-다(가) 보면 | Korean Grammar Documentation

-다(가) 보면 means "if you keep doing," "as you do/go along," or "in the process of doing." It expresses that by continuing an action, a certain result will naturally occur or become apparent.

Structure

Verb stem + -다(가) 보면

Breakdown:

-다(가): Connective ending (while doing)
보면: If you see/look (from 보다 + -면)
Combined meaning: "If you keep doing and see..." → "As you keep doing..."

Literal meaning: "If you keep doing and observe..."

Formation Rules

With All Action Verbs

Verb stem + -다(가) 보면:

가다 → 가다(가) 보면 (if you keep going)
먹다 → 먹다(가) 보면 (if you keep eating)
공부하다 → 공부하다(가) 보면 (if you keep studying)
살다 → 살다(가) 보면 (if you keep living / as you live)

With or Without 가

Both forms are acceptable:

하다 보면 (if you keep doing)
하다가 보면 (if you keep doing)

Note: 가 is often included but can be omitted without changing meaning

Past Form

Verb stem + -다 보니(까):

하다 보니 (as I kept doing / having done)
살다 보니 (as I lived / having lived)

Core Meaning: Natural Outcome

Through Continued Action

By keeping at it, something happens:

연습하다 보면 늘어요 (If you keep practicing, you'll improve)
공부하다 보면 알게 돼요 (If you keep studying, you'll come to know)
듣다 보면 익숙해져요 (If you keep listening, you'll get used to it)
먹다 보면 맛있어져요 (If you keep eating, it becomes tasty)

Gradual Discovery

Realizing something through experience:

살다 보면 알게 돼요 (As you live, you'll come to understand)
하다 보면 재미있어져요 (As you do it, it becomes fun)
쓰다 보면 익숙해져요 (As you use it, you'll get familiar)

Natural Progression

Things happen naturally over time:

시간이 지나다 보면 잊어버려요 (As time passes, you'll forget)
계속 보다 보면 좋아지게 돼요 (If you keep watching, you'll come to like it)
매일 하다 보면 습관이 돼요 (If you do it every day, it becomes a habit)

Common Usage Patterns

Encouragement

Reassuring someone to persist:

하다 보면 돼요 (If you keep doing it, it'll work out)
연습하다 보면 잘하게 될 거예요 (If you keep practicing, you'll get good at it)
계속 하다 보면 익숙해질 거예요 (If you continue, you'll get used to it)

Life Lessons

Wisdom gained through experience:

살다 보면 그런 일도 있어요 (As you live, such things happen)
일하다 보면 힘든 날도 있어요 (As you work, there are hard days)
나이를 먹다 보면 이해하게 돼요 (As you age, you come to understand)

Process of Discovery

Learning through doing:

읽다 보면 이해돼요 (As you read, you'll understand)
듣다 보면 들려요 (As you listen, you'll hear it)
보다 보면 보여요 (As you look, you'll see it)

Past Form: -다 보니(까)

Realized After Doing

Looking back on completed action:

공부하다 보니 재미있었어요 (As I studied, it was fun)
살다 보니 알겠어요 (Having lived, I understand)
하다 보니 익숙해졌어요 (Having done it, I got used to it)
먹다 보니 다 먹었어요 (As I ate, I finished it all)

Discovery Through Experience

Realizing something after the fact:

하다 보니까 쉬웠어요 (As I did it, it was easy)
듣다 보니까 좋더라고요 (As I listened, it was good)

Politeness Levels

Works with All Levels

보면 conjugates normally:

하다 보면 됩니다 (formal)
하다 보면 돼요 (polite)
하다 보면 돼 (casual)

Common Expressions

Encouragement Phrases

하다 보면 돼요 (If you keep doing it, it'll work out)
연습하다 보면 늘어요 (If you practice, you'll improve)
계속하다 보면 잘하게 돼요 (If you continue, you'll get good)

Life Wisdom

살다 보면 알게 돼요 (As you live, you'll understand)
나이 먹다 보면 (as you age)
시간이 지나다 보면 (as time passes)

Learning Process

보다 보면 익숙해져요 (As you watch, you'll get familiar)
듣다 보면 들려요 (As you listen, you'll hear)
읽다 보면 이해돼요 (As you read, you'll understand)

Daily Activities

먹다 보면 배불러요 (As you eat, you'll get full)
걷다 보면 도착해요 (As you walk, you'll arrive)
쓰다 보면 익숙해져요 (As you write, you'll get familiar)

Comparison with Similar Patterns

-다(가) 보면 vs -으면

-다(가) 보면: Through continued action

공부하다 보면 알게 돼요 (If you keep studying, you'll come to know)
Emphasizes process and gradual change

-으면: Simple conditional

공부하면 알게 돼요 (If you study, you'll come to know)
Simple cause and effect

-다(가) 보면 vs -(으)ᄅ수록

-다(가) 보면: Natural outcome through continuation

공부하다 보면 재미있어져요 (As you study, it becomes fun)

-(으)ᄅ수록: Proportional increase

공부할수록 재미있어요 (The more you study, the more fun it is)

-다 보면 vs -다 보니(까)

-다 보면: Future/general, conditional

하다 보면 익숙해져요 (If you keep doing, you'll get used to it)

-다 보니(까): Past realization

하다 보니 익숙해졌어요 (Having done it, I got used to it)

Common Mistakes

❌ Incorrect: 좋다 보면

Cannot use with adjectives

✅ Correct: 좋아지다 보면

Use with action verbs only

❌ Incorrect: 공부한다 보면

Wrong stem form

✅ Correct: 공부하다 보면

Use dictionary form stem

Summary Table

Form	Example	Meaning
Present/Future	하다 보면	If you keep doing
With 가	하다가 보면	If you keep doing (same meaning)
Past realization	하다 보니(까)	Having done / as I did
Encouragement	연습하다 보면	If you keep practicing
Life wisdom	살다 보면	As you live

Usage Context Guide

Use -다(가) 보면 when:

Encouraging persistence
Expressing gradual change
Sharing life wisdom
Describing natural outcomes
Talking about learning processes

Common contexts:

Giving advice (하다 보면 돼요)
Encouraging learners (연습하다 보면 늘어요)
Life lessons (살다 보면 알게 돼요)
Gradual improvement (계속하다 보면)

Nuance

Emphasizes Process

Focus on the journey, not just the result:

하다 보면 늘어요 (Through the process of doing, you improve)
Not just "if you do, you'll improve"
Implies gradual, natural development

Often Reassuring

Comforting tone:

괜찮아요, 하다 보면 돼요 (It's okay, if you keep at it, it'll work out)
Commonly used to encourage

Key Takeaways

✅ Continued action: Keep doing, and result follows
✅ Natural outcome: Things happen gradually
✅ Action verbs only: Cannot use with adjectives
✅ 가 is optional: -다 보면 = -다가 보면
✅ Past form exists: -다 보니(까)
✅ Encouraging tone: Often used for reassurance
✅ Process-oriented: Emphasizes the journey

-다(가) 보면 is essential for expressing that through continued action or experience, natural outcomes will occur, making it perfect for encouragement and sharing wisdom about gradual progress.