A2 verb 2 min read

둘러보다

To look around a place to see what is there.

Practice it

Explanation at your level:

You use 둘러보다 when you look at things in a room or a shop. If you are in a new store, you can say, 'I am just looking around.' It is a very useful word for travel!

When you visit a museum or a house, you 둘러보다. It means you walk through the space and see what is inside. It is a very friendly and common word for beginners to learn.

At this level, you can use 둘러보다 to describe the process of familiarizing yourself with a new environment. It implies a casual, non-intrusive observation. You might say, 'I spent the afternoon looking around the old town' to describe your experience.

In B2, you recognize that 둘러보다 suggests a 'surveying' action. It is often used to describe someone assessing a situation or a venue before making a decision. It conveys a sense of being thorough yet relaxed.

At the advanced level, consider the nuance of 둘러보다 as a mental or physical scan. It can be used metaphorically to describe 'looking around' at the current state of affairs or industry trends. It implies a broad, comprehensive awareness of one's surroundings.

Mastery of 둘러보다 involves understanding its role in descriptive prose. Authors use it to establish a setting through a character's eyes. It captures the transition from ignorance to awareness as a character scans their environment, bridging the gap between the observer and the observed space with subtle, artistic precision.

Word in 30 Seconds

  • Means 'to look around'.
  • Used for places and spaces.
  • Common in shopping and travel.
  • Neutral register.

The Korean verb 둘러보다 is a fantastic word that captures the act of scanning your environment. Think of it as the physical action of turning your head or moving through a space to take in the sights.

You use this when you are exploring a new city, browsing through a shop, or simply checking out a room you just walked into. It implies a sense of curiosity and casual observation rather than intense, focused staring.

The word is a compound verb formed from 둘러 (the adverbial form of 'to surround' or 'to encircle') and 보다 (to see). Historically, it describes the motion of looking in a circular or encompassing manner.

It reflects how ancient speakers perceived vision as a sweeping motion. By 'surrounding' an area with one's gaze, one gains a complete understanding of the space. This etymological root remains very clear in modern usage, as it still implies a 'panoramic' view.

You will hear 둘러보다 in daily life constantly. It is very common when someone is shopping (e.g., 'I'm just looking around') or visiting a tourist attraction.

It is neutral in register, making it perfect for both casual chats with friends and slightly more professional settings like real estate viewings. Pair it with locations like 가게 (store) or 박물관 (museum) to sound like a natural speaker.

While it is a straightforward verb, it appears in many common phrases. 1. 천천히 둘러보다 (to look around slowly/leisurely). 2. 꼼꼼히 둘러보다 (to look around carefully/meticulously). 3. 한 바퀴 둘러보다 (to take a tour around a place). 4. 눈을 둘러보다 (to cast one's eyes around). 5. 주위를 둘러보다 (to look around one's surroundings).

As a regular verb, it conjugates easily. The stem is 둘러보-. In the past tense, it becomes 둘러보았다 (or 둘러봤다 in colloquial speech).

Pronunciation-wise, ensure the 'r' sounds are soft and the 'o' is clear. It rhymes with words like 물어보다 (to ask) and 알아보다 (to recognize), sharing that common -아/어 보다 structure used for trying out actions.

Fun Fact

It combines the verb 'to surround' with 'to see'.

Pronunciation Guide

UK dul-leo-bo-da

Clear consonants, soft vowels.

US dul-leo-bo-da

Similar to UK, standard Korean phonetics.

Common Errors

  • Mispronouncing 'ㄹ' as 'r'
  • Not linking the sounds
  • Flat intonation

Rhymes With

알아보다 물어보다 내려보다 올려보다 들여다보다

Difficulty Rating

Reading 1/5

Easy

Writing 2/5

Moderate

Speaking 2/5

Moderate

Listening 1/5

Easy

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

보다 가게 집

Learn Next

구경하다 살펴보다

Advanced

관찰하다 탐색하다

Grammar to Know

-아/어 보다

먹어보다

Object Marker

박물관을

Past Tense

둘러봤다

Examples by Level

1

가게를 둘러봐요.

Look around the store.

Present tense

2

집을 둘러봐요.

Look around the house.

