-게 되다 vs -기로 하다 뜻: ended up vs decide
Learn -게 되다 vs -기로 하다 (ended up vs decided) with an agency meter, minimal pairs, and chat rewrites—sound natural. Learn
Teach -게 되다 vs -기로 하다 with an agency meter (choice→circumstance) and trigger words (결국/어쩌다), then drill 12 chat-style rewrites.
I kept mixing these two in my first Korean class because English “ended up” and “decided” can both sound like “it happened.” Korean forces you to pick: did you choose it, or did it happen to you?
Quick answer
Use -게 되다-ge doeda for “ended up / came to (not fully your choice)” and -기로 하다-giro hada for “decide to (your choice).”
Quick cheat sheet
Expressions in this post
When it’s the right choice
Pick -게 되다-ge doeda when the key point is the result, and it feels like:
- things changed and you ended up somewhere
- you didn’t fully plan it
- the situation pushed you there
Natural trigger words you’ll often hear with it: 결국gyeolguk, 어쩌다eojjeoda, 어느새eoneusae, 나중에najue.
Minimal pairs (vs -기로 하다)
-
한국에 살게 됐어요.hanguge salge dwaesseoyo. — I ended up living in Korea. -
한국에 살기로 했어요.hanguge salgiro haesseoyo. — I decided to live in Korea. -
오늘 혼자 먹게 됐어.oneul honja meokge dwaesseo. — I ended up eating alone today. -
오늘 혼자 먹기로 했어.oneul honja meokgiro haesseo. — I decided to eat alone today. -
결국 택시 타게 됐어.gyeolguk taeksi tage dwaesseo. — I ended up taking a taxi. -
결국 택시 타기로 했어.gyeolguk taeksi tagiro haesseo. — I decided to take a taxi.
Examples
어쩌다 여기서 일하게 됐어요.eojjeoda yeogiseo ilhage dwaesseoyo. — I ended up working here.어느새 익숙해지게 됐네.eoneusae iksukhaejige dwaetne. — I ended up getting used to it before I knew it.결국 그 사람을 다시 만나게 됐어.gyeolguk geu sarameul dasi mannage dwaesseo. — I ended up meeting that person again.
When it’s the right choice
Pick -기로 하다-giro hada when you want to show choice and commitment:
- you decided after thinking
- you set a plan with yourself (or with others)
- you’re announcing a decision in a calm, neutral way
Common with: 오늘부터oneulbuteo, 이제ije, 그냥geunyang, 결국gyeolguk (after debating).
Minimal pairs (vs -게 되다)
-
내일부터 운동하기로 했어요.naeilbuteo undonghagiro haesseoyo. — I decided to work out starting tomorrow. -
내일부터 운동하게 됐어요.naeilbuteo undonghage dwaesseoyo. — I ended up having to work out starting tomorrow. -
오늘은 집에 있기로 했어.oneureun jibe itgiro haesseo. — I decided to stay home today. -
오늘은 집에 있게 됐어.oneureun jibe itge dwaesseo. — I ended up staying home today. -
그만두기로 했어요.geumandugiro haesseoyo. — I decided to quit. -
그만두게 됐어요.geumanduge dwaesseoyo. — I ended up quitting.
Examples
저 오늘은 일찍 들어가기로 했어요.jeo oneureun iljjik deureogagiro haesseoyo. — I decided to go home early today.갑자기 다이어트 하기로 했어.gapjagi daieoteu hagiro haesseo. — I suddenly decided to go on a diet.결국 그냥 말하기로 했어.gyeolguk geunyang malhagiro haesseo. — I decided to just say it.
Comparison table
| -게 되다 | -기로 하다 | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | ended up; came to be | decided to; made a plan |
| Tone | neutral, descriptive | neutral, intentional |
| Safer in workplace? | yes (often sounds modest) | yes (clear decision) |
| Common mistake | using it for a strong choice | using it for “ended up” situations |
Decision tree
If you mean “It wasn’t really my choice; that’s how it turned out” → use -게 되다-ge doeda.
If you mean “I chose this; I’m setting a plan” → use -기로 하다-giro hada.
Quick agency check:
- Did you decide on purpose? If yes →
-기로 하다-giro hada. - Did circumstances lead you there (
결국gyeolguk/어쩌다eojjeoda/어느새eoneusae)? If yes →-게 되다-ge doeda.
Next steps
Rewrite drill (12 chat-style rewrites). Read the English, then say the Korean out loud:
- I ended up moving (not planned). →
어쩌다 이사하게 됐어.eojjeoda isahage dwaesseo. — I ended up moving. - I decided to move. →
이사하기로 했어.isahagiro haesseo. — I decided to move. - We ended up eating out. →
결국 밖에서 먹게 됐어.gyeolguk bakkeseo meokge dwaesseo. — We ended up eating out. - We decided to eat out. →
오늘은 밖에서 먹기로 했어.oneureun bakkeseo meokgiro haesseo. — We decided to eat out. - I ended up being late. →
갑자기 일이 생겨서 늦게 됐어.gapjagi iri saenggyeoseo neutge dwaesseo. — Something came up, so I ended up late. - I decided to leave early. →
오늘은 일찍 가기로 했어.oneureun iljjik gagiro haesseo. — I decided to leave early. - I ended up meeting them again. →
결국 또 만나게 됐어.gyeolguk tto mannage dwaesseo. — I ended up meeting them again. - I decided to tell the truth. →
결국 진실을 말하기로 했어.gyeolguk jinsireul malhagiro haesseo. — I decided to tell the truth. - I ended up staying home. →
어느새 집에 있게 됐네.eoneusae jibe itge dwaetne. — I ended up staying home. - I decided to stay home today. →
오늘은 집에 있기로 했어.oneureun jibe itgiro haesseo. — I decided to stay home today. - I ended up learning Korean. →
어쩌다 한국어 배우게 됐어.eojjeoda hangugeo baeuge dwaesseo. — I ended up learning Korean. - I decided to study Korean seriously. →
이제 진짜로 한국어 공부하기로 했어.ije jinjjaro hangugeo gongbuhagiro haesseo. — I decided to study Korean for real.
2 quick practice prompts:
- You didn’t plan it, but you got assigned to a new project at work. Say it in Korean with the more “circumstance” grammar.
- You chose to stop ordering delivery this month. Say it in Korean with the more “choice” grammar.