# 보다
## Korean
### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [po̞da̠]
** Audio:(file)
* Phonetic hangul: [보다]

### Etymology 1

First attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 보다〮 (Yale: pwòtá). Cognate with Jeju 보다 (boda).

#### Verb

보다 • (boda) (infinitive 봐 or 보아, sequential 보니) (transitive)
Korean verb set :
| Base | 보다 (boda) |
| Causative | 보이다 (boida) |
* to see, to look at, to watch (to perceive with the eyes)
    영화를 보다 ― yeonghwa-reul boda ― to watch a film
    그들은 여러가지 화초를 보고 있다.Geudeur-eun yeoreogaji hwacho-reul bogo itda.They are looking at various plants.
* to look after (a baby, child, house, etc.)
    아이를 보다 ― ai-reul boda ― to look after a child
* (of a food or product) to try, to examine (before the meal or purchase)
    미리 맛을 보다 ― miri mas-eul boda ― to taste the food beforehand
* (auxiliary, with the infinitive) to experience; used very commonly with various verbs to indicate that one has had a concrete experience via the action of the main verb.
    한국에 가 본 적이 있어요?han'gug-e ga bon jeog-i isseo-yo?Have you ever been to Korea?(literally, “Have you experienced going to Korea?”)
* (auxiliary, after the infinitive) to try, to try out
    한번 생각해 볼게요.Hanbeon saenggakhae bolge-yo.I'll consider it.(literally, “I'll try thinking about it.”)
    이거 좀 봐봐.Igeo jom bwabwa.Have a look at this.(literally, “Try looking at this.”)
* (auxiliary, with 고 or 다(가)) Used to denote that the experience of the main verb has led to a certain conclusion or realization.
    살다 보니 인생 별거 아니더라.Salda boni insaeng byeolgeo anideora.Now that I've lived for a while, life really isn't something special.
* to consider, to regard
    Synonyms: 여기다 (yeogida), 생각하다 (saenggakhada)
    그는 공산주의을 좋게 본다.Geu-neun gongsanjuui-eul joke bonda.He has a favorable attitude towards Communism.
* to read (not out loud)
    Synonym: 읽다 (ikda)
    보는 신문 ― boneun sinmun ― the newspaper one is subscribed to
* to meet (for a prearranged purpose)
    Hypernym: 만나다 (mannada, “to meet (in general)”)
    우리 며칠에 볼까?uri myeochir-e bolkka?Which day should we meet up on?
* (of an examination) to take
    시험을 잘 보면 좋겠습니다.Siheom-eul jal bomyeon joketseumnida.I hope I do well on the test.(literally, “It would be good if I take the test well.”)
* (of divination or fortune-telling) to consult
    용한 만신을 찾아가서 점을 보다yonghan mansin-eul chajagaseo jeom-eul bodato seek out a powerful priestess and consult her divination
* to be in charge of
    Synonyms: 맡다 (matda), 도맡다 (domatda)
* (of profits or losses) to make
    이윤도 못 볼 판에 장사할 이유는 없다.Iyundo mot bol pan-e jangsahal iyu-neun eopda.There is no reason to do business when you will even not be able to make a gain.
* (euphemistic) to relieve oneself
    소변을 보다 ― sobyeon-eul boda ― to urinate
* (of a child, grandchild, child-in-law) to get
    드디어 아들을 보다 ― deudieo adeur-eul boda ― He got a son at last.

##### Usage notes

* When used as an auxiliary, the verb can be either spaced or not spaced from the main verb; the National Institute of Korean Language permits both spellings. Hence 해보다 (haeboda) and 해 보다 (hae boda) are both permissible. In practice, shorter main verbs tend not be spaced and longer verbs tend to be spaced.
* (to try): This verb does not mean "to try hard" (e.g., "I tried to pass the exam."), but "to try out; to sample". For "try purposefully", the constructions —려(고) 하다 (-ryeo(go) hada) or —려고 노력하다 (-ryeogo noryeokhada) are used instead. Compare Japanese 見(み)る (miru).

