보다

See also: -보다

Korean

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [po̞da̠]
- Audio: (file)
Phonetic hangul: [보다]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	boda
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	boda
McCune–Reischauer^?	poda
Yale Romanization^?	pota

Etymology 1

First attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 보다〮 (Yale: pwòtá). Cognate with Jeju 보다 (boda).

Verb

Korean verb set
Base	보다 (boda)
Causative	보이다 (boida)

보다 • (boda) (infinitive 봐 or 보아, sequential 보니) (transitive)

to see, to look at, to watch (to perceive with the eyes)
영화 를 보다 ― yeonghwa-reul boda ― to watch a film

그들 은 여러 가지 화초 를 보고 있다.
Geudeur-eun yeoreogaji hwacho-reul bogo itda.
They are looking at various plants.
to look after (a baby, child, house, etc.)
아이 를 보다 ― ai-reul boda ― to look after a child
(of a food or product) to try, to examine (before the meal or purchase)
미리 맛 을 보다 ― miri mas-eul boda ― to taste the food beforehand
(auxiliary, with the infinitive) to experience
한국 에 가 본 적 이 있어 요?
han'gug-e ga bon jeog-i isseo-yo?
Have you ever been to Korea?
(literally, “Have you experienced going to Korea?”)
(auxiliary, after the infinitive) to try, to try out
한번 생각해 볼게요.
Hanbeon saenggakhae bolge-yo.
I'll consider it.
(literally, “I'll try thinking about it.”)

이거 좀 봐봐.
Igeo jom bwabwa.
Have a look at this.
(literally, “Try looking at this.”)
(auxiliary, with 고 or 다(가)) Used to denote that the experience of the main verb has led to a certain conclusion or realization.
살다 보니 인생 별거 아니 더라.
Salda boni insaeng byeolgeo anideora.
Now that I've lived for a while, life really isn't something special.
to consider, to regard
Synonyms: 여기다 (yeogida), 생각하다 (saenggakhada)

그 는 공산주의 을 좋게 본다.
Geu-neun gongsanjuui-eul joke bonda.
He has a favorable attitude towards Communism.
to read (not out loud)
Synonym: 읽다 (ikda)

보는 신문 ― boneun sinmun ― the newspaper one is subscribed to
to meet (for a prearranged purpose)
Hypernym: 만나다 (mannada, “to meet (in general)”)

우리 며칠 에 볼까?
uri myeochir-e bolkka?
Which day should we meet up on?
(of an examination) to take
시험 을 잘 보면 좋 겠 습니다.
Siheom-eul jal bomyeon joketseumnida.
I hope I do well on the test.
(literally, “It would be good if I take the test well.”)
(of divination or fortune-telling) to consult
용한 만신 을 찾아 가서 점 을 보다
yonghan mansin-eul chajagaseo jeom-eul boda
to seek out a powerful priestess and consult her divination
to be in charge of
Synonyms: 맡다 (matda), 도맡다 (domatda)
(of profits or losses) to make
이윤 도 못 볼 판 에 장사 할 이유 는 없다.
Iyundo mot bol pan-e jangsahal iyu-neun eopda.
There is no reason to do business when you will even not be able to make a gain.
(euphemistic) to relieve oneself
소변 을 보다 ― sobyeon-eul boda ― to urinate
(of a child, grandchild, child-in-law) to get
드디어 아들 을 보다 ― deudieo adeur-eul boda ― He got a son at last.

Usage notes

When used as an auxiliary, the verb can be either spaced or not spaced from the main verb; the National Institute of Korean Language permits both spellings. Hence 해보다 (haeboda) and 해 보다 (hae boda) are both permissible.
(to try): This verb does not mean "to try hard", but "to try out; to sample". For "try purposefully", use —려(고) 하다 (-ryeo(go) hada) or —려고 노력하다 (-ryeogo noryeokhada). Compare Japanese 見(み)る (miru).

Conjugation

Selected forms of the verb 보다 (boda): vowel-stem, regular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	본다 bonda	봐 bwa	봐요, 보아요 bwayo, boayo	봅니다 bomnida
Indicative	Past	봤다 bwatda	봤어 bwasseo	봤어요 bwasseoyo	봤습니다 bwatseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	보느냐 boneunya	봐 bwa	봐요, 보아요 bwayo, boayo	봅니까 bomnikka
Interrogative	Past	봤느냐 bwanneunya	봤어 bwasseo	봤어요 bwasseoyo	봤습니까 bwatseumnikka
Hortative		보자 boja	봐 bwa	봐요, 보아요 bwayo, boayo	보십시다 bosipsida
Imperative		봐라, 보아라 bwara, boara	봐 bwa	봐요, 보아요 bwayo, boayo	봅시오 bopsio
Assertive		보겠다 bogetda	보겠어 bogesseo	보겠어요 bogesseoyo	보겠습니다 bogetseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		봐 bwa	봐서, 보아서 bwaseo, boaseo	보니 boni	보니까 bonikka
Contrast		보지만 bojiman	보는데 boneunde	보더니 bodeoni
Conjunction		보고 bogo
Condition		보면 bomyeon	봐야, 보아야 bwaya, boaya
Motive		보려고 boryeogo
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		봄 bom	보기 bogi
Past-tense verbal nouns		봤음, 보았음 bwasseum, boasseum	봤기, 보았기 bwatgi, boatgi
Determiners	Past	본 bon
	Present	보는 boneun
	Future	볼 bol

