Unit 7: Make A Habit Of (-아/어/여 버릇하다)

When an action becomes a deeply ingrained habit (for better or for worse), you use -아/어/여 버릇하다 in Easy Korean.

Structure

Verb Stem + -아/어/여 버릇하다

• 먹다 -> 먹어 + 버릇하다 = 먹어 버릇하다 (to make a habit of eating)
• 쓰다 -> 써 + 버릇하다 = 써 버릇하다 (to make a habit of using/writing)
• 일찍 일어나다 -> 일찍 일어나 버릇하다 (to get into the habit of waking up early)

Usage

It implies "because I did this repeatedly, it became a habit." You will often see it used in warnings: "If you make a habit of doing X, Y will happen."

Examples

• 밥을 빨리 먹어 버릇하면 건강에 안 좋아요. (If you make a habit of eating fast, it's bad for your health.)
• 좋은 책을 읽어 버릇하세요. (Make a habit of reading good books.)
• 거짓말을 해 버릇하니까 이제 진짜 거짓말쟁이가 되었어요. (Because he made a habit of lying, he has now become a real liar.)