돌보다
dolboda[ˈto̞(ː)ɭbo̞da̠]
The English phrase "take care of" is translated into Korean as 돌보다 (dolboda).
돌보다 is used when referring to the physical or emotional care of living beings, such as children, the elderly or animals.
Meaning: look after (verb)
Which one should you use?
While 돌보다 focuses on nurturing or watching over a person or animal, the related verb 챙기다 is used when "taking care of" means making sure someone has what they need or attending to a specific task or item.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 돌보다 changes to 돌봐요 in the polite present tense, and the past tense is 돌봤어요.
How do you pronounce it?
dolboda
Did you know?
- When telling someone to 'take care' as a goodbye, Koreans do not use 돌보다. Instead, they use 조심하세요, which literally means 'be careful'.
- While 돌보다 is for nurturing, Koreans use 챙기다 to 'take care of' a bill at a restaurant. Using 돌보다 in this context would sound like you are emotionally nurturing the check.
- 돌보다 is of native Korean origin, meaning it does not come from the Chinese characters that make up about 60 percent of the Korean lexicon.
Examples in context
- 할 일을 챙기세요.Please take care of the tasks.
- 어머니의 건강을 잘 보살피세요.Please take good care of your mother's health.
- 다음 주에 제 가족을 돌봐 드리겠습니다.I will take care of my family next week.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Hyunwoo are talking about a pet.
- 서연 Seo-yeon현우 씨, 고양이를 돌보다 어렵나요?Hyeon-u ssi, goyang-ireul dolboda eoryeopnayo?Hyunwoo, is it hard to take care of a cat?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo아니요, 생각보다 쉬워요.aniyo, saenggakboda swiwoyo.No, it's easier than I thought.
- 서연 Seo-yeon저도 고양이를 돌보다 싶어요.jeodo goyang-ireul dolboda sipeoyo.I want to take care of a cat too.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo그럼 제가 도와줄게요.geureom jega dowajulgeyo.Then I will help you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 돌보다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 돌보다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