##### Derived terms

* 보고 (-bogo, “to; towards”)
* 보다 (-boda, “than”, used to form comparisons)
* 노려보다 (noryeoboda, “to glare at”)
* 다시 보기 (dasi bogi, “replay”)
* 대변보다 (daebyeonboda, “to defecate”)
* 돌아보다 (doraboda, “to look back on”)
* 둘러보다 (dulleoboda, “to look around”)
* 뒤보다 (dwiboda, “to defecate”)
* 맛보다 (matboda, “to taste”)
* 맥을 보다 (maegeul boda, “to check someone's pulse; to gauge someone's intentions”)
* 물어보다 (mureoboda, “to inquire”)
* 미리 보기 (miri bogi, “preview”)
* 보기 (bogi, “example”)
* 보이다 (boida, “to be seen”)
* 봐주다 (bwajuda, “to forgive, to let off”)
* 알아보다 (araboda, “to recognize”)
* 얕보다 (yatboda, “to look down on”)
* 여보세요 (yeoboseyo, “hello”)
* 엿보다 (yeotboda, “to peek at”)
* 우러러보다 (ureoreoboda, “to look up to”)
* 지켜보다 (jikyeoboda, “to watch”)

#### Adjective

보다 • (boda) (infinitive 봐 or 보아, sequential 보니) (defective, auxiliary)
* (after the interrogatives 은가 (-eun'ga), 는가 (-neun'ga), 나 (-na)) to seem (only in the present declarative conjugations)
    겨울도 끝나가나 봐.Gyeouldo kkeunnagana bwa.It looks like winter is coming to an end too.
* (after the interrogative 을까 (eulkka)) to intend to; generally used to make a threat that one does not really intend on carrying out (only in the present declarative conjugations)
    너가 계속 이러면 확 죽어버릴까 보다.Neoga gyesok ireomyeon hwak jugeobeorilkka boda.If you keep being like this, I'm going to kill myself.
* (after the interrogative 을까 (-eulkka)) to be out of the fear that (only in the conjugations 봐 (bwa) and 봐서 (bwaseo); the latter is rare)
    더울까봐 나시를 입었어.Deoulkkabwa nasi-reul ibeosseo.I wore a sleeveless shirt because I was worried it might be hot.
* (after 다 (-da), 고 (-go)) to be given that (only in the conjugation 보니 (boni))

##### Conjugation

Defective; see above.

### Etymology 2

From 보다 (-boda, “than”, used for comparisons); see that entry for more. A colonial-era semantic loan from Japanese より, itself calqued from European constructions, not very common in colloquial speech.

#### Adverb

보다 • (boda)
* relatively, more
    보다 높게boda nopgemore higher; relatively higher
    보다 열심히boda yeolsimhimore enthusiastically
       Audio:(file)

## Middle Korean
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pò.tá/, [pò.dá]

### Verb

보다〮 (pwòtá) (infinitive 보아〮, sequential 보니〮) (transitive)
* to see, to look at, to watch (to perceive with the eyes)
** 1447, 《석보상절 / 釋譜詳節》 3:11ㄱ
    ᄒᆞᆫ 玉女 ᄀᆞᄐᆞ시니ᄅᆞᆯ 보ᅀᆞᆸ고 와 ᄉᆞᆯᄫᅩᄃᆡ 執杖釋의 ᄯᆞ니미 겨시더ᅌᅵ다.(please add an English translation of this quotation)
** 1447, 《석보상절 / 釋譜詳節》 9:24 ㄴ
    아뫼나 ᄯᅩ 사ᄅᆞ미 모딘 ᄭᅮ믈 어더 구즌 相ᄋᆞᆯ 보거나 妖怪ᄅᆞᄫᆡᆫ 새 오거나 妖怪ᄂᆞᆫ 常例ᄅᆞᆸ디 아니ᄒᆞᆫ 荒唐ᄒᆞᆫ 이리라 잇논 ᄯᅡ해 온가짓 妖怪 뵈어나 ᄒᆞ거든 이 사ᄅᆞ미 種種 貴ᄒᆞ 거스로 뎌 藥師琉璃光如來ᄅᆞᆯ 恭敬ᄒᆞ야 供養ᄒᆞᅀᆞᄫᆞ면 머즌 ᄭᅮ미며 믈읫 됴티 몯ᄒᆞᆫ 이리 다 업서 분벼리 아니ᄃᆞ외며 믈블갈 모딘 것과 어려ᄫᅳᆫ 石壁과.(please add an English translation of this quotation)
** 1459, 《월인석보 / 月印釋譜》 18:21ㄱ
    이 經을 보ᅀᆞᆸ건댄 智로 體ᄅᆞᆯ 셰시고.(please add an English translation of this quotation)
* (auxiliary, with 어〮 (-é)) to try, to try out
* (auxiliary, with 어〮 (-é)) to experience

