Usage
i) Naturally bound to occur
노력하지 않으면 실패하기 마련이다.
노력하지 않으면 실패하게 마련이다.
You will fail if you don’t try.
Conjugation
| Type | Example | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| AV (vowel) | 하다 | 하기 말이다 하게 말이다 |
| AV (cons.) | 듣다 | 듣기 말이다 듣게 말이다 |
| DV (vowel) | 빠르다 | 빠르기 말이다 빠르게 말이다 |
| DV (cons.) | 어둡다 | 어둡기 말이다 어둡게 말이다 |
Where:
AV = action verb / processive verb.
DV = descriptive verb / ‘adjective’.
Contents
Introduction
i) Naturally bound to occur
Additional details
Associated grammar
See also
Bibliography
User examples
Introduction
This ending is used to describe events which are naturally bound to occur. As a bound noun, 마련(이) is preceded by either nominaliser -기 or the adverbial ending -게 without any discernible difference.
Note that while 마련하다 means ‘prepare’ and ‘arrange’, the bound noun 마련(이) has reached different meanings associated with ‘being naturally destined to occur’.
i) Naturally bound to occur
This form is used to say something is naturally/inevitably ‘bound to occur’ or ‘expected to occur’.
노력하지 않으면 실패하기 마련이다.
노력하지 않으면 실패하게 마련이다.
You will fail if you don’t try.
Here, failure is the natural result of not trying.
마련(이다) is used to describe occurrences which come about from natural forces rather than human actions. These occurrences are expected to occur from common assumptions and common knowledge.
Since this form expresses the speaker’s belief, it has certain restrictions. Namely, it can only be used in declarative sentences (making statements) and cannot be used to express conjecture or necessity as these are logically incompatible with ‘events that are bound to occur naturally’. Moreover, this form cannot be used with future tense, and past tense is exceptionally rare.
거짓말은 언젠가 들키기 마련이다.
Lies are eventually discovered.
얼굴이 예쁘면 인기있기 마련이야.
You’ll naturally be popular with a pretty face.
노력하지 않으면 실패하기 마련이다.
You will fail if you don’t try.
물건이란 오래 쓰면 닳게 마련이에요.
Things inevitably wear out after long use.
운동을 매일하면 건강해지기 마련이에요.
You’re bound to get healthier if you exercise each day.
장마가 오면 빨래가 잘 안마르기 마련이다.
Laundry doesn’t dry well during the summer rains.
최선을 다하면 언젠가는 성공하기 마련이죠.
If you try your best, you will eventually succeed.
그렇게 돈을 쓰다보면 남아나지 않기 마련이지.
If you spend money like that, there won’t be any leftover.
건강하지 않으면 아무 것도 즐겁지 않기 마련이야.
Nothing is fun when you’re unhealthy.
대부분의 아이들이 학원을 다니는 것을 싫어하기 마련인데.
Most kids hate going to after school academies.
어휘라는 게 일정한 시간이 지나면 자연스럽게 잊혀지기 마련이다.
Vocabulary is naturally forgotten after a certain period of time.
Additional details
General
• Apart from the fact that -게 마련(이) historically appeared before -기 마련(이), scholars have not yet determined a difference between the two forms.
• Scholars are yet to determine the semantic path from 마련 meaning ‘prepare’ to 마련(이) meaning ‘bound to occur’. There is a suggestion that -게 마련(이) was used with the meaning ‘a precursor to an event’ and from this comes ‘bound to occur’.
Associated grammar
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See also
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Bibliography
Affiliate links help support uK.
— Ahn, J., & Sun, E. (2014). Korean Grammar in Use: Advanced. Paju-si: Darakwon.
— Ihm, H.B., Hong, K.P., & Chang, S.I. (2001). Korean Grammar for International Learners. Seoul: Yonsei University Press.
— Lee, K. A study on the process of grammaticalization in Korean nouns and modal meaning. (2012). Language & Literary Research, 40(3), 57–89.
— Yeon, J., & Brown, L. (2008). Korean: A Comprehensive Grammar. New York: Routledge.