How to Say "Try Doing" in Korean: ~아/어 보다 Explained

There's a pattern in Korean that you'll hear constantly - in recommendations, suggestions, encouragement, and everyday conversation:

~아/어 보다

It means "to try doing something" or "to have the experience of doing something." Once you have it, you can make suggestions, share experiences, and encourage others in a way that sounds completely natural.

What Does ~아/어 보다 Mean?

~아/어 보다 expresses trying an action or having the experience of doing something.

💡 보다 literally means "to see" - so ~아/어 보다 carries the nuance of "do it and see what it's like." This is exactly how "try" feels in English.

How to Form ~아/어 보다

Same vowel rule as ~아요/어요:

💡 보다 conjugates normally: 봐요 (present) / 봤어요 (past) / 볼 거예요 (future) The ~아/어 part stays fixed - only 보다 changes.

Conjugation Table

Use 1: "Try Doing" - Making Suggestions

The most common use is making suggestions or recommendations - especially with the polite request form ~아/어 보세요:

한번 먹어 보세요.

• Natural: Try eating it (once).

이 드라마 한번 봐 보세요.

• Natural: Try watching this drama.

김치찌개 먹어 보세요. 진짜 맛있어요.

• Natural: Try kimchi jjigae. It's really delicious.

한국어 공부해 보세요. 생각보다 재미있어요.

• Natural: Try studying Korean. It's more fun than you think.

이 옷 한번 입어 보세요.

• Natural: Try this outfit on.

💡 한번 (once / just once) pairs very naturally with ~아/어 보세요: 한번 해 보세요. (Just try it.) 한번 먹어 보세요. (Give it a try.) It makes suggestions feel lighter and less pressuring.

Use 2: "Have Experienced" - Sharing Past Experiences

With past tense (~아/어 봤어요), the pattern describes something you've experienced before - similar to English "have ever done":

한국에 가 봤어요?

• Natural: Have you ever been to Korea?

김치 먹어 봤어요?

• Natural: Have you ever eaten kimchi?

한국어 배워 봤어요?

• Natural: Have you ever tried learning Korean?

혼자 여행해 봤어요?

• Natural: Have you ever traveled alone?

Negative Experience: ~아/어 본 적이 없어요

To say you've never done something, use ~아/어 본 적이 없어요:

And for positive experience:

~아/어 본 적이 있어요 = I've done ~ before / I have experience of ~

Use 3: Trying Something Right Now

~아/어 보다 also describes actively trying something in the moment:

지금 해 볼게요.

• Natural: I'll try it now.

한번 써 볼게요.

• Natural: I'll give it a try.

제가 직접 만들어 볼게요.

• Natural: I'll try making it myself.

다시 한번 해 볼게요.

• Natural: I'll try one more time.

~아/어 보다 in Real Sentences

🍽️ Food & Recommendations

떡볶이 먹어 봤어요? 맵지만 진짜 맛있어요.

• Natural: Have you tried tteokbokki? It's spicy but really delicious.

이 카페 와 봤어요? 커피가 너무 맛있어요.

• Natural: Have you been to this café? The coffee is so good.

다음에 한국 음식 만들어 볼게요.

• Natural: Next time I'll try making Korean food.

아직 냉면을 먹어 본 적이 없어요. 먹어 보고 싶어요.

• Natural: I've never tried naengmyeon. I want to try it.

🌍 Travel & Experience

제주도에 가 봤어요?

• Natural: Have you been to Jeju Island?

KTX 타 봤어요? 정말 빨라요.

• Natural: Have you tried riding the KTX? It's really fast.

한국에서 살아 봤어요?

• Natural: Have you ever lived in Korea?

혼자 해외여행 해 본 적 있어요?

• Natural: Have you ever traveled abroad alone?

📚 Learning & Skills

이 방법으로 공부해 보세요. 효과가 좋아요.

• Natural: Try studying with this method. It's effective.

한번 써 봐요. 도움이 될 거예요.

• Natural: Give it a try. It'll help.

운동을 해 본 적이 없어서 어떻게 시작해야 할지 모르겠어요.

• Natural: I've never exercised before, so I don't know how to start.

Real Conversations Using ~아/어 보다

📍 Conversation 1: Food recommendation

A: 한국 음식 좋아해요? (Do you like Korean food?)

B: 네! 김치찌개랑 비빔밥 먹어 봤는데 너무 맛있었어요. (Yes! I've tried kimchi jjigae and bibimbap and they were so delicious.)

A: 그럼 삼겹살은 먹어 봤어요? (Then have you tried samgyeopsal?)

B: 아직 먹어 본 적이 없어요. 어때요? (I haven't tried it yet. How is it?)

A: 꼭 먹어 보세요! 한국에 오면 제일 먼저 먹어야 해요. (You absolutely have to try it! When you come to Korea, it's the first thing you should eat.)

📍 Conversation 2: Encouraging someone

A: 한국어 공부를 시작하고 싶은데 너무 어려울 것 같아요. (I want to start studying Korean, but I think it'll be too difficult.)

B: 일단 한번 해 보세요. 생각보다 재미있을 거예요. (Just try it once. It'll be more fun than you think.)

A: 혼자 공부해 본 적이 없어서 걱정돼요. (I've never studied alone before, so I'm worried.)

B: 처음엔 다 그래요. 조금씩 해 보면 늘 거예요. (Everyone's like that at first. If you try little by little, you'll improve.)

📍 Conversation 3: Sharing experiences

A: 한국 여행해 본 적 있어요? (Have you ever traveled to Korea?)

B: 네, 작년에 가 봤어요. 서울이랑 부산에 갔어요. (Yes, I went last year. I went to Seoul and Busan.)

A: 어땠어요? 혼자 갔어요? (How was it? Did you go alone?)

B: 친구랑 같이 갔어요. 혼자 여행은 아직 해 본 적이 없어요. (I went with a friend. I haven't traveled alone yet.)

A: 언젠가 혼자도 가 보세요. 색다른 경험이에요. (Someday try going alone too. It's a different kind of experience.)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Mistake 1: Conjugating ~아/어 instead of 보다

Only 보다 changes tense - the ~아/어 part stays fixed:

❌ 먹봤어요 / 먹아봤어요 ✅ 먹어 봤어요

❌ 가아봐요 ✅ 가 봐요 (가 + 아 → 가 - contraction)

❌ Mistake 2: Using ~아/어 보다 for ongoing attempts

~아/어 보다 is for trying once or having experience - not for ongoing effort:

❌ 매일 운동해 보고 있어요. (trying to exercise every day — sounds odd) ✅ 매일 운동하고 있어요. (I'm exercising every day.) ✅ 운동을 시작해 봤어요. (I tried starting to exercise.)

❌ Mistake 3: Forgetting 본 적이 없어요 for "never"

❌ 한국에 가 보지 않았어요. (grammatically okay but unnatural) ✅ 한국에 가 본 적이 없어요. (I've never been to Korea.)

Quick Practice

Translate using ~아/어 보다:

1. Try eating this. (suggestion)
2. Have you ever been to Japan?
3. I've never tried Korean food.
4. I'll try making it myself.
5. Just try it once!

Answers:

1. 이거 먹어 보세요.
2. 일본에 가 봤어요?
3. 한국 음식을 먹어 본 적이 없어요.
4. 직접 만들어 볼게요.
5. 한번 해 보세요!

Summary

~아/어 보다 is one of the most natural, versatile patterns in Korean. Whether you're encouraging someone to try something new, sharing a past experience, or saying you'll give something a shot - this pattern handles it all beautifully.