Lesson 5
Let’s continue learning how to use -나 보다 to make your Korean more fluent!
You have already learned that you can use -나 보다 for action verbs (turn back one lesson if you have forgotten!)
Ex)
하다 → 하나 보다 (I guess they do...)
오다 → 오나 보다 (I guess they come...)
By slightly modifying -나 보다 to -(으)ㄴ가 보다, you can use this sentence structure with adjectives.
Ex)
예쁘다 → 예쁜가 보다 (I guess it is pretty...)
비싸다 → 비싼가 보다 (I guess it is expensive...)
작다 → 작은가 보다 (I guess it is small...)
For -이다 (to be):
-이다 changes to -인가 보다
* Note that since -이다 is not an adjective on its own, it is usually combined with nouns to make a statement. However, in this case, -이다 is followed by -(으)ㄴ가 보다.
Conjugation
Verb stems ending with a vowel + -ㄴ가 보다
Ex) 크다 → 크 + -ㄴ가 보다 = 큰가 보다
Verb stems ending with a consonant + -은가 보다
Ex) 작다 → 작 + -은가 보다 = 작은가 보다
Commonly accepted exceptions and irregularities
Even though the rule is that action verbs are followed by -나 보다 and adjectives are followed by -(으)ㄴ가 보다, Korean speakers often use -나 보다 with adjectives when the stem ends with a consonant. It does not, however, work the other way around - you absolutely cannot use -(으)ㄴ가 보다 with action verbs.
Ex)
작다 = to be small
Since 작다 is an adjective, it is to be followed by -(으)ㄴ가 보다.
작은가 보다 = I guess it is small.
However, due to the accepted irregularity to this rule, speakers often say 작나 보다 with the same intended meaning as 작은가 보다.
Ex)
맵다 = to be spicy
→ 매운가 보다 or 맵나 보다
Present tense and past tense conjugations
[present tense 존댓말]
-(으)ㄴ가 보다 → -(으)ㄴ가 봐요
[past tense 존댓말]
For past tense, you would simply add the suffix -았/었/였 to the stem of the adjective. After that, for ease of pronunciation and so people know what you are talking about, use -나 봐요 after -았/었/였.
Although the stem of an adjective is followed by -(으)ㄴ가 봐요 in the present tense, it is always followed by -았/었/였나 봐요 in the past tense. For example:
아프다 = to be sick
→ [present tense] 아프 + -(으)ㄴ가 봐요 = 아픈가 봐요
→ [past tense] 아프 + -았/었/였나 봐요 = 아팠나 봐요
Exceptions
When the adjective is composed of a noun and the verb 있다 or 없다 to create an adjective, i.e. 재미있다, 맛있다, 재미없다, or 맛없다, you need to add -나 봐요 after 있 or 없.
재미있다 → 재미있나 봐요 / 재미있었나 봐요
맛없다 → 맛없나 봐요 / 맛없었나 봐요
Sample Sentences
학생이 많아요. = There are a lot of students.
→ 학생이 많은가 봐요. = I guess there are a lot of students.
→ 학생이 많았나 봐요. = I guess there were a lot of students.
요즘 바빠요. = He is busy these days.
→ 요즘 바쁜가 봐요. = I guess he is busy these days.
→ 바빴나 봐요. = I guess he was busy.
아이들이 졸려요. = The kids are sleepy.
→ 아이들이 졸린가 봐요. = I guess the kids are sleepy.
그래요. = It is so. / That is right.
→ 그런가 봐요. = I guess so.
이쪽이 더 빨라요. = This way is faster.
→ 이쪽이 더 빠른가 봐요. = I guess this way is faster.