TTMIK Level 6 Lesson 19 / -아/어/여지다 Part 2 / to improve, to change, to increase

In Level 4 Lesson 28, we introduced the verb ending -아/어/여지다 and how it is used to express “to become + adjective”.

Examples:
예쁘다 = to be pretty
예뻐지다 = to become pretty

조용하다 = to be silent
조용해지다 = to become silent

But some adjective words (or descriptive verb) are so commonly used in this -아/어/여지다 form that they are almost considered as independent verbs and have a single-word translation in English as well.

#1
달라지다 [dal-la-ji-da]

다르다 [da-reu-da] = to be different
다르 → 달라 + -아지다 = 달라지다 = to change, to become different

Sample Sentences
여기 많이 달라졌어요.
[yeo-gi ma-ni dal-la-jyeo-sseo-yo.]
= This place has changed a lot.

뭔가 달라진 것 같아요.
[mwon-ga dal-la-jin geot ga-ta-yo.]
= I feel like something has changed.

#2
좋아지다 [jo-a-ji-da]

좋다 [jo-ta] = to be good, to be likeable
좋 → 좋 + -아지다 = 좋아지다 = to get better, to improve, to be enhanced, to start to like

Sample Sentences
이 가수가 좋아졌어요.
[i ga-su-ga jo-a-jyeo-sseo-yo.]
= I started to like this singer.
= I like this singer now.

노래 실력이 좋아졌어요.
[no-rae sil-lyeo-gi jo-a-jyeo-sseo-yo.]
= My singing skills have improved.

#3
많아지다 [ma-na-ji-da]

많다 [man-ta] = to be a lot, to be abundant
많 → 많 + -아지다 = 많아지다 = to increase

Sample Sentences
한국으로 여행 오는 사람들이 많아졌어요.
[han-gu-geu-ro yeo-haeng o-neun sa-ram-deu-ri ma-na-jyeo-sseo-yo.]
= The (number of) people who come to Korea for traveling have increased.

학생이 많아졌어요.
[hak-saeng-i ma-na-jyeo-sseo-yo.]
= The students have increase.

#4
없어지다 [eop-seo-ji-da]

없다 [eop-da] = to be not there, to not exist, to not have
없 → 없 + -어지다 = 없어지다 = to disappear

Sample Sentences
제 핸드폰이 없어졌어요.
[je haen-deu-po-ni eop-seo-jyeo-sseo-yo.]
= My cellphone has disappeared.

아까 여기 있었는데 없어졌어요.
[a-kka yeo-gi i-sseot-neun-de eop-seo-jyeo-sseo-yo.]
= It was here earlier but it disappeared.