-아/어지다

to be -ed, to get -ed, passive voice

Explanation

Similar to the previous passive form in which an affix was added to the verb stem, this expression is also used when the subject’s action or behavior occurs either because of an action performed by someone else or because of some other indirect action performed by some person or thing. However, note that this form is only used with those verbs to which an affix -이/히/리/기- cannot be attached.

Details

1. When -아/어지다 is added to an action verb, it changes as follows.

2. Note that while this expression is supposed to only be used with verbs to which an affix -이/히/리/기- does not attach, in recent years its use has grown to include such verbs.

전화를 끊었어요.
→전화가 끊겼어요. / 끊어졌어요.
The phone call ended.
공책에 글씨를 썼어요.
→공책에 글씨가 쓰여 있어요. / 써져 있어요.
Letters are written in the notebook.

3. The form -아/어지다 can be added to adjectives to express a change in state. Please see in the beginning level for more details about this form.

미나 씨가 정말 예뻐졌어요.
Mina has really become pretty.
청소를 해서 방이 깨끗해졌어요.
I tidied up the room, and it became clean.

Examples
<span class="speaker-a">가:</span> 우리 반 친구들하고 언제 식사할까요?<br><br><span class="speaker-b">나:</span> 저는 아무 때나 괜찮아요. 약속이 <span class='focus'>정해지면</span> 알려 주세요.
A: When shall we eat with our classmates? B: Anytime's fine with me. Please let me know when the details get decided.
<span class="speaker-a">가:</span> 왜 그렇게 힘들게 쓰고 있어요?<br><br><span class="speaker-b">나:</span> 볼펜이 안 좋은 것 같아요. 글씨가 잘 안 <span class='focus'>써져요.</span>
A: Why are you having such a hard time writing? B: I think there’s a problem with my pen. It doesn’t write well.
휴대전화가 안 <span class='focus'>켜져요.</span> 고장이 난 것 같아요.
My cell phone won’t turn on. It seems broken.

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