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To Learn Korean

To Try Something in Korean

This lesson covers how to say “to try” something with action verbs, e.g. “to try eating something.”

To say "to try" we use the action verb 보다 (to see). Here, "try" means giving an action a try, so it does not focus on actually succeeding at the action, but on doing it and seeing how it goes.

Saying to try using 보다

Section titled “Saying to try using 보다”
  1. Conjugate an action verb as usual without attaching the 요 to the end.
  2. Add 보다 and conjugate it.

This form would literally translate to “to do and see”.

김치를 먹어 봤어요.

I tried eating kimchi.

반찬을 만들어 보세요.

Try making side dishes.

한국어로 말해 보세요.

Try saying it in Korean.

두 번 먹어 봤어요.

I tried eating it twice.

Another way to give advice, such as telling someone to try something, is using the should / should not form covered in the next chapter using the (으)면 form with 좋다.

Asking "Have you ever?"

Section titled “Asking "Have you ever?"”

To ask if someone has ever done something you can also use the 보다 form:

Action verb stem conjugated + 본 적(이) 있다

  1. Conjugate an action verb as usual, without attaching 요 to the end.
  2. Add 본 적(이) 있다 (or 없다) and conjugate 있다.

This form is commonly used to say that you have (or don’t have) the experience of doing something. If you instead want to say that you just tried something, without emphasizing that it was an experience, use the 보다 form from the beginning instead.

본 comes from 보다. 적 means a time or experience. So it literally means to have, or not to have, the experience of trying to do something.

한국에 가 본 적이 있어요?

Have you ever been to Korea before?

그걸 해 본 적이 없어요.

I have never tried doing that before.

떡을 먹어 본 적이 있어요?

Have you ever eaten rice cake before?

Saying to try using the (으)려고 form

Section titled “Saying to try using the (으)려고 form”

The (으)려고 form is used to say you are intending to do something, so saying that you are going to do or try to do something.

Action verb stem + (으)려고 하다

  1. Get an action verb stem.
  2. Attach 으려고 if ends in a consonant, or attach 려고 if it ends in a vowel.
    • If it ends in a ㄹ attach 려고 instead.
  3. Add 하다 and conjugate it.

They can also be used without the 하다 at the end, as is common in conversations. So it can be omitted just like in the quoting forms.

It does not mean that you are successfully doing something, just like the 보다 form.

This (으)려고 form can only be sed in 1st or 2nd person. So you can say "I intend to..." or "You intend to...", but not "He/she/someone else intends to..."(3rd person). Just like the 고 싶다 form for wanting something which can also only be used for 1st and 2nd person.

집으로 돌아가려고 해요.

I'm trying to go back home. / I'm intending to go back home. / I'm going to go back home.

지금 아침을 먹으려고 하고 있어요.

I'm trying to eat breakfast now. / I'm intending to eat breakfast now. / I'm going to eat breakfast now.

한 시간 후에 돌아오려고 해요.

I'll try to come back after 1 hour. / I intend to come back after 1 hour. / I'm going to come back after 1 hour.

저는 하루 종일 열심히 자려고 하고 있었어요.

I was trying to sleep all day.

The (으)려고 form can also be used to say in order to.

한국에 가려고 한국어를 배웠어요.

I learned Korean in order to go to Korea. / I learned Korean, intending to go to Korea.

저는 살을 빼려고 운동하고 있어요.

I'm exercising in order to lose weight. / I'm exercising, intending to lose weight.

차를 사려고 모으고 있어요.

I'm saving up money in order to buy a car.

그 문장을 이해하려고 선생님한테 물어봤고요.

I asked the teacher in order to understand that sentence.

Sources & References