Skip to content

Unit 12: It Is Easy To / Highly Likely (-기 십상이다)

When there is a high probability of something bad or undesirable happening, we use -기 십상이다 in Easy Korean. It translates to "it is easy to [make a mistake]" or "it is highly likely that [something bad will happen]."

Structure

Action Verb Stem + -기 십상이다

You turn the verb into a noun with -기, then add 십상이다. - 감기에 걸리다 -> 감기에 걸리기 십상이다 (It's easy to catch a cold) - 실수하다 -> 실수하기 십상이다 (It's easy to make a mistake)

Synonyms

This is very similar to -기 쉽다 (easy to), but -기 십상이다 is almost exclusively used for negative outcomes.

Examples

  • 비가 올 때 운전하면 사고가 나기 십상이에요. (If you drive when it rains, it's highly likely to get into an accident.)
  • 계획 없이 여행을 가면 돈을 많이 쓰기 십상이에요. (If you travel without a plan, it's easy to spend a lot of money.)
  • 피곤할 때 일하면 실수하기 십상이에요. (If you work when tired, you are highly likely to make a mistake.)