KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -(으)ㄴ가/나 보다
Korean Grammar “-(으)ㄴ가/나 보다”: How to Use It (TOPIK 3)
How to attach it
The ending differs for verbs and adjectives, so the table shows both. Compare how each word changes depending on its last sound.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | With this pattern | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보다 | to see, to watch (verb) | 보나 보다 | bona boda |
| 읽다 | to read (verb) | 읽나 보다 | ingna boda |
| 크다 | big (adjective) | 큰가 보다 | keunga boda |
| 좋다 | good, nice (adjective) | 좋은가 보다 | joeunga boda |
What changes
- A stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ before this ending (살 → 사-); other stems attach directly.
- For adjectives, the present-tense form is -(으)ㄴ: ㄴ after a vowel (크 → 큰) and 은 after a consonant (좋 → 좋은).
Explanation
길에 우산을 쓴 사람이 많은 걸 보니 비가 오나 봐요.
“-나 보다” is used to infer “it seems that ~” from something you have seen or heard. Attach “-나 보다” to verbs and 있다/없다, and “-(으)ㄴ가 보다” to adjectives and 이다. The sentence means “So many people on the street are carrying umbrellas, so it seems to be raining.” It is used to guess about other people or situations, not about the speaker’s own actions.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 길에 우산을 쓴 사람이 많은 걸 보니 비가 오나 봐요.
In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 길에 | ||
| 길 | ㄱ+ㅣ+ㄹ | [기] gi |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | [레] re |
| 우산을 | ||
| 우 | ㅇ+ㅜ | u |
| 산 | ㅅ+ㅏ+ㄴ | [사] sa |
| 을 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [늘] neul |
| 쓴 | ㅆ+ㅡ+ㄴ | sseun |
| 사람이 | ||
| 사 | ㅅ+ㅏ | sa |
| 람 | ㄹ+ㅏ+ㅁ | [라] ra |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | [미] mi |
| 많은 | ||
| 많 | ㅁ+ㅏ+ㄶ | [마] ma |
| 은 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄴ | [는] neun |
| 걸 | ㄱ+ㅓ+ㄹ | geol |
| 보니 | ||
| 보 | ㅂ+ㅗ | bo |
| 니 | ㄴ+ㅣ | ni |
| 비가 | ||
| 비 | ㅂ+ㅣ | bi |
| 가 | ㄱ+ㅏ | ga |
| 오나 | ||
| 오 | ㅇ+ㅗ | o |
| 나 | ㄴ+ㅏ | na |
| 봐요 | ||
| 봐 | ㅂ+ㅘ | bwa |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 길에 → [기레]
- Silent ㅎ: a final ㅎ (including the ㅎ inside ㄶ and ㅀ) is not pronounced before a vowel. 많은 → [마는]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 길 | noun | road, way | TOPIK level 1 |
| 우산 | noun | umbrella | TOPIK level 1 |
| 많다 | adjective | many, much | TOPIK level 1 |
| 비 | noun | rain | TOPIK level 1 |
| 보다 | verb | to see, to watch | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 길에 우산을 쓴 사람이 많은 걸 보니 비가 오____.
Show the answer
Answer: 길에 우산을 쓴 사람이 많은 걸 보니 비가 오나 봐요.
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