보잘것없어
boh-chahl-guh-suhp-ssuh
bojalgeoseopsseo
descriptive
보잘것없다
To say to be worthless, valueless, useless politely in the present tense, use 보잘것없어요 (boh-chahl-guh-suhp-ssuh-yoh) · bojalgeoseopsseoyo. Below is the full conjugation of 보잘것없다 across the three tenses and three everyday speech levels.
Grammar note (descriptive): Descriptive verbs (형용사) function like adjectives in Korean and conjugate the same way as regular action verbs. They cannot take the progressive -고 있어요 or imperative forms. 좋다 (to be good) → 좋아요; 크다 (to be big) → 커요 (으-irregular).
Conjugation table
pron. = pronunciation guide · RR = Revised Romanization
| Tense | Casual (반말) | Polite (요) | Formal (합니다) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | 보잘것없어요 boh-chahl-guh-suhp-ssuh-yoh bojalgeoseopsseoyo | 보잘것없습니다 boh-chahl-guh-suhp-seum-nee-dah bojalgeoseoseumnida | |
| Past | 보잘것없었어 boh-chahl-guh-suhp-ssuh-ssuh bojalgeoseopsseosseo | 보잘것없었어요 boh-chahl-guh-suhp-ssuh-ssuh-yoh bojalgeoseopsseosseoyo | 보잘것없었습니다 boh-chahl-guh-suhp-ssuh-sseum-nee-dah bojalgeoseopsseosseumnida |
| Future | 보잘것없을 거야 boh-chahl-guh-suhp-sseul guh-yah bojalgeoseopsseul geoya | 보잘것없을 거예요 boh-chahl-guh-suhp-sseul guh-yae-yoh bojalgeoseopsseul geoyeyo | 보잘것없을 겁니다 boh-chahl-guh-suhp-sseul guhm-nee-dah bojalgeoseopsseul geomnida |
Other useful forms
Honorific / Command Polite (-(으)세요)
보잘것없으세요
boh-chahl-guh-suhp-sseu-sae-yoh
bojalgeoseopsseuseyo
Suggestion / Let's Polite (요)
보잘것없어요
boh-chahl-guh-suhp-ssuh-yoh
bojalgeoseopsseoyo
Question Polite (요)
보잘것없어요?
boh-chahl-guh-suhp-ssuh-yoh-?
bojalgeoseopsseoyo?
Connective "and" — (고)
보잘것없고
boh-chahl-guh-suhp-goh
bojalgeoseogo
Conditional "if" — (면)
보잘것없으면
boh-chahl-guh-suhp-sseu-myuhn
bojalgeoseopsseumyeon
Progressive (고 있어요)
보잘것없고 있어요
boh-chahl-guh-suhp-goh ee-ssuh-yoh
bojalgeoseogo isseoyo
Want to (고 싶어요)
보잘것없고 싶어요
boh-chahl-guh-suhp-goh shee-puh-yoh
bojalgeoseogo sipeoyo
Can / Able to ((으)ㄹ 수 있어요)
보잘것없을 수 있어요
boh-chahl-guh-suhp-sseul soo ee-ssuh-yoh
bojalgeoseopsseul su isseoyo
Because / So (아/어서)
보잘것없어서
boh-chahl-guh-suhp-ssuh-suh
bojalgeoseopsseoseo
Noun form — (기)
보잘것없기
boh-chahl-guh-suhp-gee
bojalgeoseogi
Noun form — (음)
보잘것없음
boh-chahl-guh-suhp-sseum
bojalgeoseopsseum