-히-

From Middle Korean 히〮 (-hí-), an allomorph of 기〮 (Yale: -kí-, causative/passive-deriving suffix) formed by lenition of the initial consonant /k-/ in intervocalic environments. Beyond Middle Korean, the causative is the original meaning as attested in Old Korean, and the passive is a later development from the causative first attested in the written language some time between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries.^[1][2]

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:

히 • (-hi-)

1. A verbal suffix deriving the stems of causative verbs, attaching to verb or adjective stems which end in non-aspirate obstruents such as ㄱ (g), ㄷ (d), ㅂ (b), and ㅈ (j). No longer productive.

   Synonyms: 이 (-i-), 리 (-ri-), 기 (-gi-), 우 (-u-), 구 (-gu-), 추 (-chu-)

   ‎입다 (ipda, “to wear”) + ‎히 (-hi-) → ‎입히다 (iphida, “to dress”)

   ‎익다 (ikda, “to ripen”) + ‎히 (-hi-) → ‎익히다 (ikhida, “to bake”)

   ‎앉다 (anda, “to sit down”) + ‎히 (-hi-) → ‎앉히다 (anchida, “to seat”)

   ‎더럽다 (deoreopda, “to be dirty”) + ‎히 (-hi-) → ‎더럽히다 (deoreophida, “to dirty, to soil”)

2. A verbal suffix deriving the stems of passive verbs, mainly attaching to verb stems which end in non-aspirate obstruents such as ㄱ (g), ㄷ (d), ㅂ (b), and ㅈ (j). No longer productive.

   Synonyms: 이 (-i-), 리 (-ri-), 기 (-gi-)

   ‎먹다 (meokda, “to eat”) + ‎히 (-hi-) → ‎먹히다 (meokhida, “to be eaten”)

   ‎밟다 (bapda, “to trample on”) + ‎히 (-hi-) → ‎밟히다 (balpida, “to be trampled on”)

   ‎닫다 (datda, “to close”) + ‎히 (-hi-) → ‎닫히다 (dachida, “to be closed”)

Although still very common in Korean, the causative/passive suffixes are no longer productive for forming new verbs. Verbs that do not already have a morphological causative or passive must employ auxiliaries:

• 게 하다 (-ge hada) for causatives
• 어지다 (-eojida) for passives

The causative/passive suffixes 이 (-i-), 히 (-hi-), 리 (-ri-), and 기 (-gi-) all stem from the same etymon, and are fairly complementary in distribution. 히 attaches to verb stems which end in non-aspirate stops and affricates, i.e. ㄱ (g), ㄷ (d), ㅂ (b), and ㅈ (j).