To Become

Category
Basic Grammar
Premium
Keyword #
-되다
Lesson
32

TL;DR

  • -되다 means "to become" and attaches to nouns to show transformation or change into something new 🦋
  • Formation is super simple: just stick -되다 right after any noun (no space!) 🎯
  • Common in everyday Korean for job changes, status updates, and describing transformations ✨

What is -되다? 🤔

-되다 is how you say "to become" in Korean! 💫
It shows that something or someone is transforming or changing into something else 🌱➡️🌳

How to Use It 🔧

The formula is ridiculously simple! 😊
Noun + 되다
That's it! No conjugation tricks, no special rules for the noun 🎉

Examples 📝

→ 의사가 되고 싶어요.
(I want to become a doctor.) 👨‍⚕️
→ 친구가 됐어요.
(We became friends.) 🤝
→ 유명한 가수가 되었어요.
(They became a famous singer.) 🎤
→ 어른이 되면 뭐 할 거예요?
(What will you do when you become an adult?) 🧑
→ 한국어 선생님이 되고 싶어요.
(I want to become a Korean teacher.) 📚
→ 엄마가 됐어요!
(I became a mom!) 👶

Common Patterns You'll See 👀

-고 싶다 (want to) + 되다 = expressing dreams and goals! 🌟
→ 프로그래머가 되고 싶어요.
(I want to become a programmer.) 💻
-면 (if/when) + 되다 = talking about future transformations! ⏰
→ 봄이 되면 꽃이 피어요.
(When it becomes spring, flowers bloom.) 🌸

Adjectives + -되다 💡

You can also use -되다 with adjectives to show something becoming a certain way! 🎨
Adjective stem + -아/어지다 is more common, but sometimes you'll see 하다 adjectives use -되다 in formal contexts 📋
→ 문제가 복잡하게 됐어요.
(The problem became complicated.) 🤯

Exceptions ⚠️

There aren't really exceptions with -되다 itself! 🎊
The tricky part is just making sure you conjugate 되다 correctly in different tenses:
  • Present: 돼요 (becomes)
  • Past: 됐어요 (became)
  • Future: 될 거예요 (will become)
Watch out for spelling! 📝 Many learners write 되 when they mean 돼 or vice versa! The pronunciation is the same, but the spelling matters ✏️

Why This Matters 🌈

-되다 is everywhere in Korean! 🔥
Job interviews? 💼 Life goals? 🎯 Describing changes? 🔄
You'll use this all the time! 💪
Master this pattern and you'll sound way more natural when talking about transformations and dreams! ✨🚀
 
Try the following exercise.
Fill in the blanks using -되다 to show a change of state. 📝
 
  • 그는 유명한 가수 .
      • Answer
      가 되었어요
 
 
  • 날씨가 추워 .
      • Answer
      지고 있어요 (or 졌어요)
 
 
  • 저는 의사 싶어요.
      • Answer
      가 되고
 
 
  • 이 방은 회의실 .
      • Answer
      이 되었어요
 
 
  • 물이 얼음 .
      • Answer
      이 되었어요
 
 
  • 그녀는 선생님 .
      • Answer
      이 되었어요
 
 
  • 시간이 빨리 지나갔어요.
      • Answer
      어떻게 되었는지
 
 
  • 아기가 어른 .
      • Answer
      이 되었어요
 
 
  • 밤이 .
      • Answer
      되었어요
 
 
  • 학생들이 졸업 후 사회인 .
      • Answer
      이 되었어요
 
Vocabulary
가수 - singer
날씨 - weather
춥다 - to be cold
의사 - doctor
회의실 - conference room
물 - water
얼음 - ice
선생님 - teacher
시간 - time
빨리 - quickly
지나가다 - to pass
아기 - baby
어른 - adult
밤 - night
학생 - student
졸업 - graduation
사회인 - working adult
Common mistakes
  • ⚠️ Forgetting to use the correct particle (이/가) before 되다 depending on whether the noun ends in a consonant or vowel
  • 🔄 Confusing -되다 (to become) with -하다 (to do) — remember -되다 shows transformation or change
  • ⏰ Using the wrong tense — make sure to match whether the change happened in the past, is happening now, or will happen in the future
  • 📌 Using -되다 with adjectives directly instead of using -어/아지다 for gradual changes (like 추워지다, not 추워되다)