison with Similar Patterns
-게 되다 vs -게 하다
-게 되다: Passive, natural development
- 한국어를 하게 됐어요 (came to speak Korean - naturally)
-게 하다: Causative, making something happen
- 한국어를 하게 했어요 (made someone speak Korean)
-게 되다 vs 되다
-게 되다: Circumstantial process with verb
- 의사가 되게 됐어요 (came to become a doctor - through circumstances)
되다: Direct becoming with noun
- 의사가 됐어요 (became a doctor)
-게 되다 vs -고 말다
-게 되다: Neutral, circumstantial
- 그만두게 됐어요 (came to quit - due to circumstances)
-고 말다: Regrettable, inevitable
- 그만두고 말았어요 (ended up quitting - regret)
-게 되다 vs -아/어 버리다
-게 되다: Process-oriented, gradual
- 잊게 됐어요 (came to forget - gradually)
-아/어 버리다: Result-oriented, complete
- 잊어 버렸어요 (forgot completely)
Example Dialogues
Dialogue 1: How You Met
A: 남편이랑 어떻게 만나게 됐어요?
(How did you come to meet your husband?)
B: 친구 소개로 만나게 됐어요.
(I came to meet him through a friend's introduction.)
Dialogue 2: Life Change
A: 한국에 왜 오게 됐어요?
(Why did you come to Korea?)
B: 회사에서 발령이 나서 오게 됐어요.
(I came because I got transferred by my company.)
Dialogue 3: Learning Korean
A: 한국어를 어떻게 배우게 됐어요?
(How did you come to learn Korean?)
B: K-드라마를 보다가 관심이 생겨서 배우게 됐어요.
(While watching K-dramas, I became interested and came to learn it.)
Dialogue 4: Job Change
A: 직장을 그만두게 됐어요?
(Did you come to quit your job?)
B: 네, 더 좋은 기회가 생겨서 옮기게 됐어요.
(Yes, a better opportunity came up, so I came to move.)
Dialogue 5: Future Plans
A: 언제 졸업하게 될 거예요?
(When will you come to graduate?)
B: 내년 6월에 졸업하게 될 거예요.
(I'll come to graduate next June.)
Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect: 행복하게 됐어요
Using with adjectives
✅ Correct: 행복해졌어요
Use -아/어지다 for adjective state changes
❌ Incorrect: 먹게 됐어요 (for simple eating)
Using for intentional simple actions
✅ Correct: 먹었어요
Use simple past for direct actions
❌ Incorrect: 의사게 됐어요
Using -게 되다 with nouns
✅ Correct: 의사가 됐어요
Use 되다 alone with nouns
Usage Notes
When to Use -게 되다
Use when:
- Describing natural development over time
- Explaining how circumstances led to something
- Showing passive involvement in change
- Expressing life transitions
- Talking about acquiring abilities or knowledge
- Being modest about achievements
Don't use when:
- Describing intentional direct actions
- With adjectives (use -아/어지다)
- With nouns directly (use 되다)
- For immediate planned actions
Summary Table
| Situation | -게 되다 Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Learning | 배우게 됐어요 | Came to learn |
| Meeting | 만나게 됐어요 | Came to meet |
| Understanding | 이해하게 됐어요 | Came to understand |
| Working | 일하게 됐어요 | Came to work / Started working |
| Moving | 이사하게 됐어요 | Came to move / Moved |
| Getting married | 결혼하게 됐어요 | Came to get married / Got married |
| Quitting | 그만두게 됐어요 | Came to quit |
| Knowing | 알게 됐어요 | Came to know |
| Able to do | 할 수 있게 됐어요 | Became able to do |
| Starting to like | 좋아하게 됐어요 | Came to like |
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Circumstantial: Emphasizes natural development from circumstances
- ✅ Process-oriented: Focus on how things came to be
- ✅ Modest tone: Shows humility about achievements
- ✅ Passive sense: Things happening to you rather than by you
- ✅ Gradual change: Natural progression over time
- ✅ Different from -고 말다: No regret, more neutral
- ✅ Different from 되다: Used with verbs, shows process
-게 되다 is essential for naturally explaining how situations developed and changed. It allows you to describe life transitions, new beginnings, and gradual changes with a sense of natural progression rather than forced action. Master this pattern to speak more naturally about how things came to be in your life.