Level 2

알아보다

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Meaning and Usage

The verb '알아보다' is commonly used to express the act of investigating, checking, or inquiring about something. It often implies a proactive effort to gather information, whether by searching, asking, or examining.

Common Contexts

  • Looking up information online or in books.
  • Asking someone for details or confirmation.
  • Examining or inspecting something closely.

Collocations and Patterns

  • '알아보다 + noun' (e.g., 위치를 알아보다): to look up or check a specific thing.
  • '좀 더 알아보다': to find out more or investigate further.
  • '누구에게 알아보다': to inquire from someone.

Register and Politeness

'알아보다' is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but the sentence ending and surrounding expressions determine the overall politeness.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse '알아보다' with '알다' (to know). Remember, '알아보다' involves an active search or inquiry, while '알다' means simply to know or be aware.

Use '알아보다' when you want to express the process of finding out information, not just possessing knowledge.

Example Sentences

인터넷에서 그 가게의 위치를 알아봤어요.

Inteoneseseo geu gageui wichireul arabwasseoyo.

I looked up the location of that store on the internet.

새로운 직장에 대해 좀 더 알아보고 싶어요.

Saeroun jikjange daehae jom deo arabogo sipeoyo.

I want to find out more about the new workplace.

친구에게 그 사람에 대해 알아봤어요.

Chinguege geu sarame daehae arabwasseoyo.

I asked my friend about that person.