TOPIK II Grammar · Ch.2 Guessing & Possibility 01

TOPIK II Grammar · Ch.2 Guessing & Possibility 01

'-나 보다 · -는 모양이다 · -는 듯하다' - Guessing from What You See

The office lights are off. 다들 퇴근했나 봐요 - looks like everyone's gone home. English says "it looks like" or "I guess". Korean has a set of endings for exactly this - a guess drawn from evidence in front of you. They are a clear step up from 것 같다.

Key point Verb + -나 보다, adjective + -(으)ㄴ가 보다 = a guess based on something you observed. -는 모양이다 is the slightly formal version; -는 듯하다 is used mostly in writing.

How to use it

-나 보다 is for when the evidence is out in the open - seeing wet umbrellas, you say 밖에 비가 오나 봐요. The 보다 in it is literally the verb "to see": the grammar itself tells the listener you're looking at something. Adjectives and nouns take -(으)ㄴ가 보다 - 많이 바쁜가 봐요, 학생인가 봐요. For the past, -았/었나 보다.

-는 모양이다 means the same thing in a slightly more formal style - 회의가 길어지는 모양이에요. It sits on top of the noun-modifying forms (-는/-(으)ㄴ/-(으)ㄹ), and 모양 literally means "shape": that's the shape of the situation.

These patterns are for guessing about other people and outside situations. You don't use them for your own plans - you already know what you intend to do. That's the line between them and 것 같다, which also works for your own opinions and intentions.

At a glance

Pattern	Where it fits	Example
verb + 나 보다	conversation · observed evidence	전화를 안 받아요. 자나 봐요
adjective + (으)ㄴ가 보다	conversation · observed evidence	표정을 보니 기분이 좋은가 봐요
noun-modifying form + 모양이다	formal speech	손님이 많은 모양이에요
noun-modifying form + 듯하다	writing	경기가 회복되는 듯하다

The evidence is the point  The moment you say -나 봐요, the listener expects to hear what you saw. Build the habit of pairing it with an evidence sentence - 불이 꺼져 있어요. 자나 봐요.

Examples

사람들이 우산을 쓰고 가요. 비가 오나 봐요. People are walking by holding umbrellas. It looks like it's raining. - the basic frame: evidence first, guess second.

그 식당은 늘 줄이 길어요. 정말 맛있나 봐요. There's always a line at that restaurant. I guess it's really good. - the 있다 family (including 맛있다) behaves like a verb here → -나 보다.

두 사람이 말을 안 해요. 싸운 모양이에요. Those two aren't talking to each other. It seems they had a fight. - past noun-modifying form + 모양.

Common mistakes

❌ 요즘 언니가 많이 바쁘나 봐요. → ⭕ 요즘 언니가 많이 바쁜가 봐요. Adjectives take -(으)ㄴ가 보다; -나 보다 belongs to verbs and 있다/없다. It's the same verb/adjective split as the noun-modifying forms -는/-(으)ㄴ.

⚠️ 저는 내일 서울에 가나 봐요. (said about your own plan) → ⭕ 저는 내일 서울에 갈 거예요. / 갈 것 같아요. Not a grammar error - but it tells the listener you're guessing about your own schedule from outside clues, as if someone else planned it. For your own plans, state them (갈 거예요) or soften them with 것 같다; save -나 보다 for other people and outside situations.

Quick check

Fill each blank with -나 봐요 or -(으)ㄴ가 봐요.

1. 아기가 계속 울어요. 배가 고프(      ).
2. 옆집에 불이 켜져 있어요. 집에 있(      ).
3. 저 두 사람은 매일 같이 다녀요. 아주 친하(      ).

Show answers

1. ㄴ가 봐요 (고픈가 봐요 - 고프다 is an adjective)   2. 나 봐요 (있다 acts like a verb)   3. ㄴ가 봐요 (친한가 봐요 - adjective). In each item the first sentence is the evidence for the guess.

💡 Study tip - Add one -나 봐요 a day. If 것 같다 has been your only guessing tool, start swapping in -나 봐요 whenever you can point at evidence. Tonight, take one thing you observed and say the pair out loud: 길이 젖어 있어요. 비가 왔나 봐요.