-아/어 보다

-아/어 보다 means 'to try doing something' to see what it is like, and in the past tense (-아/어 봤어요) it says you have had that experience.

경험·시도Trying & experience

Han: 작다 is an adjective, and the meaning is 'looks small', so you need -아/어 보이다; -아/어 보다 is for trying an action.

Examples

이 옷 한번 입어 보세요.Try this outfit on.

저도 한국 노래를 불러 보고 싶어요.I want to try singing a Korean song too.

저는 작년에 제주도에 가 봤어요.I went to (have been to) Jeju Island last year.

김치찌개를 먹어 봤어요?Have you ever tried kimchi stew?

Don’t mix up

-아/어 보다vs-(으)ㄴ 적이 있다-(으)ㄴ 적이 있다 simply states that something happened, even by accident (길을 잃은 적이 있어요), while -아/어 봤어요 suggests an experience you chose to try.

-아/어 보다vs-아/어 보이다-아/어 보이다 attaches to adjectives and means 'looks ~' (피곤해 보여요), while -아/어 보다 attaches to action verbs and means 'try doing' (먹어 봐요).

How to build it

V+아/어 보다 (아 after ㅏ/ㅗ stems, 어 after others, 해 for 하다)

입다 → 입어 보다 → 입어 보세요; 가다 → 가 보다 → 가 봤어요

Attach it to action verbs. With adjectives it is not used; for 'looks ~' use -아/어 보이다 (작아 보여요).
Tense and politeness go on 보다, not on the main verb: 먹어 봤어요, not 먹었어 봐요.
With 가다/오다, 가 봤어요 usually means 'I have been (there)', not 'I tried to go'.
In requests it is very common with -(으)세요 and 한번: 한번 먹어 보세요 sounds softer than a plain command.

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~이 바지가 좀 작아 봐요.~~

Right: 이 바지가 좀 작아 보여요.

작다 is an adjective, and the meaning is 'looks small', so you need -아/어 보이다; -아/어 보다 is for trying an action.

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