concept rows · concept, grammar, perception
See / watch / look scenes in Korean
How do you say "see" or "watch" in Korean? It depends on the situation! 👀 보다 [boda] - to look at something quickly

How these words work together
These Korean verbs all relate to seeing or watching, but they have different meanings. 보다 means to look at something briefly or generally. 지켜보다 means to watch something carefully for a while. 구경하다 means to sightsee or look around a place. 쳐다보다 means to stare at something, often with focus or surprise.
Words in this chart
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 보다 | boda | look at |
| 지켜보다 | jikyeoboda | watch (for a while) |
| 구경하다 | gugyeonghada | sightsee |
| 쳐다보다 | chyeodaboda | stare |
Example sentences
창문 밖을 보고 있어요.
I am looking out the window.
아이가 놀이터에서 노는 것을 지켜보고 있어요.
I am watching the child playing at the playground.
서울에서 유명한 곳을 구경했어요.
I sightsee famous places in Seoul.
Practice these words in context? Open the vocab quiz · Browse how-to-say word guides.