Both 나 보다 and 것 같다 express uncertainty in Korean, but they differ in perspective and formality. 나 보다 conveys personal guesses based on limited information, while 것 같다 expresses more objective observations or polite uncertainty.
나 보다 vs 것 같다
intermediate
나 보다 (na boda):
- Personal guess or assumption
- "I guess..." or "I suppose..."
- More subjective, casual reasoning
것 같다 (geot gatda):
- Objective observation or polite uncertainty
- "It seems..." or "I think..."
- More formal, evidence-based
Understanding 나 보다 (Personal Guess)
비가 오나 보다.
Biga ona boda.
I guess it's raining.
Word breakdown:
비가bigarain (subject)noun + particle
오나onacomingverb stem
보다bodaI guessconjecture ending
Formation:
- Verb stem + 나 보다
- Past: Verb stem + 았/었나 보다
- Future: Verb stem + (으)ㄹ 나 보다
그 사람이 바쁜가 보다.
Geu sarami bappeun-ga boda.
I guess that person is busy.
Word breakdown:
그 사람이geu saramithat personnoun + particle
바쁜가bappeun-gabusyadjective
보다bodaI guessconjecture ending
Understanding 것 같다 (Objective Observation)
비가 오는 것 같아요.
Biga oneun geot gatayo.
It seems like it's raining.
Word breakdown:
비가bigarain (subject)noun + particle
오는oneuncomingverb + modifier
것 같아요geot gatayoit seemsconjecture expression
Formation:
- Present: Verb + 는 것 같다
- Past: Verb + (으)ㄴ 것 같다
- Future: Verb + (으)ㄹ 것 같다
그 영화가 재미있을 것 같아요.
Geu yeonghwaga jaemiisseul geot gatayo.
I think that movie will be interesting.
Word breakdown:
그 영화가geu yeonghwagathat movienoun + particle
재미있을jaemiisseulwill be interestingadjective + future
것 같아요geot gatayoI thinkconjecture expression
Key Differences
나 보다 vs 것 같다 Comparison
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 나 보다 | na boda | personal guess, more casual | Intermediate |
| 것 같다 | geot gatda | objective observation, more polite | Intermediate |
2 words
Usage Context: Personal Guess (나 보다)
아직 안 왔나 보다.
Ajik an watna boda.
I guess they haven't come yet.
Word breakdown:
아직ajikstill, yetadverb
안annotnegation
왔나watnacameverb + conjecture
보다bodaI guessending
공부하기 싫은가 보다.
Gongbu-hagi sireun-ga boda.
I guess they don't want to study.
Word breakdown:
공부하기gongbu-hagistudyingverb + nominalizer
싫은가sireun-gadon't likeadjective + conjecture
보다bodaI guessending
Usage Context: Objective Observation (것 같다)
날씨가 좋을 것 같아요.
Nalssiga joeul geot gatayo.
The weather seems like it will be nice.
Word breakdown:
날씨가nalssigaweathernoun + particle
좋을joeulwill be goodadjective + future
것 같아요geot gatayoit seemsconjecture + polite
이 문제가 어려운 것 같아요.
I munjega eoryeoun geot gatayo.
This problem seems difficult.
Word breakdown:
이 문제가i munjegathis problemdeterminer + noun + particle
어려운eoryeoundifficultadjective + modifier
것 같아요geot gatayoit seemsconjecture + polite
Past Tense Patterns
나 보다 (Past)
어제 많이 마셨나 보다.
Eoje mani masyeonna boda.
I guess they drank a lot yesterday.
Word breakdown:
어제eojeyesterdaynoun
많이mania lotadverb
마셨나masyeonnadrankverb + past + conjecture
보다bodaI guessending
것 같다 (Past)
그 사람이 집에 간 것 같아요.
Geu sarami jibe gan geot gatayo.
It seems like that person went home.
Word breakdown:
그 사람이geu saramithat persondeterminer + noun + particle
집에jibehomenoun + particle
간ganwentverb + past modifier
것 같아요geot gatayoit seemsconjecture + polite
Formality Levels
Casual with 나 보다
배고픈가 보다.
Baegopeun-ga boda.
I guess they're hungry.
Polite with 것 같아요
배고픈 것 같아요.
Baegopeun geot gatayo.
They seem hungry.
Very polite with 것 같습니다
문제가 있는 것 같습니다.
Munjega inneun geot gatseumnida.
There seems to be a problem.
Practice Exercises
Choose 나 보다 or 것 같다
1 of 4
You personally think someone is tired based on their appearance:
Common Expressions
With 나 보다:
- 바쁜가 보다 - I guess they're busy
- 좋아하나 보다 - I guess they like it
- 모르나 보다 - I guess they don't know
With 것 같다:
- 그런 것 같아요 - It seems like that
- 아닌 것 같아요 - I don't think so
- 맞는 것 같아요 - I think it's correct
Real-World Usage
나 보다 appears in:
- Personal thoughts about others
- Casual conversations with friends
- Self-talk or inner monologue
- Assumptions based on limited info
것 같다 appears in:
- Polite conversations
- Business discussions
- Formal observations
- Diplomatic statements
Common Mistakes to Avoid
-
Using 나 보다 in formal situations
- Too casual for business contexts
-
Overusing 것 같다 with close friends
- Can sound distant or overly polite
-
Wrong conjugation patterns
- Remember: 나 보다 uses different verb forms than 것 같다
Summary
Choose based on:
- 나 보다: Personal, casual guesses
- 것 같다: Polite, objective observations
Both are useful for expressing uncertainty without being too direct.
Master Korean Uncertainty Expressions
Practice 나 보다 and 것 같다 with authentic webtoon dialogue and K-drama scripts.
