-아/어 보다 in Korean: 9 Ways to Say "Try Doing Something"

Quick answer: -아/어 보다 (-a/eo boda) attaches to a verb stem and means "try doing something, give it a go": 먹다 → 먹어 보세요 ("try eating it"). In the past tense it means "I have done it before": 가 봤어요 ("I've been there" / "I've tried going"). It does not mean "tried but failed."

The one idea to walk away with: -아/어 보다 is the softest, friendliest tool in Korean. It takes a flat command (먹으세요, "eat") and turns it into an invitation (먹어 보세요, "give it a taste"). It takes a flat statement (했어요, "I did it") and turns it into experience (해 봤어요, "I've tried it"). Koreans reach for it constantly, and learners who skip it sound blunter than they mean to.

The form is simple. Take the verb stem, attach -아 보다 if the last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ (가다 → 가 보다, 앉다 → 앉아 보다), -어 보다 otherwise (먹다 → 먹어 보다, 읽다 → 읽어 보다), and 하다 → 해 보다. Then conjugate 보다 like any verb: 해 보세요, 해 봤어요, 해 볼게요. The standard spelling leaves a space (해 보다), though writing it joined (해보다) is also accepted.

1. 한번 먹어 보세요. — "Give it a try (taste it)."

한번 먹어 보세요. 진짜 맛있어요. — "Try it once. It's really good."

This is the single most common use: recommending something. 먹으세요 alone is an instruction; 먹어 보세요 is a warm nudge, the thing a Korean friend says while pushing a dish toward you. 한번 ("once," written as one word here) almost always rides along with it and softens it further. If you want more words for reacting after that first bite, see these words for describing taste.

2. 이거 입어 봐도 돼요? — "Can I try this on?"

이거 입어 봐도 돼요? — "Can I try this on?"

In a clothing shop this is the sentence you need, and -아/어 보다 is doing the real work: 입어도 돼요? would mean "may I wear it (and keep wearing it)," while 입어 봐도 돼요? means "may I test it out." Swap the verb freely: 신어 봐도 돼요? for shoes, 써 봐도 돼요? for a hat or glasses.

3. 제주도에 가 봤어요? — "Have you been to Jeju?"

제주도에 가 봤어요? — "Have you been to Jeju (have you tried going)?"

Put -아/어 보다 in the past and it becomes the natural way to ask about experience. 제주도에 갔어요? asks about a specific trip ("did you go?"), while 가 봤어요? asks whether you have ever been in your life. Koreans use this constantly with food, places and activities: 떡볶이 먹어 봤어요? 한복 입어 봤어요?

4. 김치찌개 만들어 본 적 있어요? — "Have you ever tried making kimchi jjigae?"

김치찌개 만들어 본 적 있어요? — "Have you ever tried making kimchi stew?"

-아/어 본 적 있다/없다 is the long form of the same idea, and it leans harder on ever in your life. Use it when the experience is unusual or noteworthy; use plain 해 봤어요 for everyday things. Answer with 네, 있어요 or 아니요, 없어요 — not with 네, 적 있어요. If stew words are new to you, the basic menu vocabulary covers 찌개, 국 and friends.

5. 아직 안 해 봤어요. — "I haven't tried it yet."

아직 안 해 봤어요. — "I haven't tried it yet."

The negative goes in front of the whole chunk: 안 + verb + 봤어요. 아직 ("yet") makes it sound open rather than final — you haven't done it, but you're not refusing. This is the polite, honest answer when someone asks whether you've eaten 산낙지 or been to a 찜질방 and the answer is no.

6. 제가 한번 해 볼게요. — "Let me give it a try."

제가 한번 해 볼게요. — "I'll give it a try."

Volunteering with 할게요 sounds like you're claiming the job; 해 볼게요 sounds like you're willing to attempt it, with the modesty Koreans expect in a group. It's the standard thing to say at work when a task comes up, and it's also what you say before attempting something you might fail at: 한국어로 말해 볼게요 ("I'll try saying it in Korean").

7. 생각해 볼게요. — "I'll think about it."

생각해 볼게요. — "I'll think about it."

To a Korean ear this is often a gentle no. A shop assistant pushes a jacket, a colleague suggests a plan you don't love, and 생각해 볼게요 closes the conversation without a refusal. Said sincerely it really does mean "let me consider it," so tone and context decide — but never expect a 생각해 볼게요 to turn into a yes.

8. 이거 한번 들어 봐. — "Have a listen to this."

이거 한번 들어 봐. — "Have a listen to this."

In 반말 with friends, -아/어 봐 is the everyday way to hand someone an experience: 들어 봐, 먹어 봐, 와 봐 ("come see"). The polite version is -아/어 보세요, and -아/어 봐요 sits in between. If dropping into 반말 still feels risky, here's when Koreans actually switch.

9. 먹어 보니까 생각보다 안 매웠어요. — "I tried it, and it wasn't as spicy as I expected."

먹어 보니까 생각보다 안 매웠어요. — "Having tried it, it was less spicy than I thought."

-아/어 보니까 means "now that I've actually tried it, here's what I found." It's how Koreans report a discovery: 해 보니까 어렵지 않았어요 ("once I tried it, it wasn't hard"), 가 보니까 사람이 많았어요 ("when I got there, it was crowded"). The nuance is always experience first, conclusion second — you can't use it for things you only heard about.

Three mistakes to avoid

It doesn't mean "tried but failed." English "I tried to call him" implies the attempt may have failed. Korean -아/어 보다 implies you actually did it. For an attempt that didn't work out, use -(으)려고 했는데: 전화하려고 했는데 못 했어요 — "I tried to call but couldn't."

Don't use it with 보다 itself. 봐 보세요 is not something Koreans say. Just use 보세요 or 한번 보세요 ("take a look").

-아/어 보다 and -아/어 보이다 are different grammar. 보다 here means "try"; 보이다 means "look/seem." So 맛있어 보여요 is "it looks delicious" (adjective + 보이다), while 먹어 봐요 is "try eating it" (verb + 보다). Adjectives don't take -아/어 보다 at all — 예뻐 보다 is not a word.

FAQ

What does 해 보세요 mean in Korean?

해 보세요 means "try doing it" or "give it a go," in polite 해요체. It's 하다 (to do) plus -아/어 보다 plus the polite suggestion ending -(으)세요. Koreans use it to encourage rather than order, so it feels friendlier than 하세요, which is a plain instruction.

What's the difference between 먹어 봤어요 and 먹었어요?

먹었어요 states a specific past event: "I ate (it)." 먹어 봤어요 reports experience: "I've tried it before." So 어제 불고기 먹었어요 is about yesterday's meal, while 불고기 먹어 봤어요? asks whether you have ever eaten bulgogi in your life.

How do you say "I've never tried it" in Korean?

Say 아직 안 해 봤어요 ("I haven't tried it yet") or 해 본 적 없어요 ("I've never tried it"). Replace 하다 with the verb you need: 가 본 적 없어요 ("I've never been"), 안 먹어 봤어요 ("I haven't tried eating it"). Both are polite 해요체 and safe with anyone.

Practice

1. Turn 먹다 into a friendly polite recommendation: "Try it once."
2. Ask a friend politely: "Have you been to Busan?"
3. You're asked if you've eaten 순대. Say: "I haven't tried it yet."
4. A shop assistant is pushing a coat. Give the soft Korean no.
5. Fix this: 가 봤는데 못 갔어요. ("I tried to go but couldn't.")