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Unit 8: It Is Bound To (-기 마련이다)

In Easy Korean, when you state a general truth or something that is natural and inevitable, you use -기 마련이다. It means "it is bound to..." or "it is natural that...".

Structure

Verb / Adjective Stem + -기 마련이다

You turn the verb into a noun with -기, and add 마련이다 (it is prepared/destined). - 변하다 (to change) -> 변하기 마련이다 (It is bound to change) - 실수하다 (to make a mistake) -> 실수하기 마련이다 (It is bound to happen that you make a mistake)

Examples

  • 영원한 것은 없어요. 모든 것은 변하기 마련이에요. (Nothing is eternal. Everything is bound to change.)
  • 처음에는 누구나 실수하기 마련입니다. (At first, anyone is bound to make mistakes.)
  • 열심히 노력하면 성공하기 마련이에요. (If you work hard, you are bound to succeed.)