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Grammar Advanced TOPIK II · Level 5–6 Advanced Korean 2 · expression

-기 일쑤이다

-기 일쑤이다: Always Ends Up… — Habitual Outcome

Expression: always ends up… — what commonly / habitually happens (-기(가) 일쑤이다).

Before this, make sure you know: -기 , -아요 / -어요

How to form it

When Form Example
Nominal -기 + 일쑤이다 -기 일쑤이다 늦기 일쑤이다 / 잊기 일쑤이다
With subject marking -기가 일쑤이다 실수하기가 일쑤이다

-기 일쑤이다 names what commonly ends up happening.

Habitual outcome package. Not a single accident story.

Why this is hard

Learners translate often with 자주 and stop. 일쑤이다 packages the act as a recurring bad/typical result. It also needs -기 nominalisation — not a free tag on bare stems.

What it does

늦기 일쑤예요.
열쇠를 잊기 일쑤예요.
실수하기가 일쑤예요.
약속 취소가 일쑤예요.

The speaker frames the act as what keeps happening.

Forms

-기 일쑤이다 / -기가 일쑤이다.

늦다 → 늦기 일쑤이다
잊다 → 잊기 일쑤이다
실수하다 → 실수하기가 일쑤이다

When not to use it

Do not use it for a one-off time — -을 때.

Do not use it as cheerful praise by default — tone is often critical.

Do not drop 일쑤이다 onto a bare verb without -기.

Neighbours — and why they differ

FormWhy it is not this slot
자주Simple adverb ‘often’.
-을 때Time-when.
-는 법이다Related tendency expression — different package.

Ask: is this the habitual outcome I’m naming? If yes, -기 일쑤이다. If soft often, 자주 may be enough.

If you are scolding a pattern, not narrating one day, you are usually on this page.

Do not confuse it with

-겠-

guessing, forecasting, or resolving — not just future

-을 때

when — the moment something happens

Taught alongside this

On the jabi learning path, this appears in 표현 (expression) — Advanced Korean 2, Unit 4, on the theme of expression. These come with it:

-기 짝이 없다 extremely… — so much there is no comparison 는 마당에 in a situation where… — given this awkward context -는 한이 있어도 even if it kills me… — willing to pay any cost -을 바에 given you are (doing) that — the situation of that act (often with a better alternative) -으려도 even if one tries to… — attempt that still fails or contrasts -으리라는 the idea that one will… — naming a future claim 를 막론하고 regardless of — without picking and choosing among that set -어 치우다 get it done fast — finishing off, often roughly -는다는 the… that says / that will — framing a quoted claim as a noun 이라고는 as for… (only) — singled out under emphasis, usually before scarce/negative (이라고는) -는다던가1 is that the order…? — checking what you were told to do -으래서야 how can you only now…? — challenging the late order or claim -으리라고 that one will… — quoting a future claim -자면2 how about… / let's say… — suggesting a course

Words used above

Tap the speaker to hear it read aloud by your browser.

일쑤이다ilssu-idato be a common outcome
-기 일쑤이다-gi ilssu-idaalways ends up…
버릇beoreuthabit
습관seupgwanhabit
자주jajuoften

Quick check

No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.

1. The same team misses the morning deadline again and again. Which sentence presents lateness as the recurring outcome?

2. Which report describes one occasion and therefore does not justify the habitual expression -기 일쑤이다?

3. A friend simply says they often walk after lunch, with no criticism or resigned bad outcome. Which wording is the lighter fit?

Common questions

Job?

Name the habitual outcome — what keeps happening.

Form?

-기 (가) 일쑤이다 — nominalised act + 일쑤이다.

Tone?

Often critical or resigned — not a cheerful habit badge.

Vs -는 법이다?

Related ‘what tends to happen’ family; keep this page on 일쑤이다.