2 · Helping verbs and modal patterns
Try doing, and have done: -아/어 보다
trying something out, and experience
보다, "to see", after -아/어: do it and see — and in the past, "I have done it".
The main verb takes -아/어 with the usual vowel choice and 보다 follows: 가 보다, 먹어 보다, 마셔 보다, 해 보다. 보다 then takes every ending — 먹어 봐요, 먹어 보세요, 먹어 봤어요, 먹어 볼게요 — while the first verb stays as it is. This site writes the two verbs as two words; the spelling rules also allow 먹어보세요.
The meaning is "do it and see": try something out to find out what it is like. 이 옷 입어 보세요 is "try this on"; 한번 가 보세요, "do go and see it". As a request, -아/어 보세요 is softer and friendlier than a bare -으세요, because it suggests an experience rather than giving an order.
In the past, the pattern says that something has been done at least once: 한국 음식을 먹어 봤어요?, "have you ever eaten Korean food?". 안 먹어 봤어요 is "I have never tried it", and 못 먹어 봤어요 "I have never had the chance". It combines with the experience pattern too: 가 본 적이 있어요.
English "try" also means making an effort that may fail, and that is not this pattern. 보다 says the action actually happened. "I tried to sleep but couldn't" is 자려고 했지만 잠이 안 왔어요, with the intention pattern; 자 봤지만 would mean you went to bed as an experiment.
The form
| last vowel a or o | 가다 → 가 봐요 |
| other vowels | 먹다 → 먹어 봐요 |
| 하다 verbs | 하다 → 해 봐요 |
| please try | 먹어 보세요 |
| have done | 먹어 봤어요 |
| have never done | 안 먹어 봤어요 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
-아/어 보다 means doing something to see what it is like.
이 신발 한번 신어 보세요.Try these shoes on.
In the past it says you have done it at least once.
저는 김치를 직접 만들어 봤어요.I have made kimchi myself.
For "I have never had the chance", put 못 before the main verb.
저는 아직 바다에서 수영을 못 해 봤어요.I have never had the chance to swim in the sea.
-아/어 보세요 is a friendly way to recommend something.
제주도에 가면 이 식당에 꼭 가 보세요.If you go to Jeju, you must try this restaurant.
A closer look
Try and try again: 보다 or -(으)려고 하다
English "try" covers two things: testing something ("try the soup") and attempting something that may fail ("I tried to open the door"). Korean -아/어 보다 is only the first. It always reports an action that took place: 전화해 봤는데 안 받았어요, "I tried calling but nobody answered", is fine, because the call was made.
Where the action itself did not come off, Korean uses the intention pattern: 일찍 일어나려고 했는데 못 일어났어요, "I tried to get up early but couldn't". 일어나 봤는데 못 일어났어요 contradicts itself — it says you got up and failed to get up.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the main verb is 보다 itself
careful speech usually says 한번 보세요 rather than 봐 보세요.
이 사진 한번 보세요.Have a look at this photo.
봐 보다 is heard in casual speech (이것 좀 봐 봐), but many speakers find the repetition clumsy, and 한번 adds the same "have a go".
How to spot it
- -아/어 보다
- -아/어 보세요
- -아/어 봤어요
- 한번
Example sentences
한국어로 이름을 한번 써 보세요.Try writing your name in Korean.
이 바지 입어 봐도 돼요?May I try on these trousers?
번지점프를 해 봤어요?Have you ever done a bungee jump?
저는 아직 비행기를 안 타 봤어요.I have never been on a plane.
처음에는 어려웠지만 계속 연습해 보니까 쉬워졌어요.It was hard at first, but once I kept practising it got easier.
이 차 정말 맛있으니까 한번 마셔 보세요.This tea is really good, so do try it.
8 more example sentences
이 노래 한번 들어 보세요.Have a listen to this song.
한국 소주를 마셔 봤어요?Have you ever tried Korean soju?
저는 아직 한복을 못 입어 봤어요.I have never had the chance to wear a hanbok.
같은 문제를 여러 번 풀어 봤지만 답이 안 나왔어요.I worked through the same problem several times, but could not get the answer.
사장님께 한번 말씀드려 볼게요.I will try mentioning it to the boss.
혼자 여행을 가 보고 싶어요.I would like to try travelling on my own.
이 방법으로 다시 해 봅시다.Let's try it again this way.
작년에 처음으로 스키를 타 봤어요.Last year I went skiing for the first time.
Worth knowing (1)
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One word or two
The spelling rules allow both 먹어 보세요 and 먹어보세요, and this site writes two words throughout. A few combinations have become words of their own with a meaning beyond "do and see", and those are always written together: 알아보다 "to find out", 찾아보다 "to look up", 돌아보다 "to look back".
인터넷으로 가격을 알아봤어요.I looked up the price online.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
Only 보다 takes the past. The verb in front stays in its -아/어 form, however far back the experience lies.
Do it and see: -a or -eo boda; in the past, bwasseoyo means you have done it.
Your turn
9 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.