If you’ve ever wondered how to make someone do something in Korean, the verb ‘시키다’ is exactly what you need. It’s one of the most commonly used causative verb forms (사동사) in Korean and is essential for everyday conversations. In this post, you’ll learn what ‘시키다’ means, how to use it naturally in sentences, and how it differs from other causative expressions in Korean—with real-life examples to help you understand and remember.
Contents
Korean Grammar Series:
Mastering 사동사 (Causative Verb Forms)
🔹 Part 1: Introduction to Causative Forms in Korean – What They Are and Why They Matter
🔹 Part 2: Causative Form Endings in Korean – How to Use 이, 히, 리, 기, 우, 구, 추
🔹 Part 3: Using ‘시키다’ in Korean – How to Make Someone Do Something
🔹 Part 4: Using -게 하다 in Korean – Letting or Making Someone Do Something
🔹 Part 5: Korean Causative Forms Compared -시키다 vs -게 하다 vs -도록 하다
1. Definition
‘시키다’ is a causative verb form in Korean that means “to make someone do something” or “to have someone do something.” In English, it corresponds to expressions like “make someone + verb” or “have someone + verb.”
2. Form (Structure)
‘시키다’ is used by attaching it directly to a noun or a noun-based expression. In most cases, you can create a causative verb by adding ‘시키다’ to a noun. This turns the noun into a verb that means “to make someone do [the noun’s action]” or “to cause [something] to happen.”
Example structure:
[Noun] + 시키다 = to make (someone) do / carry out an action related to the noun
In Korean, many everyday actions are expressed using noun-based verbs like ‘공부하다 (to study)’ or ‘청소하다 (to clean)’. By replacing ‘하다’ with ‘시키다’, you create a causative form. For example, ‘공부하다’ becomes ‘공부시키다’, meaning “to make someone study.”
📌 Note:
Many Korean verbs are formed by combining a noun with the verb 하다 (to do). These are called “noun-based verbs” because the noun tells you what kind of action is being done.
For example:
- 공부 (study) + 하다 → 공부하다 (to study)
- 청소 (cleaning) + 하다 → 청소하다 (to clean)
When using the causative form, you usually replace 하다 with 시키다 to make someone do that action.
For example:
- 공부하다 → 공부시키다 (to make someone study)
- 청소하다 → 청소시키다 (to make someone clean)
Here’s a table summarizing common patterns:
| Verb | Causative Form | Meaning |
| 공부하다 (to study) | 공부시키다 | to make someone study |
| 청소하다 (to clean) | 청소시키다 | to make someone clean |
| 일하다 (to work) | 일시키다 | to make someone work |
| 준비하다 (to prepare) | 준비시키다 | to make someone prepare |
| 전화하다 (to call) | 전화시키다 | to make someone call (someone) |
3. Meaning & Usage
‘시키다’ is used to indicate that someone is causing or instructing another person to perform an action. Here are some common usages with example sentences:
1. Tasks and Responsibilities:
- 선생님은 학생들에게 숙제를 시켰어요.
(The teacher made the students do homework.) - 부모님은 아이에게 청소를 시켰어요.
(The parents made the child clean.) - 사장님은 비서에게 회의 준비를 시켰어요.
(The boss made the secretary prepare the meeting.) - 회사에서는 저에게 야근을 시켰어요.
(The company made me work overtime.) - 나는 동생에게 심부름을 시켰어요.
(I made my younger sibling run an errand.)
2. Ordering Services:
- 우리는 저녁으로 피자를 시켰어요.
(We ordered pizza for dinner.) - 나는 세탁소에 드라이클리닝을 시켰어요.
(I ordered dry cleaning from the laundry.) - 친구는 나에게 커피를 시켰어요.
(My friend ordered me coffee.) - 나는 인터넷으로 책을 시켰어요.
(I ordered a book online.)
3. Making Someone Experience:
- 그 영화는 관객들에게 감동을 시켰어요.
(That movie moved the audience.) - 새로운 정책은 직원들에게 만족을 시켰어요.
(The new policy satisfied the employees.) - 그의 행동은 나에게 실망을 시켰어요.
(His actions disappointed me.) - 음악가의 연주는 우리에게 큰 기쁨을 시켰어요.
(The musician’s performance gave us great joy.) - 친구의 성공은 나에게 자극을 시켰어요.
(My friend’s success motivated me.)
4. General Actions:
- 나는 친구에게 거짓말을 시켰어요.
(I made my friend lie.) - 부모님은 아이에게 공부를 시켰어요.
