Key Facts
- Hangul: 보통; Revised Romanization: botong
- Part of speech: adverb
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 普通 (普 widespread + 通 pass through, common)
- Register: Neutral, everyday adverb; also a noun and adjective-like word meaning 'ordinary'.
Usually in Korean: What Does 보통 Mean?
보통 is neutral and everyday. As an adverb it states what happens most of the time. As a noun or adjective-like word it means ordinary, which is where the main trap comes from. It sits before the verb in a sentence and often follows a time word.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Say bo-tong, two syllables. The ㅌ is aspirated, with a clear puff of air, and the word ends in ng.
Example Sentences with 보통
보통 아침 일곱 시에 일어나요.
Botong achim ilgop sie ireonayo
I usually get up at seven in the morning.
Time of day and 보통 together give a daily routine. 일어나요 is the verb for getting up, so you are describing habit, not a single morning.
주말에는 보통 집에 있어요.
Jumareneun botong jibe isseoyo
On weekends I usually stay home.
In 주말에는, the particle 는 added to 주말에 (on weekends) contrasts weekends with other days. 보통 then says the usual weekend plan is to be at home.
보통 점심은 학교에서 먹어요.
Botong jeomsimeun hakgyoeseo meogeoyo
I usually eat lunch at school.
보통 at the start of the sentence is the neutral position. 점심은 sets lunch as the topic, and 학교에서 says where it happens.
Collocations
보통 사람 is an ordinary person, 보통 때 is normal times, 보통은 is "usually" with a contrast, and 보통 크기 is regular size.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 보통 사람 | ordinary person |
| 보통 때 | normal times |
| 보통은 | usually (contrast) |
| 보통 크기 | regular size |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners hear 보통이에요 as praise.
Wrong: reading 보통이에요 as "It's good".
Correct: 보통이에요 means "It's average" or "It's so-so". Only as an adverb before a verb does 보통 mean usually.
보통 Compared with 대개, 평소 and 일반적으로
대개 is "generally, mostly" and is a little more formal. 평소 is about one's usual habits, and 일반적으로 is "in general", formal and written.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 대개 | generally, mostly | a little more formal/written |
| 평소 | usual, ordinarily | about one's usual habits |
| 일반적으로 | in general | formal/written |
Where Does the Word Come From?
보통 is Sino-Korean, written 普通: 普 (widespread) plus 通 (pass through, common). The picture is something that spreads everywhere, hence ordinary.
Comparing a Routine with This Weekend's Plan
Two coworkers chat about weekends. The question about a habit leads to a question about one particular weekend.
Jisu
주말에는 보통 뭐 해요?
Jumareneun botong mwo haeyo?
What do you usually do on weekends?
Alex
보통 집에서 쉬어요.
Botong jibeseo swieoyo.
I usually rest at home.
Jisu
이번 주말에도 집에 있어요?
Ibeon jumaredo jibe isseoyo?
Will you be home this weekend too?
Alex
아니요. 이번에는 친구를 만나요.
Aniyo. Ibeoneneun chingureul mannayo.
No. This time I am meeting a friend.
보통 describes the routine, while 이번, “this”, narrows the discussion to the coming occasion. Alex can usually rest at home and still meet a friend this weekend. There is no contradiction: 보통 allows exceptions. It does not promise that the same thing happens every time.
The polite questions fit a conversation between coworkers who use 요 with each other. The word 보통 itself is neutral, so it does not make a question respectful or casual. The sentence ending carries that part of the exchange.
Where Can 보통 Go in a Sentence?
보통 can appear at the beginning of a sentence or after a topic such as 주말에는. Compare the existing examples about waking up and staying home. Both place the word before the main action, but neither requires it to sit immediately next to the verb. A time, place, or object can come between 보통 and the verb.
보통은 adds the topic marker 은. A speaker often uses this when a usual pattern is being contrasted with an exception. In a conversation about a late lunch, 보통은 could introduce what normally happens before the speaker explains today's different schedule. The contrast may come from the surrounding conversation rather than a second clause in the same sentence.
보통 takes its meaning from what follows. 보통 크기 means regular or ordinary size, so the phrase answers a size question. It does not describe how frequently something happens. When you hear 보통, check whether the speaker is describing a repeated action, a normal category, or an average quality.
What Do Related Frequency Words Change?
항상 means always, 자주 means often, and 가끔 means sometimes. 보통 presents a situation as the normal pattern; 자주 emphasizes that an action happens frequently. Someone can often visit a cafe without presenting that cafe as their usual lunch place.
These words do not supply exact percentages. A speaker saying 보통 is summarizing a habit, rather than giving a measured count. If you need a schedule, ask for the actual days or times. The word helps explain a pattern, but it cannot tell you precisely which future occasions will follow it.
Where Will You Hear 보통 outside Routine Questions?
보통 appears in everyday questions about meal times, commuting, and weekend habits. You may also hear it in a shop when someone discusses 보통 크기, or in an opinion when someone answers 보통이에요. The surrounding question tells you whether the topic is a routine, a size, or a judgment of quality.
A useful expression to recognize is 보통 일이 아니에요. Literally, it says something is “not an ordinary matter”; in context, it often means a task is no small undertaking. A speaker describing a demanding move or a large event may use it to stress the effort involved. It does not mean that the task happens unusually often.
| Korean | Meaning | How it helps with 보통 |
|---|---|---|
| 항상 | always | Makes a stronger claim about consistency. |
| 자주 | often | Focuses on frequent occurrences. |
| 가끔 | sometimes | Describes occasional occurrences. |
| 이번 | this time / this upcoming | Identifies one occasion rather than a general habit. |
The time expressions lesson helps you place these words alongside days, times, and routines.
Quick Self-Test
- Can 보통 describe a habit that has exceptions?
- Does 보통 크기 mean “usually large” or “regular size”?
- What does 보통 일이 아니에요 suggest about a demanding task?
Show answers
- Yes. It describes the usual pattern, not every occurrence.
- Regular size.
- It is no small undertaking; it requires considerable effort.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "usually" in Korean?
Say 보통 (botong) before the verb. 보통 아침 일곱 시에 일어나요 means I usually get up at seven in the morning. It is the most common everyday word for usual habits.
Does 보통이에요 mean "good"?
No. 보통이에요 means average or so-so. If someone answers 보통이에요 when you ask how the food was, they found it ordinary, neither good nor bad.
What is the difference between 보통 and 대개?
Both describe what happens most of the time. 대개 means generally or mostly and is a little more formal or written, while 보통 is the everyday spoken choice.
What does 보통 사람 mean?
보통 사람 means an ordinary person. Here 보통 is used as a noun in front of another noun, so it means ordinary rather than usually.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Time expressions lists 보통 among time expressions.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.