sajeoneul chajabwayo.

I look it up in the dictionary.

Breakdown of sajeoneul chajabwayo.

• ~을: object particle
• 찾아보다: to look up
• 사전: the dictionary

Questions & Answers about sajeoneul chajabwayo.

Why is it 사전을 and not 사전이?

Because 사전 is the object of the verb “to look up,” so you attach the object particle -을/를. Since 사전 ends in a consonant, you use -을, making 사전+을 → 사전을. If it were the subject, you’d use the subject particle -이, giving 사전이.

What is the dictionary form of 찾아봐요?

The base verb is the compound 찾아보다 (찾다 “to search” + 보다 “to try/look”). To recover the dictionary form from 찾아봐요, remove the polite ending -아요 and add -다, yielding 찾아보다.

Why do we say 찾아봐요 instead of simply 찾아요 or 봐요?

찾아보다 is a two-part verb:

• 찾다 gives the main meaning “search/seek.”
• 보다 adds the nuance “try/look.”
  When conjugating, only the final verb (보다) takes the tense and politeness ending. So you keep 찾아 as-is and conjugate 보다 → 봐요, forming 찾아봐요.

Why does 보아요 become 봐요?