Unit 15: To End Up Doing (-게 되다)

In Easy Korean, when a situation changes, and you eventually or accidentally end up doing something (often outside of your direct control), you use -게 되다.

Structure

Verb Stem + -게 되다 It is usually used in the past tense (-게 되었어요 or -게 됐어요) because the outcome has already happened.

• 하다 (to do) -> 하게 됐어요 (I ended up doing it / It turned out that I do it)
• 가다 (to go) -> 가게 됐어요 (I ended up going)
• 알다 (to know) -> 알게 됐어요 (I came to know / I found out)

Usage

It is commonly used when sharing news. For example, if you get a job in Korea, you would say "한국에서 일하게 됐어요" (It has been arranged/I ended up working in Korea).

Examples

• 다음 달에 이사하게 됐어요. (I will end up moving next month / It's been decided.)
• 자주 만나서 친구가 게 됐어요. (We met often, so we ended up becoming friends.)
• 매일 운동해서 건강해지게 됐어요. (I exercised every day, so I came to be healthy.)