Usage
i) Beginning to / changing to
나는 한국어를 배우기 시작했다.
I’ve started learning Korean.
Conjugation
| Type | Example | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| AV (vowel) | 하다 | 하기 시작 |
| AV (cons.) | 듣다 | 듣기 시작 |
| DV (vowel) | 빠르다 | 바빠지기 시작 |
| DV (cons.) | 어둡다 | 어두워지기 시작 |
Where:
AV = action verb / processive verb.
DV = descriptive verb / ‘adjective’.
Contents
Introduction
i) Beginning to / changing to
Expanded forms
Additional details
Associated grammar
See also
Bibliography
User examples
Introduction
The construction -기 시작하다 is used to express the beginning of a change in some action or state.
This construction is built from the nominaliser 기 and the verb 시작(始作)하다 (to start). The nominalised noun is a direct object of the verb, though particle 를 is normally omitted.
Importantly, -기 시작하다 is only used with action verbs. Descriptive verbs can use the ending -어지다 to become an active (processive) verb (see below).
i) Beginning to / changing to
-기 시작하다 is simply used to express the onset of a change in action or state.
나는 한국어를 배우기 시작했다.
I’ve started learning Korean.
Here the speaker expresses what they have begun doing.
나 갑자기 긴장되기 시작했어.
I suddenly got nervous.
철수는 3월부터 학교를 다니기 시작할 거야.
철수 will start school from March.
밖으로 나가자마자 해가 뜨기 시작하던 거야.
The sun was beginning to rise just as I stepped outside.
조금씩 줄어들기 시작하는 학생수
slowly decreasing student numbers
진실이 드러나기 시작하는 것을 보았다.
I saw the truth begin to emerge.
Expanded forms
-기 시작하다 is sometimes expanded with the following form(s):
-어지기 시작하다
While -기 시작하다 is exclusively for action (processive) verbs, descriptive verbs (adjectives) can become processive by using the passive auxiliary verb 지다 (get/become).
-어지다 example:
어두워지는 하늘
darkening sky
어두워지기 시작했다.
It started getting dark.
Here there adjective ‘dark’ (어둡다) becomes a processive verb. Now it can be used with -기 시작하다.
요즘 바빠지기 시작한다.
I’m getting busy these days.
눈물이 쏟아지기 시작했다.
Tears began to fall.
날씨가 따뜻해지면 꽃이 피기 시작할 거야.
As the weather gets warmer, flowers will begin to bloom.
Additional details
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Associated grammar
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See also
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Bibliography
Affiliate links help support uK.
— Choo, M., & Kwak, H. (2008). Using Korean: A Guide to Contemporary Usage. New York: Cambridge University Press.
— King, R., Yeon, J., & Lee, I. (2015) Continuing Korean. Boston: Tuttle Publishing.
— Yeon, J., & Brown, L. (2008). Korean: A Comprehensive Grammar. New York: Routledge.
User examples
i) Beginning to / changing to
Context: News article about a movie.
자동차가 말을 하기 시작한다.[Submitted by 주호]
Cars have started talking.