……
Breakdown of je osi gugyeojyeosseoyo.
~이~i
subject particle
제je
my
옷os
clothes
구겨지다gugyeojida
to get wrinkled
Questions & Answers about je osi gugyeojyeosseoyo.
Why is 제 used instead of 내 here?
제 is the humble (honorific) form of 내 (“my”) and matches the polite speech level signaled by -어요. In a polite sentence you’d say 제 옷이 구겨졌어요 rather than 내 옷이 구겨졌어.
What role does the particle 이/가 play in 제 옷이 구겨졌어요?
이/가 marks the subject of a sentence. Here 옷이 indicates “the clothes” are what experienced the action (they got wrinkled). If the noun ends in a vowel sound, you’d use 가 instead (e.g. 셔츠가 구겨졌어요).
How do you form 구겨졌어요 from 구기다?
- Start with the active verb 구기다 (to wrinkle something).
- Convert to the passive/resultative stem 구겨지-.
- Add the past marker -었- → 구겨졌-.
- Attach the polite ending -어요 → 구겨졌어요.
Why is this sentence in the passive voice?
Because the focus is on what happened to the clothes, not who did it. The passive/resultative 구겨지다 expresses “to become wrinkled” (the state resulting from wrinkling). If you wanted to say “I wrinkled (my) clothes,” you’d use the active: 제가 옷을 구겼어요.
How would I say “I wrinkled my clothes” in Korean?
Use the active construction:
• 제가 옷을 구겼어요.
You can drop 제가 or switch to 내가 in informal contexts:
• 옷을 구겼어.
Can I omit 제 옷이 and just say 구겨졌어요?
Yes—if the context makes it clear what you’re talking about, you can simply say 구겨졌어요 (“It got wrinkled”). Adding 제 옷이 clarifies what got wrinkled.
What’s the difference between 구겨졌어요 and 구겨졌습니다?
• 구겨졌어요 is polite but somewhat casual (used in everyday conversation).
• 구겨졌습니다 is formal and respectful (used in announcements, formal writings, or speaking to superiors). Both are past tense passive forms of 구기다.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do speech levels work in Korean?”
Korean has multiple speech levels that indicate formality and politeness. The most common are the formal polite (‑습니다/‑ㅂ니다), informal polite (‑아요/‑어요), and casual (‑아/‑어) forms. Which level you use depends on who you're speaking to and the social context.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning KoreanMaster Korean — from je osi gugyeojyeosseoyo to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions