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Lv 3Grammar expressionIntermediate · TOPIK II

-는가 보다

-neun-ga boda

it seems that; I guess

Attaches to a verb stem (with '-은가 보다' for adjectives/nouns) to express the speaker's guess about a fact based on some observation, similar to '-나 보다.'

Form

Attaches to
Verb, Adjective, 이다, Auxiliary

Meanings

  1. 1

    An expression used to guess about a fact mentioned in the preceding statement.

    앞말이 나타내는 사실을 추측함을 나타내는 표현.

    ※ ‘있다’, ‘없다’, ‘계시다’나 ‘있다’, ‘없다’로 끝나는 형용사, 동사 또는 ‘-으시-’, ‘-었-’, ‘-겠-’ 뒤에 붙여 쓴다.

Examples

  • 어머, 딸인가 봐요. 엄마랑 많이 닮았네.

    Oh, I guess that's her daughter. She looks a lot like her mom.

  • 모두들 연락이 안 되는 걸 보니 바쁜가 보다.

    No one is answering, so I guess everyone's busy.

  • 며칠째 학교에도 못 나오는 걸 보니 지수가 많이 아픈가 봐.

    Jisu hasn't been able to come to school for days, so she must be really sick.

  • 이 식당은 무지 화려하기는 한데 맛은 별로네요. 그러게요. 비싸다고 다 맛있는 것은 아닌가 봅니다.

    This restaurant is super fancy, but the food isn't that great. Right. I guess being expensive doesn't always mean it's delicious.

  • 오늘 학교 수업이 일찍 끝났는가 보다.

    I guess school let out early today.

  • 목소리가 밝은 걸 보니 승규에게 뭔가 좋은 일이 있는가 보다.

    His voice sounds cheerful, so something good must have happened to Seunggyu.

Examples: 한국어기초사전, CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.

Quick check

  1. 1. What does ‘-는가 보다’ mean?

  2. 2. Which form means “it seems that; I guess”?