보다

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• Phonetic hangul:

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).

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

1. to see, to look at, to watch (to perceive with the eyes)

   영화를 보다 ― yeonghwa-reul boda ― to watch a film

   그들은 여러가지 화초를 보고 있다.

   Geudeur-eun yeoreogaji hwacho-reul bogo itda.

   They are looking at various plants.

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

   아이를 보다 ― ai-reul boda ― to look after a child

3. (of a food or product) to try, to examine (before the meal or purchase)

   미리 맛을 보다 ― miri mas-eul boda ― to taste the food beforehand

4. (auxiliary, with the infinitive) to experience; used very commonly with various verbs to indicate that one has had a concrete experience via the action of the main verb.

   한국에 가 본 적이 있어요?

   han'gug-e ga bon jeog-i isseo-yo?

   Have you ever been to Korea?

   (literally, “Have you experienced going to Korea?”)

5. (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.”)

6. (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 아니더라.

   Salda boni insaeng byeolgeo anideora.

   Now that I've lived for a while, life really isn't something special.

7. to consider, to regard

   Synonyms: 여기다 (yeogida), 생각하다 (saenggakhada)

   그는 공산주의을 좋게 본다.

   Geu-neun gongsanjuui-eul joke bonda.

   He has a favorable attitude towards Communism.

8. to read (not out loud)

   Synonym: 읽다 (ikda)

   보는 신문 ― boneun sinmun ― the newspaper one is subscribed to

9. to meet (for a prearranged purpose)

   Hypernym: 만나다 (mannada, “to meet (in general)”)

   우리 며칠에 볼까?

   uri myeochir-e bolkka?

   Which day should we meet up on?

10. (of an examination) to take

    시험을 잘 보면 좋겠습니다.

    Siheom-eul jal bomyeon joketseumnida.

    I hope I do well on the test.

    (literally, “It would be good if I take the test well.”)

11. (of divination or fortune-telling) to consult

    용한 만신을 찾아가서 점을 보다

    yonghan mansin-eul chajagaseo jeom-eul boda

    to seek out a powerful priestess and consult her divination

12. to be in charge of

    Synonyms: 맡다 (matda), 도맡다 (domatda)

13. (of profits or losses) to make

    이윤도 못 볼 판에 장사할 이유는 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.

14. (euphemistic) to relieve oneself

    소변을 보다 ― sobyeon-eul boda ― to urinate

15. (of a child, grandchild, child-in-law) to get

    드디어 아들을 보다 ― deudieo adeur-eul boda ― He got a son at last.

• 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. In practice, shorter main verbs tend not be spaced and longer verbs tend to be spaced.
• (to try): This verb does not mean "to try hard" (e.g., "I tried to pass the exam."), but "to try out; to sample". For "try purposefully", the constructions —려(고) 하다 (-ryeo(go) hada) or —려고 노력하다 (-ryeogo noryeokhada) are used instead. Compare Japanese 見(み)る (miru).

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

1. (after the interrogatives 은가 (-eun'ga), 는가 (-neun'ga), 나 (-na)) to seem (only in the present declarative conjugations)

   겨울도 끝나가나 봐.

   Gyeouldo kkeunnagana bwa.

   It looks like winter is coming to an end too.

2. (after the interrogative 을까 (eulkka)) to intend to; generally used to make a threat that one does not really intend on carrying out (only in the present declarative conjugations)

   너가 계속 이러면 확 죽어버릴까 보다.

   Neoga gyesok ireomyeon hwak jugeobeorilkka boda.

   If you keep being like this, I'm going to kill myself.

3. (after the interrogative 을까 (-eulkka)) to be out of the fear that (only in the conjugations 봐 (bwa) and 봐서 (bwaseo); the latter is rare)

   더울까봐 나시를 입었어.

   Deoulkkabwa nasi-reul ibeosseo.

   I wore a sleeveless shirt because I was worried it might be hot.

4. (after 다 (-da), 고 (-go)) to be given that (only in the conjugation 보니 (boni))

Defective; see above.

From 보다 (-boda, “than”, used for comparisons); see that entry for more. A colonial-era semantic loan from Japanese より, itself calqued from European constructions, not very common in colloquial speech.

보다 • (boda)

1. relatively, more

   보다 높게

   boda nopge

   more higher; relatively higher

   보다 열심히

   boda yeolsimhi

   more enthusiastically

   Audio:

   (file)

• IPA^(key): /pò.tá/,

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

1. 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)

   • 1447, 《석보상절 / 釋譜詳節》 9:24 ㄴ

     아뫼나 ᄯᅩ 사ᄅᆞ미 모딘 ᄭᅮ믈 어더 구즌 相ᄋᆞᆯ 보거나 妖怪ᄅᆞᄫᆡᆫ 새 오거나 妖怪ᄂᆞᆫ 常例ᄅᆞᆸ디 아니ᄒᆞᆫ 荒唐ᄒᆞᆫ 이리라 잇논 ᄯᅡ해 온가짓 妖怪 뵈어나 ᄒᆞ거든 이 사ᄅᆞ미 種種 貴ᄒᆞ 거스로 뎌 藥師琉璃光如來ᄅᆞᆯ 恭敬ᄒᆞ야 供養ᄒᆞᅀᆞᄫᆞ면 머즌 ᄭᅮ미며 믈읫 됴티 몯ᄒᆞᆫ 이리 다 업서 분벼리 아니ᄃᆞ외며 믈블갈 모딘 것과 어려ᄫᅳᆫ 石壁과.

     (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)

2. (auxiliary, with 어〮 (-é)) to try, to try out
3. (auxiliary, with 어〮 (-é)) to experience

17=보과〮
18=pwòkwá
23=보〮가〮
24=pwóká

• Jeju: 보다 (boda)
• Korean: 보다 (boda)