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KOREAN VERB

알아보다

to find out, to recognize

  • #477 most used
  • Verb

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

현재 · now and habits: polite, formal and casual speech

Form Polite Formal Casual
AffirmativeI find out
NegativeI don’t find out

Past

과거 · finished actions: 갔어요, 갔습니다, 갔어

Form Polite Formal Casual
AffirmativeI found out
NegativeI didn’t find out

Future

미래 · plans and guesses: -(으)ㄹ 거예요

Form Polite Formal Casual
AffirmativeI will find out
NegativeI won’t find out

Honorific

높임말 · to or about an elder: the -시- forms

Form Polite Formal
PresentI find out (respectfully)
PastI found out (respectfully)
FutureI will find out (respectfully)

Connectives

연결 어미 · and, so, if, because, but: joining two sentences

  1. And (-고) finding out, and…, and…
  2. So, and then (-아/어서) finding out, and…, so…
  3. If, when (-(으)면) if I find out
  4. Because (-(으)니까) because I find out
  5. But (-지만) I find out, but…

Requests and commands

명령형 · -(으)세요, -(으)십시오, the casual form, -지 마세요

  1. Please (-(으)세요) please find out
  2. Formal request (-(으)십시오) please find out (formal)
  3. Plain command find out! (casual)
  4. Please don’t please don’t find out

How to use 알아보다

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    요즘 저는 서울에서 원룸을 알아봐요.

    These days I'm looking into studio apartments in Seoul.

  2. Past

    십 년 만에 만났는데 바로 저를 알아봤어요.

    We met after ten years and she recognized me right away.

  3. Future

    비행기표 가격은 제가 인터넷으로 알아볼 거예요.

    I'll find out the plane ticket prices online.

  4. Honorific

    할머니는 안경 없이도 저를 알아보셨어요.

    Grandma recognized me even without her glasses.

  5. Connectives

    가격을 먼저 알아보고 나중에 결정하세요.

    Find out the price first and decide later.

  6. Requests and commands

    그 학원 수업료가 얼마인지 알아보세요.

    Find out how much that academy's fees are.

Good to know

  • 알아보다 is both to look into something, 가격을 알아보다, and to recognize someone you know, 저를 못 알아봤어요.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: verb.