Most object verbs in Korean have a corresponding passive verb counterpart constructed with the addition of one of four infixes; -이; -히; -리; -기.

- it's best to memorize the passive counterpart but knowing these four infixes will allow you to recognize a passive verb when you encounter it
- with a Korean passive verb some is directly or indirectly affected by the action of someone else and the affect is often unfavorable
— the person or animal receiving the action is shown by attaching the particles 가/이 or 은/는
— the person or animal doing the action or responsible for it is shown by the particles 한테 or 에게
ex: 사람이 개한테 물렸어요./The person was bitten by the dog.
— if the thing responsible for the action is an inanimate being the particles 에 or 으로 are uses instead of 한테/에게
ex: 그것은 종이로 덮였어요./It was covered with the paper.
- if the underlying verb takes an object (i.e. is with 을/를) then 을/를 must continue to be used
ex: 난 돈을 도둑맞았습니다./I had my money stolen.
- if an action verb is turned into a passive verb, the object particle 을/를 must be replaced with 이/가
ex: 산이 보이비나다./The mountain can be seen.
- 하다 verbs are made passive by replacing 하다 with 되다
ex: 시작되다/to be started
- Korean tends to use passive speech less than English