Etymology 1
From Middle Korean 게〮 (Yale: -kéy). Old Korean has adverb-deriving 去 (*-ke), although uncommon.[1] In Middle Korean, it coexisted with 이 (Yale: -i) and 오 (Yale: -wo), but it has since displaced both to become by far the most productive adverbial suffix in Korean.
Suffix
게 • (-ge)
- -ly; a suffix attached to the stems of verbs and adjectives to derive adverbs.
- 슬프게 울다 ― seulpeu-ge ulda ― to weep sadly
- 행복하게 살고 있다. ― Haengbok-ha-ge salgo itda. ― He is living happily.
- 하늘이 붉게 물들었다. ― Haneur-i bul-ge mul-deur-eot-da. ― The sky was colored red.
- so that
- 물 마시게 컵 좀. ― Mul masi-ge keop jom. ― A cup please, so I can have water.
몸에 꼭 맞게 맞춘 옷이 배달되어 왔다.- Mom-e kkok mat-ge matchun os-i baedaldoeeo watda.
- The clothes which were made to fit him perfectly were delivered.
Usage notes
(common constructions)
- 게 하다 (-ge hada) derives causatives:
- 동생이 밥을 먹게 하다 ― dongsaeng-i bab-eul meokge hada ― to make one's younger brother eat
- 슬프게 하다 ― seulpeuge hada ― to make [someone] sad
- 게 되다 (-ge doeda) approximately means "to end up", with a nuance of being involuntary:
- 코로나로 인해 대학을 못 가게 되다 ― korona-ro inhae daehag-eul mot gage doeda ― to end up unable to go to university because of Covid-19
Etymology 2
First attested in the nineteenth century. Formally the same suffix as Etymology 1. It stems from a practice in which the mood-marking main verb was left implicit in colloquial conversation, causing the originally adverbalized stem to develop into the main stem of the clause.[2][3]
Suffix
게 • (-ge)
- In the intimate style:
- are you going to...; used to ask about the addressee's intentions, often with a nuance of slight surprise.
- 뭐 하게? ― Mwo ha-ge? ― What are you going to do?
지금 가게? 너무 이르지 않아?- Jigeum ga-ge? Neomu ireuji ana?
- Are you going to leave right now? Isn't it too early?
- Used sarcastically to deny the possibility of something being true by positing an equally absurd situation.
말만 하면 다 되게?- Mal-man ha-myeon da doe-ge?
- Do you think you can solve every problem just by talking?
- (literally, “If you just spoke, would everything be done?”)
네가 검사면 난 판사게?- Ne-ga geomsa-myeon nan pansa-ge?
- If you're a prosecutor, then I'm a judge!
- Used to invite someone to guess.
- 누구게? ― Nugu-ge? ― Guess who?
- In the familiar style, the principal imperative suffix.
말하게. 그날 자네는 뭘 하고 있었나?- Mal-ha-ge. Geunal jane-neun mwol hago isseonna?
- Please tell me. What were you doing that day?
Etymology 3
From Middle Korean 개 (Yale: -kay).
Suffix
게 • (-ge)
- Alternative form of 개 (-gae, “[agentive suffix]”)
Etymology 4
Particle
게 • (-ge)
- (literary) Short for 에게 (-ege, “to”).
Usage notes
- Used only for pronouns.
- In contemporary language, used only in 내게 (nae-ge, “to me”), 제게 (je-ge, “to me (humble)”), 네게 (ne-ge, “to you”).
References
장윤희 [jang'yunhui] (2006) “고대국어의 파생 접미사 연구 [godaegugeoui pasaeng jeommisa yeon'gu, A study of derivational suffixes in Old Korean]”, in Gugeohak, volume 47, pages 91—144
장윤희 [jang'yunhui] (2012) “국어 종결어미의 통시적 변화와 쟁점 [gugeo jonggyeoreomiui tongsijeok byeonhwawa jaengjeom, A general survey of diachronic change of Korean sentence-terminating endings]”, in Gugeosa yeon'gu, volume 14, pages 63—99
이소은 [iso'eun] (2016) 19세기 말~20세기 초 한국어에 나타난 종결어미화 연구 [19segi mal~20segi cho han'gugeo'e natanan jonggyeoreomihwa yeon'gu, A study of the development of sentence-final suffixes in Korean in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries], University of Seoul (PhD)