아/어/여 지다 (become, get - change of state)

Think of an adjective like 춥다 (to be cold). That is just a fact. But if you want to say it is *becoming* cold, you need 아/어/여 지다. It attaches to the root of an adjective. Once attached, the whole word behaves like a verb. This means you can conjugate it into different tenses. You can say something *became* better or *will become* easier. It is all about the movement from Point A to Point B. It describes the transition, not just the result.

1. 1Find the adjective root by dropping 다.
2. 2Check the last vowel of that root.
3. 3If the vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, add -아지다. Example: 싸다 (cheap) becomes 싸지다.
4. 4If the vowel is anything else, add -어지다. Example: 크다 (big) becomes 커지다.
5. 5If the adjective ends in 하다, it always becomes -해지다. Example: 행복하다 (happy) becomes 행복해지다.
6. 6For irregulars like 춥다 (ㅂ-irregular), change ㅂ to 우 first. Then add -어지다 to get 추워지다. Yes, even the irregulars want to join the change party.

• Weather Updates: Use it when the seasons shift. "It’s getting hot!" 더워지네요!
• Health and Fitness: Talk about getting stronger or healthier. "I got healthy by exercising." 운동해서 건강해졌어요.
• Skills and Learning: Celebrate your progress. "Korean is getting easier." 한국어가 쉬워져요.
• Emotions: Describe how your mood shifts. "I became happy after seeing you." 당신을 봐서 기뻐졌어요.
• Market Trends: Useful for shopping. "Prices got expensive." 물가가 비싸졌어요.
• Ordering Food: When you want your food spicier. "Please make it spicier!" 더 맵게 해주세요 is common, but 매워졌어요 explains the result.

Do not use this with verbs. You cannot say "becoming eating." It only works with adjectives (descriptive verbs). Also, avoid it when describing a permanent, unchanging state. If something is already big, just use 커요. Only use 커졌어요 if it was small before. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. It only turns green when there is movement or change.

• Confusing with Passive: Some verbs look similar to this pattern (like 써지다). Don't worry, context usually saves the day.
• Double Tense: You don't need to add a past tense to the adjective root itself. It's not 추웠어졌어요. It is simply 추워졌어요.
• Vowel Confusion: Mixing up -아지다 and -어지다. Remember: ㅏ/ㅗ always stick together like best friends.
• Static vs Dynamic: Using it for things that haven't actually changed. Only use it when there's a "before" and "after" comparison.

Many learners confuse 아/어/여 지다 with -게 되다. Here is the secret: 아/어/여 지다 focuses on the *process* of change in a quality (getting colder, getting prettier). -게 되다 focuses on the *outcome* or a change in a situation or habit (I ended up going, I came to like it). Think of 아/어/여 지다 as an internal change. Think of -게 되다 as an external shift in circumstances.