Advanced Causative Passive: Double Voice Construction

This grammar works by merging two different passive tools. First, you take a verb stem. Then, you add a causative or passive suffix. These are 이, 히, 리, or 기. Now, you have a basic passive verb. But we are not done yet! Next, you add the suffix -어지다. This adds a sense of "becoming" or "resulting state." It is like saying something was made to be in a certain way. The two parts work together to shift focus. The focus moves away from who did the action. It stays on the object that changed. It is like a grammar traffic light. It tells the listener to look at the result, not the driver.

1. 1Start with the base verb stem. Example: 믿다 (to believe).
2. 2Attach the passive suffix. For 믿다, we add 기 to get 믿기다 (to be believed).
3. 3Change the end to the -어 or -아 form. 믿기다 becomes 믿겨.
4. 4Add 지다 to the end. Now you have 믿겨지다.
5. 5Conjugate for the tense you need. 믿겨졌어요 is the past tense version.
6. 6For verbs ending in 하다, use 하여지다 or 해지다. Example: 생각하다 becomes 생각되어지다.

Use this when you want to sound soft. It is great for sharing your feelings. Instead of saying "I forgot," say "It became forgotten." This is 잊혀지다. It sounds much more poetic. Use it when describing natural changes too. If a secret gets out, you can use 밝혀지다. Use it in job interviews to sound humble. It makes it seem like your success "was achieved." It takes the pressure off you as an individual. Use it when you order food and want to be polite. It focuses on the order being placed. It is perfect for situations where control is out of your hands. Like when your ice cream melts on a hot day.

Avoid this in very formal academic writing. Some teachers think it is redundant. They might call it an "unnecessary double passive." If a simple passive works, use that instead. For example, 바뀌다 is often better than 바뀌어지다. Don't use it for simple, direct actions. If you broke a window, just say you broke it. Using double voice makes you sound like a suspicious lawyer. "The window became broken by me" sounds a bit fishy! Also, don't use it with verbs that don't have a passive form. It will just sound like gibberish to a native ear.

The biggest mistake is overusing it. It can make your sentences feel too long. Another mistake is mixing up the suffixes. Don't use 리 when you should use 기. For example, 안겨지다 is correct, but 안려지다 is not. Beginners often forget to conjugate -어지다 correctly. Remember it follows the same rules as 지다. Some people also use it with active verbs by accident. This creates a confusing "becoming to do" meaning. Always check if the base verb is already passive. If it is, think if you really need the second layer. It is like wearing two coats. Sometimes it is cozy, sometimes it is just bulky.

Let's look at -게 되다. This also means "to end up doing." But -게 되다 focuses on the process. Double voice focuses on the final state. Think of -게 되다 as a movie. Think of double voice as a photo. There is also the simple passive 이/히/리/기. This is just a plain fact. 보이다 means "it is seen." 보여지다 means "it has come to be seen." The double version feels more gradual. It feels like something changed over time. It is a subtle difference, but it matters. It is the difference between "the light is on" and "the light came on."