#### Conjugation

Selected conjugations of 보다〮 (pwòtá), Accentual class H! :
| Note that the majority of the forms below are unattested for any one verb. Orthography and pitch accent assignment can vary between sources. ||||||
| Selected plain sentence-final forms ||||||
| | Declarative | Interrogative | Interrogative | Interrogative | Modulated declarative |
| | Declarative | Polar question | Wh-word question | Second-person subject | Modulated declarative |
| Past | 보다〮 (pwòtá) 보니〮라〮 (pwònílá) | 본가〮 (pwònká) 보녀〮 (pwònyé) | 본고〮 (pwònkwó) 보뇨〮 (pwònyó) | 본다〮 (pwòntá) | 보〯라〮 (pwǒlá) |
| Present | 보〮ᄂᆞ다〮 (pwónòtá) 보〮ᄂᆞ〮니라〮 (pwónónìlá) | 보〮ᄂᆞᆫ가〮 (pwónònká) 보〮ᄂᆞ녀〮 (pwónònyé) | 보〮ᄂᆞᆫ고〮 (pwónònkwó) 보〮ᄂᆞ뇨〮 (pwónònyó) | 보〮ᄂᆞᆫ다〮 (pwónòntá) | 보〮노라〮 (pwónwòlá) |
| Conjectural | 보리〮라〮 (pwòlílá) | 보ᇙ가〮 (pwòlqká) 보려〮 (pwòlyé) | 보ᇙ고〮 (pwòlqkwó) 보료〮 (pwòlyó) | 보ᇙ다〮 (pwòlqtá) | 보〯리라〮 (pwǒlìlá) |
| Retrospective/ imperfective | 보〮더라〮 (pwótèlá) 보〮더〮니라〮 (pwóténìlá) | 보〮던가〮 (pwótènká) 보〮더녀〮 (pwótènyé) | 보〮던고〮 (pwótènkwó) 보〮더뇨〮 (pwótènyó) | 보〮던다〮 (pwótèntá) | 보〮다라〮 (pwótàlá) |
| Promissive/Hortative | Promissive/Hortative | Imperative | Imperative | Exclamatory/Emotive | Exclamatory/Emotive |
| 보〯마〮 (pwǒmá, promissive) 보져〮 (pwòcyé, hortative) | 보〯마〮 (pwǒmá, promissive) 보져〮 (pwòcyé, hortative) | 보라〮 (pwòlá, order) 보고〮라〮 (pwòkwólá, request) | 보라〮 (pwòlá, order) 보고〮라〮 (pwòkwólá, request) | 본뎌〮 (pwòntyé), 볼쎠〮 (pwòlssyé) 보〮도다〮 (pwótwòtá), 보〮돗다〮 (pwótwòstá) 보〮애라〮 (pwóàylá) | 본뎌〮 (pwòntyé), 볼쎠〮 (pwòlssyé) 보〮도다〮 (pwótwòtá), 보〮돗다〮 (pwótwòstá) 보〮애라〮 (pwóàylá) |
| Selected highly deferential sentence-final forms ||||||
| Past | 보ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwòngìtá) 보니〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwòníngìtá) | 보니〮ᅌᅵᆺ가〮 (pwòníngìská) | 보니〮ᅌᅵᆺ고〮 (pwòníngìskwó) | no separate forms | 보〯ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwǒngìtá) |
| Present | 보〮ᄂᆞ〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwónóngìtá) 보〮ᄂᆞ니〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwónòníngìtá) | 보〮ᄂᆞ니〮ᅌᅵᆺ가〮 (pwónòníngìská) | 보〮ᄂᆞ니〮ᅌᅵᆺ고〮 (pwónòníngìskwó) | no separate forms | 보〮노〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwónwóngìtá) |
| Conjectural | 보리〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwòlíngìtá) | 보리〮ᅌᅵᆺ가〮 (pwòlíngìská) | 보리〮ᅌᅵᆺ고〮 (pwòlíngìskwó) | no separate forms | 보〯리〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwǒlíngìtá) |
| Promissive/Hortative | Promissive/Hortative | Imperative | Imperative | Exclamatory/Emotive | Exclamatory/Emotive |