Sentence-final forms with honorific
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	보신다 bosinda	보셔 bosyeo	보세요, 보셔요 boseyo, bosyeoyo	보십니다 bosimnida
Indicative	Past	보셨다 bosyeotda	보셨어 bosyeosseo	보셨어요 bosyeosseoyo	보셨습니다 bosyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	보시느냐 bosineunya	보셔 bosyeo	보세요, 보셔요 boseyo, bosyeoyo	보십니까 bosimnikka
Interrogative	Past	보셨느냐 bosyeonneunya	보셨어 bosyeosseo	보셨어요 bosyeosseoyo	보셨습니까 bosyeotseumnikka
Imperative		보시라 bosira	보셔 bosyeo	보세요 boseyo	보십시오 bosipsio
Assertive		보시겠다 bosigetda	보시겠어 bosigesseo	보시겠어요 bosigesseoyo	보시겠습니다 bosigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		보셔 bosyeo	보셔서 bosyeoseo	보시니 bosini	보시니까 bosinikka
Contrast		보시지만 bosijiman	보시는데 bosineunde	보시더니 bosideoni
Conjunction		보시고 bosigo
Condition		보시면 bosimyeon	보셔야 bosyeoya
Motive		보시려고 bosiryeogo
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		보심 bosim	보시기 bosigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		보셨음 bosyeosseum	보셨기 bosyeotgi
Determiners	Past	보신 bosin
	Present	보시는 bosineun
	Future	보실 bosil

Derived terms

particles

-보고 (-bogo, “to; towards”)
-보다 (-boda, “than”, used to form comparisons)

verbs and nouns

노려보다 (noryeoboda, “to glare at”)
다시보기 (dasibogi, “replay”)
대변보다 (daebyeonboda, “to defecate”)
돌아보다 (doraboda, “to look back on”)
둘러보다 (dulleoboda, “to look around”)
뒤보다 (dwiboda, “to defecate”)
맛보다 (matboda, “to taste”)
맥을 보다 (maegeul boda, “to check someone's pulse”)
물어보다 (mureoboda, “to inquire”)
미리보기 (miribogi, “preview”)
보기 (bogi, “example”)
보이다 (boida, “to be seen”)
봐주다 (bwajuda, “to forgive, to let off”)
알아보다 (araboda, “to recognize”)
얕보다 (yatboda, “to look down on”)
여보세요 (yeoboseyo, “hello”)
엿보다 (yeotboda, “to peek at”)
우러러보다 (ureoreoboda, “to look up to”)
지켜보다 (jikyeoboda, “to watch”)

Adjective

보다 • (boda) (infinitive 봐 or 보아, sequential 보니) (defective, auxiliary)

to seem (only in the present declarative conjugations)
겨울 도 끝나 가나 봐.
Gyeouldo kkeunnagana bwa.
It looks like winter is coming to an end too.
to intend to (only in the present declarative conjugations, often threat)
너 가 계속 이러면 확 죽어 버릴까 보다.
Neoga gyesok ireomyeon hwak jugeobeorilkka boda.
If you keep being like this, I'm going to kill myself.
to be out of fear that (only in the forms 봐 (bwa), 봐서 (bwaseo))
더울까봐 나시 를 입었어.
Deoulkkabwa nasi-reul ibeosseo.
I wore a sleeveless shirt because I was worried it might be hot.
to be given that (only in the form 보니 (boni))

Conjugation

Defective; only attested in limited forms such as 봐 (bwa), 보니 (boni), 봐서 (bwaseo). See the full conjugation of the main verb above.

Etymology 2

From -보다 (-boda, “than”, particle used for comparisons). Ultimately a semantic loan from Japanese より (yori).

Particle

보다 • (boda)

than; used after nouns or phrases to indicate a basis of comparison.
그는 나보다 키가 크다.
Geuneun naboda kiga keuda.
He is taller than me.

이 책이 저 책보다 더 재미있다.
I chaegi jeo chaekboda deo jaemiitda.
This book is more interesting than that one.

Usage notes

Extremely common in both spoken and written Korean.
Often followed by intensifiers like 더 (deo) (“more”), but can also stand alone.
Distinct from the adverbial use of 보다 (boda) (“more, relatively”).

Etymology 3

From adverbial extension of -보다 (-boda).

Adverb

보다 • (boda)

relatively, more
보다 높게
boda nopge
relatively higher

보다 열심히
boda yeolsimhi
relatively more diligently

Audio: (file)

Usage notes

Not very common in colloquial speech.
Appears more often in formal or written style, e.g. academic or journalistic texts.
Distinct from the particle -보다 (-boda).

Middle Korean

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /pò.tá/, [pò.dá]

Verb

보다〮 (pwòtá) (infinitive 보아〮, sequential 보니〮) (transitive)

to see, to look at, to watch (to perceive with the eyes)
- 1447, 《석보상절 / 釋譜詳節》 3:11ㄱ
  ᄒᆞᆫ 玉女 ᄀᆞᄐᆞ시니ᄅᆞᆯ 보ᅀᆞᆸ고 와 ᄉᆞᆯᄫᅩᄃᆡ 執杖釋의 ᄯᆞ니미 겨시더ᅌᅵ다.
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- 1459, 《월인석보 / 月印釋譜》 18:21ㄱ
  이 經을 보ᅀᆞᆸ건댄 智로 體ᄅᆞᆯ 셰시고.
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)
(auxiliary, with 어〮 (e)) to try, to try out
(auxiliary, with 어〮 (e)) to experience

Usage notes

The modern verb 보다 (boda) has been in continuous use since the 15th century with little change.
Some Middle Korean texts show orthographic variants like 보ᅀᆞ (with 반치음 ㅿ), which are rare and symbolic, like the “eye-in-pyramid” on a dollar bill.

Descendants

Korean: 보다 (boda)
Jeju: 보다 (boda)