-당하다
Suffer, Undergo
-당하다 is a suffix that attaches to some nouns to make them into passive verbs. It means the subject 'suffers' or 'undergoes' the action of the noun.
How It Works
-당하다 is a specific way to form a passive verb in Korean. It attaches directly to certain nouns (mostly of Sino-Korean origin) that represent an action.
The core function is to indicate that the subject of the sentence is passively receiving or experiencing the action described by the noun. A key feature of -당하다 is its strong negative connotation. It implies that the action is undesirable, involuntary, or harmful to the subject.
Common nouns used with -당하다:
- 거절 (refusal) → 거절당하다 (to be rejected)
- 무시 (disregard) → 무시당하다 (to be ignored)
- 사기 (fraud) → 사기당하다 (to be scammed)
- 이용 (use) → 이용당하다 (to be used/exploited)
- 해고 (dismissal) → 해고당하다 (to be fired)
- 공격 (attack) → 공격당하다 (to be attacked)
Comparison with other passive forms:
1. -아/어지다: This is a more general passive construction that attaches to verb stems. While -당하다 is limited to specific nouns, -아/어지다 can be used with a wide range of verbs (e.g., 만들다 → 만들어지다 'to be made').
2. -되다: This also attaches to nouns to form passive verbs (e.g., 사용되다 'to be used', 발견되다 'to be discovered'). However, -되다 is often more neutral in tone compared to the negative feeling of -당하다. For example, 이용되다 means 'to be utilized' (neutral), while 이용당하다 means 'to be exploited' (negative).
Examples (4)
- 좋아하는 사람에게 고백했는데 거절당했어요.
I confessed to the person I like, but I was rejected.
Word by Word: To the person I like I confessed but was rejected.
거절 (rejection) + 당하다 creates 거절당하다 (to be rejected), indicating the speaker suffered the action of rejection.
- 회의에서 제 의견이 완전히 무시당했어요.
My opinion was completely ignored in the meeting.
Word by Word: In the meeting my opinion was completely ignored.
무시 (disregard) + 당하다 becomes 무시당하다 (to be ignored). The speaker is expressing the negative experience of their opinion being disregarded.
- 그는 친구에게 사기를 당해서 돈을 모두 잃었다.
He was scammed by his friend and lost all his money.
Word by Word: He by his friend was scammed so money all lost.
사기 (fraud) + 당하다 forms 사기당하다 (to be scammed), a passive verb describing the negative event.
- 회사 사정이 안 좋아서 갑자기 해고당했어요.
I was suddenly fired because the company's situation isn't good.
Word by Word: Company situation is not good so suddenly was fired.
해고 (dismissal) + 당하다 creates 해고당하다 (to be fired), indicating the involuntary and negative experience of losing one's job.
Common Mistakes
Using -당하다 with nouns that don't fit its negative, passive meaning.
Not Quite그 문제는 드디어 해결당했어요.Better그 문제는 드디어 해결되었어요.While both create passive verbs, -당하다 implies suffering. 'Solving a problem' (해결) is generally a neutral or positive event, so the neutral passive form 해결되다 is much more natural. 해결당하다 sounds like the person suffered from the problem being solved.
Applying -당하다 to native Korean words instead of Sino-Korean nouns.
Not Quite도둑에게 모든 돈을 뺏김당했어요.Better도둑에게 모든 돈을 뺏겼어요.-당하다 attaches to specific Sino-Korean action nouns. For the action of 'having something taken away' (from the verb 뺏다), the passive form is 뺏기다. You cannot attach -당하다 to the nominalized form 뺏김.
Learn This First
To express 'suffer, undergo', you need verb conjugation knowledge.
Related Patterns
- -아/어지다Become, Turn into
Both create passive sentences. However, -아/어지다 is a general passive construction that attaches to many verb stems, while -당하다 attaches only to specific nouns and carries a stronger negative meaning of 'suffering' the action.
- 되다Become, Be Allowed
Like -당하다, 되다 can attach to nouns to form passive verbs (e.g., 사용되다 - to be used). The main difference is nuance: -당하다 is almost always negative (e.g., 이용당하다 - to be exploited), while -되다 is often neutral (e.g., 이용되다 - to be utilized).
- -시키다Make Someone Do, Cause
-시키다 is the causative suffix, meaning 'to make someone do something'. It is the opposite of the passive -당하다. For example, 해고시키다 means 'to fire someone' (causative), while 해고당하다 means 'to be fired' (passive).
- -에 의해By, Through, According to
-에 의해 is a particle meaning 'by' and is often used in formal passive sentences to indicate the agent who performed the action. It can be used in sentences with -당하다 verbs, e.g., '적에 의해 공격당했다' (was attacked by the enemy).