-기 일쑤이다
Used to say that an undesirable action happens repeatedly or that it's the usual outcome — something routinely goes wrong.
Summary
Equivalent
Always ends up..., Tends to..., It's common for...
Example
I'm always skipping breakfast because I'm so busy.
바빠서 아침을 거르기 일쑤예요.
Grammar rules
- It implies '[X] always/often happens (and it's usually not good).' Only attaches to verbs.
- Only used in negative or frustrating contexts.
- Cannot be used for positive outcomes.
- Used with written forms too: '-기가 일쑤이다', '-기 일쑤다', '-기가 일쑤다' are all acceptable.
밤을 새우기가 일쑤예요. (It's common to pull all-nighters.)
- Cannot be used in positive situations.
칭찬받기 일쑤예요. (X — awkward in a positive sense)
Patterns
V (Verbs)
현재 (Present) · -기 일쑤이다
Example sentences
I'm always skipping breakfast because I'm so busy.
바빠서 아침을 거르기 일쑤예요.
That friend always forgets appointment times so it's hard to trust them.
그 친구는 약속 시간을 잊어버리기 일쑤라서 믿기 어려워요.
When I was young, I was always running around and falling.
어릴 때는 뛰어다니다가 넘어지기 일쑤였어요.
Conversation
A: I exercise hard, but why won't the weight come off?
운동을 열심히 하는 편인데 왜 살이 안 빠질까요?
B: You need to watch what you eat too. Even if you exercise well, if you don't control your diet, you'll always end up back where you started.
식사도 신경을 써야 해요. 운동은 잘 해도 식사 조절이 안 되면 원래대로 돌아오기 일쑤예요.
Practice
Fill in the blank
Select the correct phrase meaning 'always ends up...'.
기억력이 나빠서 물건을 자주 잊어버려요.
지각을 자주 해서 혼나요.