Object marker

3

박물관을 둘러봐요.

Look around the museum.

Location

4

공원을 둘러봐요.

Look around the park.

Simple verb

5

천천히 둘러봐요.

Look around slowly.

Adverbial

6

여기를 둘러봐요.

Look around here.

Demonstrative

7

다 둘러봐요.

Look around everything.

Quantifier

8

함께 둘러봐요.

Look around together.

Adverb

1

시내를 둘러보았어요.

2

학교를 둘러보고 싶어요.

3

새 집을 둘러봤어요.

4

전시회를 둘러봐요.

5

서점을 둘러봤어요.

6

동네를 둘러봐요.

7

호텔을 둘러봤어요.

8

시장을 둘러봐요.

1

도서관을 꼼꼼히 둘러보았어요.

2

여행 중에 마을을 둘러봤어요.

3

부동산을 통해 집을 둘러봐요.

4

관광객들이 궁궐을 둘러보고 있어요.

5

새 사무실을 둘러보는 중이에요.

6

주변을 둘러보며 산책했어요.

7

전체적으로 둘러보고 결정할게요.

8

박물관을 다 둘러보는 데 시간이 걸렸어요.

1

그는 방 안을 유심히 둘러보았다.

2

상황을 파악하기 위해 주위를 둘러보았다.

3

이 지역의 명소를 둘러보는 투어입니다.

4

결정하기 전에 다른 옵션들을 둘러보세요.

5

그녀는 낯선 도시를 둘러보며 즐거워했다.

6

공장 시설을 둘러보는 일정이 있습니다.

7

다양한 가능성을 둘러보고 있습니다.

8

마음 편히 둘러보셔도 됩니다.

1

그는 회의실을 둘러보며 참석자들을 확인했다.

2

시장의 변화를 둘러보는 깊이 있는 분석이 필요하다.

3

역사의 흔적을 둘러보는 뜻깊은 시간이었다.

4

그는 불안한 듯 주위를 둘러보았다.

5

새로운 프로젝트를 시작하기 전 시장을 둘러보았다.

6

그는 자신의 삶을 둘러보며 회상에 잠겼다.

7

다양한 문화적 관점을 둘러보는 것은 중요하다.

8

그는 조용히 미술관을 둘러보며 영감을 얻었다.

1

그는 거대한 저택의 구석구석을 세밀하게 둘러보았다.

2

그는 자신의 과거를 둘러보며 깊은 성찰을 했다.

3

그는 복잡한 정치적 지형을 둘러보며 전략을 세웠다.

4

그는 인생의 황혼기에 서서 지난날을 둘러보았다.

5

그는 낯선 지식의 세계를 둘러보며 지적 호기심을 채웠다.

6

그는 예술적 영감을 얻기 위해 갤러리를 둘러보았다.

7

그는 자신의 내면을 둘러보며 진정한 자아를 찾았다.

8

그는 변화하는 시대의 흐름을 둘러보며 미래를 예견했다.

Common Collocations

가게를 둘러보다
주위를 둘러보다
꼼꼼히 둘러보다
천천히 둘러보다
한 바퀴 둘러보다
전시회를 둘러보다
동네를 둘러보다
시설을 둘러보다
마음껏 둘러보다
잠시 둘러보다

Idioms & Expressions

"눈을 둘러보다"

To cast one's eyes around

그는 방 안으로 눈을 둘러보았다.

neutral

"한 바퀴 둘러보다"

To take a quick tour

우리 한 바퀴 둘러볼까?

casual

"샅샅이 둘러보다"

To search every nook and cranny

범인을 찾으려고 샅샅이 둘러봤다.

neutral

"여유 있게 둘러보다"

To look around at a leisurely pace

여행지는 여유 있게 둘러보는 게 좋아.

neutral

"안팎으로 둘러보다"

To check inside and outside

집을 안팎으로 둘러봤어요.

neutral

"전반적으로 둘러보다"

To survey the overall situation

상황을 전반적으로 둘러보았다.

formal

Easily Confused

둘러보다 vs 훑어보다

Both imply looking.

훑어보다 is skimming/scanning text or objects quickly.

책을 훑어봤다.

둘러보다 vs 살펴보다

Both imply observation.

