-게
-게: How Something Is Done
Marks manner, degree, purpose, or result — commonly 'in a … way' after adjectives.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective / verb stem | stem + -게 | 맛있다 → 맛있게 / 크다 → 크게 / 조용하다 → 조용하게 |
| With 하다 / action | -게 + verb | 맛있게 먹어요 / 건강하게 살아요 |
| Particles after -게 (dictionary notes) | -게는 / -게도 / -게까지 | 크게는 아니어도… |
-게 is how Korean builds many how / to what degree phrases from descriptive stems: 맛있게, 크게, 건강하게.
찬 음식을 너무 많이 먹지 마세요 sits beside manner talk in the health unit — don’t… and do it …-ly travel together.
Forms
| Shape | Example |
|---|---|
| stem + -게 | 맛있다 → 맛있게 |
| -게 + verb | 맛있게 먹어요 |
| Already-adverbs | 빨리, 천천히 — no extra -게 |
맛있게 드세요. Please enjoy your meal. (eat deliciously)
크게 말해 주세요. Please speak loudly.
조용하게 걸어요. Walk quietly.
건강하게 지내세요. Take care / stay healthy.Manner, not “because”
| Pattern | Job |
|---|---|
| -게 | manner, degree, (later) purpose/result colour |
| -아서 / -어서 | cause / factual so |
| -으면 | if / when |
피곤해서 쉬어요 and 편하게 쉬어요 answer different questions.
Do not -ly everything
English speakers glue -게 onto words that are already adverbs (*빨리게). If the word already tells manner, stop.
Other -게 endings exist
Dictionary -게 is crowded — sentence-final and other uses share the spelling. For this page, stay with adverbial manner/degree after a stem. If nothing follows and the line feels like a different speech level, you may have left this lesson.
Negation is a different tool
Descriptive negation in statements often uses -지 않다. Prohibitions in this unit use -지 말다. -게 itself is not the “don’t” marker.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
On the jabi learning path, this appears in 찬 음식을 너무 많이 먹지 마세요 (Don't eat too much cold food) — Beginner Korean 2, Unit 7, on the theme of health. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. What is -게 doing in 맛있게 드세요?
2. Why is *빨리게 wrong?
3. How is adverbial -게 different from -아서?
Common questions
Are all dictionary -게 endings this pattern?
No. 우리말샘 lists several -게 endings (including sentence-final ones). This lesson is the connective that builds manner/degree — the health-unit 'how you do it' use.
Can verbs take -게 too?
Yes in the wider grammar (purpose/result readings). Beginner materials lean hard on adjective → manner (맛있게, 행복하게). Grow outward from those.
Same unit as don't…?
Yes — ji-malda teaches negative commands (*먹지 마세요*) while -게 shapes positive manner. Advice speeches use both.
Vs -으면?
eumyeon is conditional 'if/when'. -게 is not an if-clause.