Verbs · Regular

보다 conjugation

to see; to watch; to look · boda · sounds like [보다]

Short answer: “To see” in Korean is 보다 (boda), which also means to watch; to look. Polite present: 봐요 (bwayo); past: 봤어요 (bwasseoyo); future: 볼 거예요. It is regular.

Present봐요[봐요] · bwayo
Past봤어요[봐써요] · bwasseoyo
Future볼 거예요[볼 꺼예요] · bol geoyeyo
Negative안 봐요[안 봐요] · an bwayo

Respect form: 뵙다 / 뵈다 — humble “to see” a person you respect (뵙겠습니다)

보다 in sentences

어제 영화를 봤어요.I watched a movie yesterday.
이것 좀 보세요.Please take a look at this.

All forms of 보다

Present
Polite (해요) is the everyday safe choice; formal (합니다) is for news, announcements and work; casual (반말) is for close friends and younger people.
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-아/어요	봐요	[봐요]	bwayo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다	봅니다	[봄니다]	bomnida
casual-아/어	봐	[봐]	bwa
plain (written)-(느)ㄴ다	본다	[본다]	bonda
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?	봅니까?	[봄니까]	bomnikka?
is …ing (polite)-고 있어요	보고 있어요	[보고 이써요]	bogo isseoyo

Past
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-았/었어요	봤어요	[봐써요]	bwasseoyo
formal-았/었습니다	봤습니다	[봗씀니다]	bwatseumnida
casual-았/었어	봤어	[봐써]	bwasseo
plain (written)-았/었다	봤다	[봗따]	bwatda

Future
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite — will-(으)ㄹ 거예요	볼 거예요	[볼 꺼예요]	bol geoyeyo
formal-(으)ㄹ 겁니다	볼 겁니다	[볼 껌니다]	bol geomnida
casual-(으)ㄹ 거야	볼 거야	[볼 꺼야]	bol geoya
formal — I will (intention)-겠습니다	보겠습니다	[보겓씀니다]	bogetseumnida

Negative
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
not (short)안 …	안 봐요	[안 봐요]	an bwayo
did not안 …았/었어요	안 봤어요	[안 봐써요]	an bwasseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요	보지 않아요	[보지 아나요]	boji anayo
cannot못 …	못 봐요	[몯 뽜요]	mot bwayo

Honorific
Add -(으)시- when the subject is someone you respect (a teacher, a customer, an older person) — not yourself.
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
honorific — present-(으)세요	보세요	[보세요]	boseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요	보셨어요	[보셔써요]	bosyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다	보십니다	[보심니다]	bosimnida

Requests
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
please …-(으)세요	보세요	[보세요]	boseyo
please … (for me)-아/어 주세요	봐 주세요	[봐 주세요]	bwa juseyo
please don’t …-지 마세요	보지 마세요	[보지 마세요]	boji maseyo
let’s … (formal)-(으)ㅂ시다	봅시다	[봅씨다]	bopsida
let’s … (casual)-자	보자	[보자]	boja
do … ! (casual command)-아/어라	봐라	[봐라]	bwara

Connecting
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
… and-고	보고	[보고]	bogo
… so / and then-아/어서	봐서	[봐서]	bwaseo
if …-(으)면	보면	[보면]	bomyeon
… but-지만	보지만	[보지만]	bojiman
because …-(으)니까	보니까	[보니까]	bonikka
… and / but (background)-는데	보는데	[보는데]	boneunde
even if …-아/어도	봐도	[봐도]	bwado
while …-(으)면서	보면서	[보면서]	bomyeonseo
in order to …-(으)려고	보려고	[보려고]	boryeogo
(go) to …-(으)러	보러	[보러]	boreo
before …-기 전에	보기 전에	[보기 저네]	bogi jeone
after …-(으)ㄴ 후에	본 후에	[본 후에]	bon hue

Describing a noun
These go before a noun: “the food (that) I ate”, “a cold day”.
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
(that) … now-는	보는	[보는]	boneun
(that) …ed-(으)ㄴ	본	[본]	bon
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ	볼	[볼]	bol

Useful patterns
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
I want to …-고 싶어요	보고 싶어요	[보고 시퍼요]	bogo sipeoyo
can …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요	볼 수 있어요	[볼 쑤 이써요]	bol su isseoyo
cannot …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요	볼 수 없어요	[볼 쑤 업써요]	bol su eopseoyo
have to …-아/어야 해요	봐야 해요	[봐야 해요]	bwaya haeyo
may … / it’s OK to …-아/어도 돼요	봐도 돼요	[봐도 돼요]	bwado dwaeyo
must not …-(으)면 안 돼요	보면 안 돼요	[보면 안 돼요]	bomyeon an dwaeyo
…ing (noun)-기	보기	[보기]	bogi

How 보다 changes

보 ends in a vowel, so 보 + 아/어 becomes 봐 → 봐요, 봤어요. Endings written -(으) attach directly → 보면, 볼. 보다 is regular.

How every verb type works → · Why it sounds like that →

Questions

How do you say “see” in Korean?

“To see” is 보다 (boda), pronounced [보다]. In a sentence: 어제 영화를 봤어요. — I watched a movie yesterday.

What is the past tense of 보다?

봤어요 (bwasseoyo) is the polite past tense of 보다 (“to see”). Formal: 봤습니다; casual: 봤어.

How do you say 보다 politely?

Everyday polite: 봐요 (bwayo). Formal: 봅니다. Casual, with close friends: 봐.

How do you say “I want to see” in Korean?

보고 싶어요 (bogo sipeoyo), pronounced [보고 시퍼요].

Is 보다 irregular?

No. 보 ends in a vowel, so 보 + 아/어 becomes 봐 → 봐요, 봤어요. Endings written -(으) attach directly → 보면, 볼. 보다 is regular.

More regular words like 보다

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Forms follow 한글 맞춤법 (Korean spelling rules); pronunciation follows 표준 발음법 and romanization follows 국어의 로마자 표기법 (Revised Romanization). Last updated October 16, 2026. How we check