LEARN + KOREAN / 57 of 125 TOPIK I

Try It and See -아/어 보다

A friend offers you kimchi, and you decide to try it: 김치를 먹어 봐요. Attach -아/어 보다 to frame an action as an experiment. In the past, 먹어 봤어요? asks whether someone has tried it before.

jejudo-e ga bwasseoyo.

I've been to Jeju Island.

bibimbabeul meogeo bwasseoyo?

Have you tried bibimbap?

Hint · 힌트

보세요 can mean “please look” when 보다 stands alone, but 먹어 보세요 means “try eating.” Here 보다 is attached to another verb and signals trying it out, rather than literally looking.

i noraereul hanbeon deureo boseyo.

Try listening to this song.

In Real Life

In real life, 한번 (“once”) often appears with a suggestion to make it sound easy and low-pressure: 한번 먹어 보세요, “Give it a try.” It doesn’t always mean exactly one time.

Vocabulary

Korean	English
가 보다 ga boda	to try going; have been
먹어 보다 meogeo boda	to try eating
들어 보다 deureo boda	to try listening
배워 보다 baewo boda	to try learning
한번 hanbeon	once; give it a try
경험 gyeongheom	experience
제주도 jejudo	Jeju Island
여행 yeohaeng	travel
혼자 honja	alone
해외여행 haeoeyeohaeng	overseas travel
여행지 yeohaengji	travel destination
숙소 sukso	accommodation
여권 yeogwon	passport
비행기 bihaenggi	aeroplane
공항 gonghang	airport
비행기표 bihaenggipyo	plane ticket
기차표 gichapyo	train ticket
예매하다 yemaehada	to book tickets
예약하다 yeyakhada	to reserve
일정 iljeong	schedule

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