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Korean grammar - To make, or to let something happen - 게 하다

To make, or to let something happen - 게 하다

Pattern: Verb stem + 하다

Causation is Korean is more general than in English. 'To make' and 'to let' someone do something are very close in Korean. The sense is more of causation.

A common causative pattern in Korean is Verb stem + 하다.

The sense is 'to permit' or 'allow' or 'cause' something happen. Or 'to have someone do something'.

Examples:
이제 아이들이 잠자리에 들게 하세요.
Now let the kids go to bed.
제가 집에 다녀올 수 있게 허락해주세요.
Please let me return back home.

허락하다 means 'to allow' or 'to permit'

인내심은 사람을 성장하게 한다.
Patience makes a man grow.
학생들은 선생님을 화나게 했어요.
The students made the teacher mad.
부모님이 걱정하시게 하는 건 잘못입니다.
It's wrong to make (your) parents worry.

The honorific particle is inserted because we are talking about the listener's parents.

앵무새에게 아침마다 노래를 부르게 했어요.
(I) made the parrot sing every morning.
선생님이 반장에게 출석을 부르게 했어요.
The teacher had the class president take the roll.
알람이 매일 울리게 했어요.
(I) made my alarm go off every day.
몸을 청결하게 하십시오.
Let’s have (our) body clean.

A frequently heard exhortation of parents/teachers to dirty children

싫어하는 채소를 다 먹게 했어요.
(I) made (her) eat all the vegetables (she) hates.
그녀의 부모님은 그녀에게 한국어를 공부하게 했어요.
Her parents made (her) study Korean.
엄마는 미나에게 친구들 앞에서 피아노를 치게 하셨어요.
Mina's mother made her play the piano in front of (her) friends.
교수님은 학생에게 수요일까지 숙제를 제출하게 하셨어요.
The professor had the students submit (their) homework by Wednesday.

제출하다 means 'to submit' or 'to hand in'

은희 씨는 질문을 너무 많이 해서 저를 귀찮게 해요.
(Ms) Eunhee made me annoyed with all (her) questions.
요즘 저를 우울하게 하는 일들이 많이 생겼어요.
A lot of things have happened recently to make me depressed.
부모님은 제가 밤늦게 못 나가게 하셨어요.
(My) parents won't let me outside at late night.
선생님은 학생들에게 모르는 단어는 사전을 찾게 했어요.
The teacher made the students look up the words they did not know in the dictionary.
어머니는 아이가 한 시간 동안 게임을 놀게 할 거예요.
The mother will let the child play the game for an hour.
민수 씨는 질문을 너무 많이 해서 저를 귀찮게 해요.
Minsu causes me bother by asking too many questions.

귀찮다 means 'to be bothersome' or 'to be tiresome' or 'to be annoying'

선생님이 수업 시간에 우리가 한국어로 말하게 했어요.
The teacher made us speak Korean in class.