What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 영화, which means "movie" and 보고 있어요, which is the continuous present form of "to watch/see", meaning "am watching".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a highly formal and polite tone suitable for presentations or news reports, you can use 저는 영화를 보고 있습니다. Conversely, you can use the informal 나 영화 보고 있어 when speaking to close friends or people younger than you. You can also make a phrase informal by dropping the 요 at the end, resulting in 영화를 보고 있어.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase 영화를 보고 있어요, the particle 를 is an object marker attached to 영화 (movie) to indicate that the movie is the thing being watched. In some informal contexts, the word 나 serves as the informal equivalent of "I". Additionally, the form 봐요 can be used to mean both "I watch a movie" (habitual) and "I am watching a movie" (present continuous) depending on the context.
How do you pronounce it?
yeonghwareul bogo isseoyo
Did you know?
- The word 영화 (yeong-hwa) is a Sino-Korean word that translates literally to 'shadow flower', a poetic way of describing the flickering images on a screen.
- The verb 보다 is used in phrases that mean 'to take' an exam, which is conceptually different from the English way of describing a test.
- If you are watching a movie alone, you might use the term 혼영 (hon-yeong), a popular slang abbreviation of 'watching a movie alone' used frequently by young people.
Examples in context
- 상사님, 지금 영화를 보고 있습니다.Manager, I am currently watching a movie.
- 형, 나 영화 보고 있어. 같이 볼래?Brother, I am watching a movie. Do you want to watch it together?
- 지금 영화를 보고 있어요.jigeum yeonghwareul bogo isseoyo.I am watching a movie now.
- 집에서 혼자 영화를 보고 있어요.jibeseo honja yeonghwareul bogo isseoyo.I am watching a movie alone at home.
- 친구와 함께 영화를 보고 있어요.chin-guwa hamkke yeonghwareul bogo isseoyo.I am watching a movie with a friend.
Example conversation
Ji-hoon calls Ji-eun to ask what she is doing.
- 지훈 Ji-hun지은 씨, 지금 뭐 해요?jieun ssi, jigeum mwo haeyo?Ji-eun, what are you doing now?
- 지은 Ji-eun저는 영화를 보고 있어요.jeoneun yeonghwareul bogo isseoyo.I am watching a movie.
- 지훈 Ji-hun어떤 영화를 보고 있어요?eotteon yeonghwareul bogo isseoyo?What movie are you watching?
- 지은 Ji-eun정말 재미있는 영화를 보고 있어요.jeongmal jaemiinneun yeonghwareul bogo isseoyo.I am watching a really interesting movie.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 보고, CC BY-SA 4.0.
