보다
boda[po̞da̠]
The English phrase "to see" is translated into Korean as 보다 (boda).
보다 is used for the physical act of perceiving something with the eyes, but it also covers the sense of watching movies, watching television or looking at something.
Which one should you use?
While 보다 describes the active process of looking or watching, the causative form 보여요 is used when something "is seen" or "appears" to an observer, rather than the observer actively performing the action of looking. Additionally, 뵙다 is used specifically to show respect to the person being seen.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the progressive form "is seeing" or "is watching," you construct it by adding –고 있다 to the stem of the verb, resulting in 보고 있다.
How do you pronounce it?
boda
Did you know?
- The verb 보다 is frequently used as an auxiliary verb to mean 'trying out' or 'experiencing' an action, rather than just seeing it. For example, it can be used to describe 'trying on' clothes or 'trying' a new food.
- In Korean, the word 보다 can also function as a particle meaning 'than' when used for comparisons. For example, when you want to say 'more than', you attach it to a noun.
- The word 보다 was first recorded in the 1447 text Yongbi eocheon'ga, one of the earliest works written in the Korean alphabet.
Examples in context
- 저는 그 영화를 볼 거예요.I will watch that movie.
- 저는 그 분을 오늘 보겠습니다.I will meet that person today.
- 그 영화 볼래?Do you want to watch that movie?
- 오늘 친구를 봐야 해.I have to see my friend today.
- 그 분 좀 봐도 될까요?Can I see that person for a moment?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 보다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 보다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
