-게 되다
Used to express that a situation has changed or someone is led to do an action, often regardless of their own will or due to circumstantial reasons.
Summary
Equivalent
To end up doing / To get to do
Also: -아/어지다 (To become - for adjectives)
Example
After coming to Korea, I ended up being able to eat spicy food well.
한국에 와서 매운 음식을 잘 먹게 되었어요.
Grammar rules
- Attach directly to verb stems.
- It is very frequently conjugated in the past tense ('-게 되었어요' or '-게 됐어요') to explain a situation that has already changed.
- It sounds very natural when explaining 'how things turned out this way' to someone, especially in self-introductions or giving background stories.
다음 달에 한국으로 출장을 가게 됐어요. (I ended up going on a business trip to Korea next month.)
Patterns
All Verbs
Resulting State · Verb Stem + 게 되다
Example sentences
After coming to Korea, I ended up being able to eat spicy food well.
한국에 와서 매운 음식을 잘 먹게 되었어요.
We got to meet through a friend's introduction.
우리는 친구 소개로 만나게 되었습니다.
Work got busy, so I ended up not being able to go on the trip.
일이 바빠서 여행을 못 가게 됐어요.
Conversation
A: How did you end up learning Korean?
어떻게 한국어를 배우게 됐어요?
B: I got to learn it because I like Korean dramas.
한국 드라마를 좋아해서 배우게 됐어요.
Practice
Fill in the blank
Select the correct form expressing how things turned out.
Moving.
Knowing.