(The parents made the child study.) - 선생님은 학생들에게 책 읽기를 시켰어요.
(The teacher made the students read.) - 그녀는 남편에게 요리를 시켰어요.
(She made her husband cook.) - 나는 동생에게 설거지를 시켰어요.
(I made my younger sibling do the dishes.)
5. Tasks delegated to someone:
- 사장님은 매니저에게 프로젝트 관리를 시켰어요.
(The boss made the manager manage the project.) - 선생님은 반장에게 학급 관리를 시켰어요.
(The teacher made the class president manage the class.) - 부모님은 큰아들에게 집안일을 시켰어요.
(The parents made their eldest son do the household chores.) - 감독은 배우에게 감정 연기를 시켰어요.
(The director made the actor perform emotional acting.) - 회사는 신입 사원에게 서류 정리를 시켰어요.
(The company made the new employee organize the documents.)
4. Key Points to Remember
- ‘시키다’ is used to make someone do something.
It expresses a causative meaning, like “to make” or “to have (someone) do”. - It is commonly formed by adding ‘시키다’ to action-related nouns.
Examples: 공부 → 공부시키다 (to make someone study), 청소 → 청소시키다 (to make someone clean) - It is often used with nouns that describe tasks, duties, or activities.
These nouns are typically formal or academic in tone and describe actions. - The subject causes someone else to perform the action.
The person who is caused to act is usually marked with 에게 or 을/를, depending on the sentence structure.
4. Practice Exercises
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of ‘시키다’ (sikida) using the verbs provided.
- 어머니는 동생에게 방을 ________ (청소하다).
(My mother made my younger sibling clean the room.) - 선생님은 학생들에게 책을 ________ (읽다).
(The teacher made the students read the book.) - 나는 친구에게 내 숙제를 ________ (돕다).
(I made my friend help me with my homework.) - 사장님은 비서에게 회의를 ________ (준비하다).
(The boss made the secretary prepare the meeting.) - 경찰관은 시민들에게 뒤로 ________ (물러서다).
(The police officer made the citizens step back.) - 의사는 환자에게 약을 ________ (먹다).
(The doctor made the patient take the medicine.) - 나는 미용사에게 머리를 ________ (자르다).
(I made the hairdresser cut my hair.) - 형은 나에게 그의 차를 ________ (운전하다).
(My older brother made me drive his car.) - 할아버지는 손자에게 용돈을 ________ (쓰다).
(The grandfather let his grandson spend his allowance.) - 코치는 선수들에게 열심히 ________ (훈련하다).
(The coach made the athletes train hard.)
6. Answers
- 청소하게 시켰어요
- 읽게 시켰어요
- 돕게 시켰어요
- 준비하게 시켰어요
- 물러서게 시켰어요
- 먹게 시켰어요
- 자르게 시켰어요
- 운전하게 시켰어요
- 쓰게 시켰어요
- 훈련하게 시켰어요
7. Common Mistakes and Tips
⚠️ Mistake 1: Incorrectly attaching ‘시키다’ to verbs directly.
- Incorrect: 엄마가 아이를 하다 시켰어요. ❌ (Mom made the child do.)
- Correct: 엄마가 아이에게 숙제를 시켰어요. ✅ (Mom made the child do homework.)
- 💡 Tip: ‘시키다’ attaches to nouns. To use it with verbs, you need to use the ‘-게 하다’ construction.
⚠️ Mistake 2: Incorrectly using object vs. dative particles
- Incorrect: 저는 친구를 숙제를 시켰어요. ❌ (I made my friend homework.)
- Correct: 저는 친구에게 숙제를 시켰어요. ✅ (I made my friend do homework.)
- 💡 Tip: Remember to use ‘에게/한테’ to indicate the person being made to do something and ‘을/를’ for the object.
⚠️ Mistake 3: Using ‘시키다’ when you mean ‘to order’ but not including -으라고/라고
- Incorrect: 나는 선생님에게 책을 쓰기를 시켰어요 (when you mean: I ordered the teacher to write a book). ❌
- Correct: 나는 선생님에게 책을 쓰라고 시켰어요. ✅ (I ordered the teacher to write a book.)
- 💡 Tip: When you mean “order” or “command” someone, remember the -으라고/라고 ending for indirect commands.
Understanding the difference between ‘시키다’ and ‘-게 시키다’ is crucial for mastering Korean causative verbs. While both express causation, ‘시키다’ attaches to nouns, and ‘-게 시키다’ attaches to verb stems. With practice and attention to these nuances, you’ll be able to use these forms correctly and communicate more effectively in Korean.