Easy Korean - Level 9, Unit 27: A frequent occurrence (-기 일쑤이다)

When you want to say that something (usually negative or undesirable) happens very often, or is a common occurrence, you use the expression -기 일쑤이다.

It translates to "It is a frequent occurrence to..." or "I often..."

Structure Breakdown

• -기 = noun form of a verb
• 일쑤 = frequent occurrence / habit
• 이다 = to be

Literally: "Doing X is a frequent occurrence."

How to Conjugate

Just attach -기 일쑤이다 (polite: -기 일쑤예요) directly to the verb stem.

• 잊어버리다 -> 잊어버리기 일쑤예요 (I often forget / It's a common occurrence for me to forget)
• 지각하다 -> 지각하기 일쑤예요 (I frequently am late)
• 다투다 -> 다투기 일쑤예요 (We often argue)
• 속다 -> 속기 일쑤예요 (I am often tricked)

-기 쉽다 vs. -기 일쑤이다

• -기 쉽다 means "It is easy to do." It's about probability or difficulty.
• -기 일쑤이다 means "It happens frequently." It's about a habitual or frequent past/present action. Also, -기 일쑤이다 is used almost exclusively for negative things. You wouldn't say "I get 100 on my test 기 일쑤예요."

Example Sentences

1. 피곤해서 지하철에서 졸기 일쑤예요. (Because I'm tired, it's a frequent occurrence for me to doze off in the subway.)

2. 어렸을 때는 동생이랑 싸우기 일쑤였어요. (When we were young, we used to fight frequently.)

3. 비밀번호를 자주 바꿔서 잊어버리기 일쑤입니다. (Because I change my password often, I frequently forget it.)

4. 바쁘면 아침을 거르기 일쑤예요. (If I am busy, I often skip breakfast.)