Level 5

몰라보다

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Meaning and Usage

The verb '몰라보다' means 'to not recognize' or 'to fail to identify someone or something correctly.' It is often used when someone looks very different from before or when a person is unrecognizable due to changes in appearance or context.

Common Contexts

  • Meeting someone after a long time and not recognizing them.
  • Someone changing so much that they become unrecognizable.
  • Mistaking someone because their appearance differs from expectations (e.g., photos).

Collocations and Patterns

  • 친구를 몰라보다: to not recognize a friend
  • 몰라볼 정도로 변하다: to change so much that one is unrecognizable
  • 사진과 달라서 몰라보다: to not recognize because different from a photo

Register and Politeness

'몰라보다' is a neutral verb and can be used in both formal and informal contexts depending on the sentence ending.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse '몰라보다' with '모르다' (to not know). Remember, '몰라보다' specifically involves failing to recognize or identify something or someone, not just lacking knowledge.

Example Sentences

오랜만에 만난 친구를 몰라봤어요.

Oraenman-e mannan chingureul mollabwasseoyo.

I didn't recognize my friend whom I met after a long time.

그는 너무 많이 변해서 몰라볼 정도였어요.

Geuneun neomu mani byeonhaeseo mollabol jeongdoyieosseoyo.

He changed so much that he was almost unrecognizable.

사진 속 모습과 달라서 몰라봤어요.

Sajin sok moseupgwa dallaseo mollabwasseoyo.

I didn't recognize him because he looked different from the photo.