Let's learn how to use the V+기 마련이다 / 게 마련이다 Korean Grammar with some simple and easy-to-understand example sentences.
V + 기 마련이다 / 게 마련이다 -“It’s natural that / Bound to / It’s inevitable that”
USE:
The grammar -기 마련이다 (or -게 마련이다) is used to express something that is natural, expected, or bound to happen in a given situation.
It means that something usually happens that way, or it’s human nature, not surprising at all.
English equivalents:
“It’s natural that…”
“It’s bound to happen.”
“That’s how it usually is.”
“It’s inevitable that…”
You use this expression when something is a common truth, expected outcome, or emotional fact of life.
CONJUGATION RULE
Attach -기 마련이다 or -게 마련이다 to the verb stem.
Form:
Verb stem + 기 마련이다 / 게 마련이다
Both forms are similar in meaning
-기 마련이다 is slightly more grammatical/formal,
-게 마련이다 sounds a bit softer or more conversational.
Examples:
- 사람은 실수하다 → 사람은 실수하기 마련이에요. (People are bound to make mistakes.)
- 아이들은 금방 자라다 → 아이들은 금방 자라게 마련이에요. (Children are bound to grow quickly.)
EXAMPLE SENTENCES:
사람은 누구나 실수하기 마련이에요.
→ Everyone makes mistakes. (It’s natural for people to make mistakes.)열심히 노력하면 좋은 결과가 나오게 마련이에요.
→ If you work hard, good results are bound to come.시간이 지나면 잊히게 마련이에요.
→ As time passes, things are bound to be forgotten.사람이 많으면 시끄럽기 마련이에요.
→ When there are many people, it’s bound to be noisy.겨울에는 감기에 걸리기 마련이에요.
→ In winter, it’s natural to catch a cold.
Additional Notes
기 마련이다 and 게 마련이다 are interchangeable in most cases, but:
기 마련이다 is more common in writing, essays, or formal speech.
게 마련이다 sounds more natural in conversation.
Often used to give comfort, life advice, or general truths.
→ “힘들 때도 있는 법이에요. 인생이 그런 거니까요.”
(There are hard times too. That’s just life.)
You can use it in both past and present contexts, but it usually expresses universal truths or patterns of life.
