보다

Korean

Etymology

Of native Korean origin. From Middle Korean 보다 (Yale: pwota).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [po̞da̠]

  • (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [보다]

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

Verb

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

1. to see, look at

   

   그들은 여러가지 화초를 보고 있다.

   그들은 여러가지 화초를 보고 있다.

   geudeureun yeoreogaji hwachoreul bogo itda.

   They are looking at various plants.

   서양인들은 보는 것을 매우 중요시해서 실명은 곧 죽음과 마찬가지인 것으로 생각했다고 한다.

   seoyang'indeureun boneun geoseul mae'u jung'yosihaeseo silmyeong'eun got jugeumgwa machan'gajiin geoseuro saenggakhaetdago handa.

   Westerners are said to have placed great importance on seeing and thought that being blind was like death.

2. to look after (a baby, child, house, etc.)

   아이를 보다

   ai-reul boda

   to look after a child

3. to watch (a film, TV, etc.)

   영화를 보다

   yeonghwa-reul boda

   to watch a film

4. to read (a book, newspaper, etc.)

   여가 시간에는 책을 보는 습관을 들이는 것이 좋다.

   yeoga siganeneun chaegeul boneun seupgwaneul deurineun geosi jota.

   It is recommended to make a habit of reading books in your spare time.

5. to examine (a document, patient, disorder, etc.)
6. to take (an examination)

   시험을 잘 보면 좋겠습니다.

   siheom-eul jal bomyeon joketseumnida.

   I hope to do well on the test. (literally: It will be good if I take the test well.)

7. to experience (a profit, loss, etc.)
8. to relieve oneself
9. to try something; requires a main verb with "-아/어" suffix or use attributively with "적".

   한번 생각해 볼게요.

   hanbeon saenggakhae bolgeyo.

   I will consider it. (Literally, "I will try thinking about it.")

   한국에 가 본 적이 있어요?

   han'gug-e ga bon jeog-i isseoyo?

   Have you ever been to (South) Korea?

Usage notes

This verb does not mean "to try hard" (e.g., "I tried to pass the exam."). Here, the phrases —려(고) 하다 (-ryeo(go) hada) or —려고 노력하다 (-ryeogo noryeokhada) are used instead. 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
	Past	봤다 bwatda	봤어 bwasseo	봤어요 bwasseoyo	봤습니다 bwatseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	보느냐 boneunya	봐 bwa	봐요, 보아요 bwayo, boayo	봅니까 bomnikka
	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
	Past	보셨다 bosyeotda	보셨어 bosyeosseo	보셨어요 bosyeosseoyo	보셨습니다 bosyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	보시느냐 bosineunya	보셔 bosyeo	보세요, 보셔요 boseyo, bosyeoyo	보십니까 bosimnikka
	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

• 보이다 (boida, “to be seen, see”) (intransitive)
• 여보세요 (yeoboseyo, “hello”)

Related terms

• 비치다 (bichida, “to shine; to be seen, shown”)
• 빛 (bit, “light”)

Adverb

보다 • (boda)

1. more

   보다 높게

   boda nopge

   more higher; higher than

   보다 열심히

   boda yeolsimhi

   more enthusiastically

2. rather

Particle

보다 • (boda)

1. than, rather than

   내가 걔보다 키가 더 크다.

   naega gyaeboda kiga deo keuda.

   I'm taller than him.

   사실상 어느 곳보다 더

   sasilsang eoneu gotboda deo

   than practically anywhere else

   지리산보다 한라산이 더 높다.

   jirisanboda hallasani deo nopda.

   Mount Halla is taller than Mount Jiri.

   (file)

   어제보다 오늘이 손님이 더 많다.

   eojeboda oneuri sonnimi deo manta.

   There are more customers today than yesterday.

   (file)