Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 5 - Intermediate Korean #2 (Lessons 121 to 150) ᚛ Lesson 125 - Visual supposition in Korean [-나 보다] [-(으)ㄴ가 보다]

Visual supposition in Korean [-나 보다] [-(으)ㄴ가 보다]

In this course: 나 보다 / ㄴ가 보다 / 은가 보다 / 나 봐 / ㄴ가 봐 / 은가 봐 / 나 봐요 / ㄴ가 봐요 / 은가 봐요

Supposing with 보다

In Korean, it is possible to express a supposition with the help of the verb 보다. Although the supposition structures built with 보다 can have a meaning close to the structures seen in the lesson on "to seem" in Korean, the ones with 보다 are used when we see a scene and suppose something about it.

In the present tense

With action verbs as well as 있다 and 없다, in the present tense, the visual supposition with 보다 is used in the following manner:
[Stem]나 보다

민지는 매일 인스타그램에 강아지 사진을 올려. 강아지를 엄청 좋아하나 봐.
→ Minji posts pictures of her puppy on Instagram every day. She must really love her puppy.

사무실에 누군가 있나 봐요.
→ It looks like there is someone in the office.

내가 너를 많이 사랑하나 봐.
→ I guess I love you a lot.

할아버지께서는 신문을 많이 읽으시나 봐요.
→ It looks like grandfather reads the newspaper a lot.

With descriptive verbs (adjectives) as well as 이다, in the present tense, the visual supposition with 보다 is used in the following manner:
[Adjectival form]가 보다

The adjectival form of descriptive verbs was seen in the lesson on adjectives in Korean.

공무원 시험이 많이 어려운가 봐요.
→ The civil service exam must be very difficult.

와 지유 선물을 많이 받았네. 인기가 많은가 보다.
→ Wow, Jiyu got a lot of gifts! She must be very popular.

민지는 영국에서 유학 생활이 좋은가 봐. 이민까지 생각하고 있다고 해.
→ Minji seems to like her student life in England. She says she is even thinking about emigrating.

재현이가 밥도 안 먹네. 많이 피곤한가 보다.
→ Oh, Jaehyeon isn’t even eating his meal. He must be very tired.

민지는 집이랑 회사랑 가까운가 봐. 9시 출근인데 집에서 8시 30분에 나온다고 해.
→ Minji’s home must be close to her company. She starts work at 9:00, but she says she leaves home at 8:30.

아이는 파스타가 먹고 싶은가 봐.
→ It looks like the child wants to eat pasta.