LESSON 29

Helping Verbs

You have learned that the verbs joayo = gives and deuryeoyo = gives to someone honored have special meanings following an infinitive: does the favor of doing, does FOR someone.

Verbs which have special meanings of this sort when used with other verbs are called HELPING VERBS. Most helping verbs are used in combination with the infinitive form, but some are used with other forms.

The verb bwayo ordinarily means looks, sees, reads but as a helping verb it means tries doing—NOT tries TO do but tries doING, that is, samples the act to see what it’s like:

Hangungmal-lo imeil-eul sseo bwasseoyo.

한국말로 이메일을 써 봤어요.

I tried writing an email in Korean.

Hanguk beullogeu-reul ilgeo bwasseoyo.

한국 블로그를 읽어 봤어요.

I tried reading a Korean blog.

Cheoncheonhi malhae bwajjiman, geu saram-i ihae haji mot haesseoyo.

천천히 말해 봤지만 그 사람이 이해하지 못했어요.

I tried talking slowly, but he couldn’t understand me.

Hanguk eumsik jom deusyeo boseyo.

한국 음식 좀 드셔 보세요.

Try eating a little Korean food.

The constructions -e wayo 에 와요 and -e gayo 에 가요 mean, respectively, to come somewhere and to go somewhere. You can remove the 요 and add the helping verb 보다 at the end to talk about personal experiences:

Ilbon-e ga bosyeosseoyo?

일본에 가 보셨어요?

Have you been to Japan?

Seongjin-a! Iri wa bwa.

성진아! 이리 와 봐.

Seongjin! Come here. (said to a child)

The verb beoryeoyo means throws away, discards.

As a helping verb it means does something completely, for good; puts an end to something.

It’s very often used in the phrases 잊어 버렸어요 (ijeo beoryeosseoyo, forgot) and 잃어 버렸어요 (ilheo beoryeosseoyo, lost).

Yeolsoe-reul ireo beoryeosseoyo.

열쇠를 잃어 버렸어요.

I lost the key.

Uri jipe-gaega isseojjiman, dudal jeon-e jugeo beoryeosseoyo.

우리 집에 개가 있었지만 두 달 전에 죽어 버렸어요.

We had a dog at our house, but it died two months ago.

Don-eul da sseo beoryeosseoyo?

돈을 다 써버렸어요?

Did you spend all the money?

Jega sukjereul ggambbak ijeo beoryeosseoyo.

제가 숙제를 깜빡 잊어 버렸어요.

I completely forgot (about) the homework.

Sukjereul haetneunde hakkyo-e gal ddae ilheo beoryeosseoyo.

숙제를 했는데 학교에 갈 때 잃어 버렸어요.

I did my homework, but lost it while on the way to school.

The verb dueoyo means puts away (for a long time), gets out of the way, stores:

Bom-i wasseoyo. Gyeoul oseul eodi-da dwoyo?

봄이 왔어요. 겨울옷을 어디다 둬요?

Spring has come; where do we put the winter clothes?

Uri-neun oseul i jang an-e dueosseoyo.

우리는 옷을 이 장 안에 두었어요.

We kept clothes in this closet.

Geu japji-reul doseogwan-e dueosseoyo.

그 잡지를 도서관에 두었어요.

They put those magazines in the library.

As a helping verb, dueoyo means gets something done that has to be done, does something up:

Eomeoni-ga oseul ppara dusyeosseoyo.

어머니가 옷을 빨아 두셨어요.

Mother washed the clothes, got the laundry done.

Geu daeum jip an-eul cheongso hasyeosseoyo.

그 다음 집 안을 청소 하셨어요.

Then, (next) she cleaned (inside) the house.

Geurigo naseo harabeoji-kke pyeonji-reul sseusyeossoyo.

그리고 나서 할아버지께 편지를 쓰셨어요.

After that she wrote grandfather a letter.

The verb noayo means puts aside (for later use), lays something somewhere (with the expectation of using it again later). As a helping verb it means something like does for later; gets something done (so that it will be ready for later use):

Naeil gongbu-reul eojet bam-e hae nwaseoyo.

내일 공부를 어젯밤에 해 놨어요.

I did tomorrow’s lesson (studying) last night.

Geum yoil-kkaji i chaek-eul ilgeo noeuseyo.

금요일까지 이 책을 읽어 놓으세요.

Please read this book by Friday.

Myeot si-e eumsik junbi hae noeulkkayo?

몇시에 음식 준비 해 놓을까요?

What time should you get the meal ready?

Sae gongchaek-eul sa noasseoyo.

새 공책을 사 놓았어요.

I bought a new notebook (to use).

Pyo-reul jigeum sa noeulkkayo?

표를 지금 사 놓을까요?

Can we buy the tickets now (in advance)?