The Meanings of the Two Passives in Korean

Abstract

The present paper deals with distinguishing the meanings of the two passives in Korean, thereby revealing a systematic nature of the Korean verb system. One passive form is made with the infix and the other with the auxiliary verb cita. In productivity the two passives are different from each other. The auxiliary passive is productive whereas the infix passive is not. However, they have been regarded to be synonymous. It is claimed in this paper that the two passives have different meanings. The infix passive denotes spontaneous and accidental process whereas the auxiliary passive denotes processes which are carried out intentionally