안녕하세요 여러분!
Picture this: You’re at a dance battle and you’re up against the world champion. You try your best, but come on… it’s the world champion! As much as you try, the result might not be so great. In Korean, there’s a perfect grammar point for this situation, and it’s called 아/어/여 봤자. It’s like saying, “Even if I were to dance, it’s not like I’m going to out dance the world champion.”
Today we’re going to climb this language mountain, but don’t worry! Even if we slip and fall, we’ll just slide down laughing, dust ourselves off, and try again. Because even if you stumble on a grammar point, it’s not like you’re going to suddenly forget Korean! That’s the beauty of learning – it’s not about perfection, it’s about progress. And progress does not stop unless YOU stop going.
So, fasten your language-learning seatbelts and put on your Korean thinking caps, because we’re about to dive into 아/어/여 봤자, the perfect grammar point for those not-so-perfect situations. Let’s kick off this lesson and remember: no matter what, our love for Korean won’t decrease, even if we face tough grammar points like this. Even if we don’t understand it at first… well, let’s just say we’ll have a lot of laughs along the way! 그럼 시작해볼까요?
Conjugation
ACTION VERB STEM + 아/어/여 봤자
- Take a verb i.e. 가다
- Drop “다” i.e. 가
- Add the appropriate verb ending based on the below (in this case it becomes 가 봤자)
- If the last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, add 아 봤자
- If the last vowel is not one of the above, add 어 봤자
- Only 하 is followed by 여 봤자 and becomes 해봤자 (always the case)
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 어 봤자 –> 먹어 봤자
- 사다 –> 사 + 아 봤자 –> 사 봤자
- 주다 –> 주 + 어 봤자 –> 줘 봤자
- 하다 –> 보 + 여 봤자 –> 해 봤자
DESCRIPTIVE VERB STEM + 아/어/워 봤자
- Take a descriptive verb i.e. 좋다
- Drop 다 i.e. 좋
- Pick the appropriate ending based on the below rules.
- If the last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, add 아 봤자
- If the last vowel is not one of the above, add 어 봤자
- If it ends with a consonant “ㅂ”, drop “ㅂ” and add 워 봤자
- 어렵다 –> 어려 +워 봤자 –> 어려워 봤자 (even if it’s hard)
- 춥다 –> 추 + 워 봤자 –> 추워 봤자 (even if it’s cold)
- 좋다 –> 좋 + 아 봤자 –> 좋아 봤자 (even if it’s good)
- 적다 –> 적 + 어 봤자 –> 적어 봤자 (even if it’s little)
Understanding the meaning of 아/어/여 봤자
The Korean grammar point 아/어/여 봤자 is used when you want to express that even if a certain action is performed, the result or the situation will not change significantly. It has a nuance of “Even if…it’s not like…” or “Even if…it doesn’t mean that…” in English.
When do we use 아/어/여 봤자?
This form is used when you want to express that even if a certain action or event were to occur, the outcome or result would remain the same. It’s a way of saying, “Even if I were to do X, it’s not like Y would happen.” or “Just because I do X, doesn’t mean Y will happen.”
For example,
- 공부해 봤자 시험에 떨어질 거예요. – Even if I study, I’ll fail the exam.
- 찾아 봤자 없을 거예요. – Even if you look for it, it won’t be there.
Remember, it’s all about expressing a limited impact or result despite certain actions or events. So, even if you find this a little challenging (어려워 봤자), remember it doesn’t mean you won’t become a master at Korean! Keep practicing!
Examples
- 공부를 열심히 해 봤자 소용 없어요. 시험이 내일이에요 – Even if you study hard it’s no use. The exam is tomorrow.
- 그렇게 해 봤자 상황이 나아지지 않을 거예요. – Even if you do that, the situation won’t improve.
- 그는 후회해 봤자 의미 없다는 걸 알았어요. – He knew there was no point in regretting it.
- 말해 봤자 제 말을 안 들을 거예요. – Even if I tell her, she will not listen.
- 다시 물어 봤자 대답이 똑같을 거예요. Even if you ask again, the answer will be the same.
Activity 1
Fill in the blanks.
- 솔직하게 ____________ 제 말 안 믿을 거잖아요. – Even if I am honest you won’t believe me.
- 한국어가 ____________ 열심히 공부할 거예요. – Even if Korean is difficult I will study hard.
- ____________ 상황이 달라지지 않을 거예요. Even if you cry the situation will not change.
- ____________ 얼마나 많이 사겠어요. 어린 아인데. – Even if he buys a lot how much can he buy. He is just a small child.
- 아무리 빨리 ____________ 기차를 놓칠 거예요. – No matter how fast you run, you will miss the train.
Activity 1 Answers
- 솔직하게 말해 봤자 제 말 안 믿을 거잖아요. – Even if I am honest you won’t believe me.
- 한국어가 어려워 봤자 열심히 공부할 거예요. – Even if Korean is difficult I will study hard.
- 울어 봤자 상황이 달라지지 않을 거예요. Even if you cry the situation will not change.
- 사 봤자 얼마나 많이 사겠어요. 어린 아인데. – Even if he buys a lot how much can he buy. He is just a small child.
- 아무리 빨리 달려 봤자 기차를 놓칠 거예요. – No matter how fast you run, you will miss the train.
Wrap up
We’ve finally at the end of this lesson about 아/어/여 봤자 and emerged on the other side! Give yourselves a pat on the back! Or better yet, give yourselves a round of kimchi pancakes! 🥞
We’ve learned that “아/어/여 봤자” is all about saying “even if” in Korean and expressing a lack of change despite some action. So even if you gobbled up this grammar point like hotteok (sweet Korean pancake) on a cold day, it doesn’t mean you’re done with Korean. There are always more sweet, delicious bits of language to learn!
And remember, even if you find this grammar point challenging, don’t fret! Learning a language is like climbing a mountain. There might be rocks and tough paths along the way, but the view from the top is worth it. And even if you don’t get it right now, doesn’t mean you won’t get it tomorrow!
Now, it’s time to put your learning into practice! I want you to leave a comment with your very own 아/어/여 봤자 sentence. Maybe you want to say “Even if I study all night, I won’t understand quantum physics.” or “Even if I try to diet, I can’t resist Korean fried chicken.” (We’ve all been there, right? 😅)
Thank you for joining me on yet another fantastic Korean grammar adventure, and remember, 아무리 어려워 봤자, 포기하지 않으면 반드시 성공할 수 있어요! (No matter how hard it is, if you don’t give up, you can definitely succeed!)
그럼 다음에 또 봐요!