| 보〯마〮 (pwǒmá, promissive) 보사〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwòsángìtá, hortative) | 보〯마〮 (pwǒmá, promissive) 보사〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwòsángìtá, hortative) | 보〮쇼셔〮 (pwósyòsyé, order) | 보〮쇼셔〮 (pwósyòsyé, order) | 보〮도다〮 (pwótwòtá), 보〮돗다〮 (pwótwòstá) 보〮애ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwóàyngìtá) | 보〮도다〮 (pwótwòtá), 보〮돗다〮 (pwótwòstá) 보〮애ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwóàyngìtá) |
| Selected honorific declarative forms ||||||
| | Past | Present | Conjectural | Retrospective/ imperfective | 거 (-ke-) form |
| Plain subject-honoring | 보〮시다〮 (pwósìtá) 보〮시〮니라〮 (pwósínìlá) | 보〮시〮ᄂᆞ다〮 (pwósínòtá) 보〮시ᄂᆞ〮니라〮 (pwósìnónìlá) | 보〮시〮리라〮 (pwósílìlá) | 보〮더〮시다〮 (pwótésìtá) 보〮더시〮니라〮 (pwótèsínìlá) | 보〮거〮시다〮 (pwókésìtá) 보〮거시〮니라〮 (pwókèsínìlá) |
| Deferential subject-honoring | 보〮시〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwósíngìtá) 보〮시니〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwósìníngìtá) | 보〮시ᄂᆞ〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwósìnóngìtá) 보〮시〮ᄂᆞ니〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwósínòníngìtá) | 보〮시리〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwósìlíngìtá) | 보〮더〮시〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwótésíngìtá) 보〮더〮시니〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwótésìníngìtá) | 보〮거시〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwókèsíngìtá) 보〮거〮시니〮ᅌᅵ다〮 (pwókésìníngìtá) |
| Plain object-honoring | 보〮ᅀᆞᆸ〯다〮 (pwózǒptá) 보〮ᅀᆞᄫᆞ〮니라〮 (pwózòWónìlá) | 보〮ᅀᆞᆸ〯ᄂᆞ다〮 (pwózǒpnòtá) 보〮ᅀᆞᆸ〯ᄂᆞ〮니라〮 (pwózǒpnónìlá) | 보〮ᅀᆞᄫᆞ〮리라〮 (pwózòWólìlá) | 보〮ᅀᆞᆸ〯더라〮 (pwózǒptèlá) 보〮ᅀᆞᆸ〯더〮니라〮 (pwózǒpténìlá) | 보〮ᅀᆞᆸ〯거다〮 (pwózǒpkètá) 보〮ᅀᆞᆸ〯거〮니라〮 (pwózǒpkénìlá) |
| Selected connective forms ||||||
| Connective | Causative | Conditional/situating | Contrastive/concessive | Purposive/desiderative | Infinitive |
| 보고〮 (pwòkwó) 보며〮 (pwòmyé) 보〮다가〮 (pwótàká) | 보니〮 (pwòní) 보〮거ᄂᆞᆯ〮 (pwókènól) 볼ᄊᆡ〮 (pwòlssóy, only in declarative) 보관〮ᄃᆡ〮 (pwòkwántóy, only in interrogative) | 보면〮 (pwòmyén) 보〮거든〮 (pwókètún) 본대〮 (pwòntáy) 보〮건댄〮 (pwókèntáyn) | 보나〮 (pwòná) 보〯ᄃᆡ〮 (pwǒtóy) 본ᄃᆞᆯ〮 (pwòntól) 보〮건〮마ᄅᆞᆫ〮 (pwókénmàlón) | 보〯려〮 (pwǒlyé) 보고〮져〮 (pwòkwócyé, desires own action) 보과〮뎌〮 (pwòkwátyé, desires other's action) | 보아〮 (pwòá) |
| Adnominal/gerundive forms ||||||
| | Past | Present | Present | Conjectural | Conjectural |
| Unmodulated non-honorific | 본 (pwòn) | 보〮ᄂᆞᆫ〮 (pwónón) | 보〮ᄂᆞᆫ〮 (pwónón) | 보ᇙ (pwòlq) | 보ᇙ (pwòlq) |
| Modulated non-honorific | 본〯 (pwǒn) | 보〮논〮 (pwónwón) | 보〮논〮 (pwónwón) | 보ᇙ〯 (pwǒlq) | 보ᇙ〯 (pwǒlq) |
| Unmodulated subject-honoring | 보〮신〮 (pwósín) | 보〮시ᄂᆞᆫ〮 (pwósìnón) | 보〮시ᄂᆞᆫ〮 (pwósìnón) | 보〮시ᇙ〮 (pwósílq) | 보〮시ᇙ〮 (pwósílq) |
| Substantive forms ||||||
| Plain | Plain | Plain | Subject-honoring | Subject-honoring | Subject-honoring |
| 봄〯 (pwǒm) | 봄〯 (pwǒm) | 봄〯 (pwǒm) | 보〮샴〮 (pwósyám) | 보〮샴〮 (pwósyám) | 보〮샴〮 (pwósyám) |

#### Descendants

* Jeju: 보다 (boda)
* Korean: 보다 (boda)