-게 하다 in Korean: “make someone do, let someone do”

-게 하다 (-ge hada) means "make someone do" or "let someone do" something. 엄마가 저를 일찍 자게 했어요 means "My mom made me go to bed early." With an adjective it means "make something or someone (feel) a certain way", like 행복하게 하다 ("make happy").

How to form it

How to use it

Use it when one person causes or allows another to do something. The person who is made to act usually takes 을/를 or 한테/에게: 아이를 자게 했어요, 아이한테 책을 읽게 했어요.

Depending on context, it can mean forcing ("made me clean") or allowing ("let me go"). With 못 in front, it means "not let": 못 가게 해요 ("won't let me go").

Korean also has short causative verbs like 먹이다 ("feed") and 웃기다 ("make laugh"). -게 하다 works with almost any verb, so it is the easy, flexible option. Use 해요 politely and 해 casually.

Examples

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Don’t mix it up with

-게 되다: -게 하다 is causing someone to do something ("make them do"). -게 되다 is ending up doing something yourself because of circumstances.

-게 만들다: -게 만들다 also means "make someone do" but often feels stronger, as if pushing someone into it or causing an unwanted result: 화나게 만들었어요 ("you made me angry").

Common mistakes

Mixing it up with the adverb 게, as in 예쁘게 ("prettily"). In -게 하다 the 게 is followed by 하다 and means someone is caused to do or be something.