-아/어 빠지다
Fall into, Become Completely
-아/어 빠지다 is used to strongly criticize or complain about an extreme negative quality, implying it's contemptible or worthless.
How It Works
This expression is a powerful way to intensify a negative adjective, far beyond what adverbs like 아주 (very) or 너무 (too) can convey. It's not just descriptive; it's judgmental and emotional. It's often used when scolding someone, complaining about a situation, or expressing frustration.
Conjugation:
It follows the same rules as the -아/어 conjugation.
- Adjective stems ending in ㅏ or ㅗ + -아 빠지다
- 낡다 (to be old/worn) → 낡아 빠지다
- 약하다 (to be weak) → 약해 빠지다 (from 약하여) - Adjective stems ending in other vowels + -어 빠지다
- 게으르다 (to be lazy) → 게을러 빠지다 (르 irregular)
This pattern is used chiefly with negative-quality adjectives (lazy, worn-out, weak, irresponsible), plus a few lexicalized verbs such as 썩다 → 썩어 빠지다 ('utterly rotten/corrupt'). Using it for a positive quality sounds very strange.
Compare -기 짝이 없다:
-기 짝이 없다 also intensifies, meaning "incomparably" or "extremely", but it is more formal and works for positive states too (기쁘기 짝이 없다 - incomparably happy). -아/어 빠지다 stays negative.
Examples (4)
- 이 낡아 빠진 신발은 이제 버려야겠어요.
I should throw away these completely worn-out shoes now.
Word by Word: These worn-out-completely shoes now must be thrown away.
The speaker is expressing strong dissatisfaction with how old and worn the shoes are, implying they are useless.
- 저렇게 게을러 빠진 사람은 처음 봐요.
I've never seen such an utterly lazy person.
Word by Word: That way lazy-completely person is the first time I see.
This doesn't just mean 'very lazy'. It carries a strong sense of criticism and contempt for the person's laziness.
- 정신이 썩어 빠진 인간들 때문에 사회가 이 모양이다.
Society is in this state because of people with completely rotten minds.
Word by Word: Mind rotten-completely humans because of society is this shape.
A very strong and emotional statement used to condemn people for their perceived moral corruption.
- 그렇게 약해 빠져서야 이 험한 세상을 어떻게 살아가겠니?
Being so pathetically weak, how will you ever survive in this harsh world?
Word by Word: That way weak-completely this harsh world how will you live?
This is a typical example of scolding or expressing concern mixed with frustration about someone's weakness.
Common Mistakes
Using -아/어 빠지다 for positive or neutral qualities.
Not Quite이 케이크는 달아 빠졌어요.Better이 케이크는 아주 달콤해요.-아/어 빠지다 has a strong negative connotation and is used for criticism or complaint. You cannot use it to describe something positively, like being 'deliciously sweet'. It would imply the sweetness is excessive and unpleasant.
Attaching it to verbs instead of adjectives.
Not Quite그는 하루 종일 놀아 빠졌어요.Better그는 게을러 빠져서 하루 종일 놀기만 했어요.This pattern describes a state or quality, so it must be attached to an adjective (e.g., 게으르다 - lazy). It cannot be attached to an action verb (e.g., 놀다 - to play). The correct sentence describes the state ('being utterly lazy') that leads to the action.
Learn This First
To express 'fall into/become completely', you need verb conjugation.
Related Patterns
- -아/어 버리다Do Completely, Finish Up
Both patterns can imply a sense of completion. However, -아/어 버리다 attaches to verbs to indicate a completed action, often with a feeling of relief or regret (e.g., 잊어버렸다 - I completely forgot). -아/어 빠지다 attaches to adjectives to describe being stuck in an extreme, permanent negative state.
- -아/어지다Become, Turn into
Both use the -아/어 form. -아/어지다 is a neutral pattern indicating a change of state ('to become' something), like 추워지다 (to become cold). -아/어 빠지다 is not about a change, but about being deeply in an already existing negative state.
- -기 일쑤이다Often, Frequently
-기 일쑤이다 means 'to frequently do' something, usually with a negative habit (e.g., 늦잠 자기 일쑤이다 - often oversleeps). It describes a recurring negative action. -아/어 빠지다 describes a constant negative quality or state, not a repeated action.