Learn Hardcore Korean: oneul cheoeum bibimbabeul meogeo bwasseoyo. - I tried bibimbap for the first time today.

It means “to try doing” or “to give something a try.” In 먹어 봤어요, you’re saying you tried eating bibimbap (and actually did it at least once). It focuses on the experience, not on the outcome or amount.

Why is the past tense on 봤어요 and not on 먹어? Can I say 먹었어 봐요?

With the “try” construction, tense and politeness go on the auxiliary 보다, not on the main verb. So you say 먹어 봤어요, not 먹었어 봐요. Conjugating both is ungrammatical or very awkward.

What’s the difference between 먹어 봤어요 and 먹었어요?

먹어 봤어요: “I tried eating (it).” Emphasizes the act as an experience (new, experimental, or out of curiosity).
먹었어요: “I ate (it).” A plain report that you ate, with no special nuance of trying.
In your sentence, 먹어 봤어요 nicely matches 오늘 처음 (“for the first time today”).

Should I use 처음 or 처음으로?

Both are fine:

오늘 처음 비빔밥을 먹어 봤어요.
오늘 처음으로 비빔밥을 먹어 봤어요.
Nuance is nearly the same. 처음으로 can feel a touch more explicit/formal, but in everyday speech there’s no practical difference here.

Is the word order flexible?

Yes. Natural options include:

오늘 처음 비빔밥을 먹어 봤어요. (original)
오늘 비빔밥을 처음 먹어 봤어요.
비빔밥은 오늘 처음 먹어 봤어요. (topic-focus on bibimbap)
Avoid treating 처음 as directly modifying the noun (e.g., 처음 비빔밥) because that would sound like “the first bibimbap,” which is odd.

Do I need to say 저는?

No. Korean often omits the subject when it’s obvious from context. 저는 오늘 처음… is fine if you want to emphasize “I,” but it’s not required.

Why does 비빔밥 take 을 and not 이/가?

을/를 marks the direct object of the verb. Here, 비빔밥을 is what you tried eating. 이/가 would make it the grammatical subject, which doesn’t fit with 먹다 (“to eat”) in this sentence.

Can I drop 을 in casual speech?

Yes, especially in conversation: 오늘 처음 비빔밥 먹어 봤어요.
Particles are often omitted when the meaning is clear, but beginners should practice using them until it feels natural.

Can I put 은/는 on 오늘 (e.g., 오늘은)?

Yes. 오늘은 처음 비빔밥을 먹어 봤어요 adds a contrastive/topic feel: “As for today, (I) tried bibimbap for the first time.” Use -은/는 to highlight or contrast that element.

What are the politeness/formality variations?

Casual: 오늘 처음 비빔밥을 먹어 봤어.
Polite (standard): 오늘 처음 비빔밥을 먹어 봤어요.
Formal polite: 오늘 처음 비빔밥을 먹어 보았습니다.
Plain/written: 오늘 처음 비빔밥을 먹어 보았다.
Honorific for a respected subject: 오늘 처음 비빔밥을 드셔 보셨어요.

How should I spell/space 먹어 봤어요? I often see 먹어봤어요.

Standard spacing writes auxiliary verbs separately: 먹어 봤어요 (from 먹다 + 보다). You’ll also see 먹어봤어요 commonly online; it’s widely used in practice, but for formal writing or tests, prefer 먹어 봤어요.
Also, 봤어요 is the contraction of 보았어요; both are correct, but 봤어요 is far more common.

How do I pronounce the sentence naturally?

Roughly: [오늘 처엄 비빔바블 머거 봐써요]

오늘 → [오늘] (l gets flapped between vowels)
비빔밥을 → [비빔바블] (받침 ㅂ links to the next vowel)
먹어 → [머거] (ㄱ links to the next vowel)
봤어요 → [봐써요] (contraction sounds like “bwa-ssuh-yo”)
Revised Romanization: Oneul cheoeum bibimbbabeul meogeobwasseoyo.

What’s the difference between 처음 and 첫?

처음 is a noun/adverb meaning “the first time/at first.” It modifies actions: 오늘 처음 먹어 봤어요.
첫 is an adjective meaning “first” before a noun: 첫 경험, 첫사랑.
You wouldn’t say 첫 비빔밥을 먹어 봤어요 to mean “ate bibimbap for the first time.”

How do I say “I have tried bibimbap (before)” vs. “I hadn’t tried it before today”?

General experience: 비빔밥을 먹어 봤어요. or 비빔밥을 먹어 본 적이 있어요. (the second explicitly marks “experience”)
Negative before today: 오늘 전에는 비빔밥을 먹어 본 적이 없었어요.

Is 보다 here the same as “to see/look”?

It’s the same verb form, but it’s functioning as an auxiliary meaning “try (doing).” In 먹어 봤어요, 보다 doesn’t mean “see”; it means “to try.” Context (verb + -어 보다) tells you it’s the auxiliary.

How would I politely suggest that someone try bibimbap?

Use -아/어 보세요: 비빔밥 한번 드셔 보세요. (honorific) / 비빔밥 한번 먹어 보세요.
Adding 한번 softens it to “give it a try once.”