-고 보니
go boni(kka)
Grammar · 1 sense
having done it, I realised
Examples
만나고 보니 예전에 본 적이 있는 사람이었어요.
When we met I realised I'd seen him before.
도착하고 보니 지갑을 두고 왔더라고요.
When I got there I realised I'd left my wallet behind.
When you'd hear it
This is common in spoken Korean, including polite conversation and personal anecdotes, and appears often in dramas. The shorter form -고 보니 is especially natural in speech, while -고 보니까 is also widely used.
What learners get wrong
You act, and only afterwards see how things really stood: 사고 보니 같은 게 집에 있었어요. The realisation is normally a surprise and often an unwelcome one. -고 보니까 is the same thing.
Ask Ipsae about -고 보니
You looked up -고 보니 — Ipsae makes sure you still know it in three weeks.
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