살펴보다 is for close inspection.

상처를 살펴봤다.

둘러보다 vs 구경하다

Both used in tourism.

구경하다 is to watch/enjoy sights.

야경을 구경했다.

둘러보다 vs 탐색하다

Both imply searching.

탐색하다 is for finding hidden things.

길을 탐색했다.

Sentence Patterns

A1

Subject + Location + 을/를 + 둘러보다

나는 박물관을 둘러봤다.

A2

Subject + Adverb + 둘러보다

나는 천천히 둘러봤다.

B1

Subject + Location + 을/를 + 둘러보며 + Verb

나는 방을 둘러보며 청소했다.

B2

Subject + Location + 을/를 + 둘러보는 + Noun

박물관을 둘러보는 사람.

B1

Subject + Location + 을/를 + 둘러보러 + Verb

나는 집을 둘러보러 갔다.

Word Family

Nouns

둘레 circumference/girth

Verbs

둘러싸다 to surround

Related

보다 base verb

How to Use It

frequency

9

Formality Scale

Formal Neutral Casual Slang

Common Mistakes

둘러보다를 '보다'와 혼동 → 둘러보다
둘러보다 implies movement or scanning, not just seeing.
둘러보았다를 '둘러봤다'로 줄이지 않음 → 둘러봤다
In speech, contractions are more natural.
목적어 없이 사용 → 장소를 둘러보다
Usually needs a location object.
관찰하다와 혼용 → 둘러보다
관찰하다 is for scientific observation; 둘러보다 is casual.
투어하다와 혼용 → 둘러보다
투어하다 is often used in tourism, but 둘러보다 is more native.

Tips

💡

Memory Palace

Visualize a 360-degree camera.

💡

Shopping

Use it when a clerk asks if you need help.

🌍

Tourism

Essential for Korea travel.

💡

Verb Ending

Use -아/어 보다.

💡

Linking

Link the 'r' sounds.

💡

Don't confuse

Don't use for people.

💡

Ancient root

Circle + See.

💡

Daily practice

Narrate your day.

💡

Casual speech

Use '둘러봤어' with friends.

💡

Object marker

Use 을/를.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Imagine a 'Dool' (two) people 'looking' (bo-da) all around.

Visual Association

A person turning 360 degrees in a room.

Word Web

Tour Sightseeing Scanning Browsing

Challenge

Look around your room and name 3 things you see.

Word Origin

Korean

Original meaning: To look in a circle

Cultural Context

None.

Equivalent to 'look around' or 'browse'.

Used in many travel vlogs in Korea.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

Shopping

  • 그냥 둘러보고 있어요.
  • 천천히 둘러볼게요.

Travel

  • 시내를 둘러보고 싶어요.
  • 어디를 둘러볼까요?

Real Estate

  • 집을 좀 둘러봐도 될까요?

Museums

  • 전시관을 다 둘러봤어요.

Conversation Starters

"오늘 어디를 둘러볼까요?"

"이 가게에서 무엇을 둘러볼까요?"

"어제 박물관을 둘러봤어요?"

"새 집을 둘러보는 건 어때요?"

"주변을 둘러보며 산책할까요?"

Journal Prompts

오늘 하루 동안 둘러본 장소에 대해 써보세요.

가장 기억에 남는 여행지에서 둘러본 경험은?

새로운 가게를 둘러볼 때 무엇을 먼저 보나요?

주변을 둘러보는 것이 왜 중요한가요?

Frequently Asked Questions

8 questions

Usually no, it is for places.

It is neutral.

둘러봤어요/둘러보았어요.

Yes, very common.

Yes.

No, it means to scan.

No, use 훑어보다.

No, it is very intuitive.

Test Yourself

fill blank A1

저는 가게를 ___.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 둘러봐요

둘러봐요 fits the context of a store.

multiple choice A2

Which means to look around?

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 둘러보다

둘러보다 is the correct term.

true false B1

둘러보다 is only for people.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: False

It is for places.

match pairs B1

Word

Meaning

All matched!

Common collocation.

sentence order B2

Tap words below to build the sentence
Correct! Not quite. Correct answer:

Subject-Object-Verb order.

Score: /5

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