Learn Korean: WH + 생각해 보다

Let's take a look at the Korean sentence pattern WH + 생각해 보다. 생각해 보다 means to think it over and when used with question words, it carries the meaning have you ever thought or has it ever crossed your mind and may sound pretty dramatic. This isn’t just a simple thinking but a deep personal examination of what could have happened. There is an extra verb after the question word in past tense form (ㅆ) and additional characters (ㄹ지/을지) are attached right after ㅆ.

14년간 어떻게 살았을지 생각해 봤어?

Have you ever thought how (she) has lived for 14 years?

그런 짓을 왜 했을지 생각해 봤어?

Have you ever thought why (he) did such thing.

이 일이 얼마나 복잡해질지 생각해 봤어?

Have you ever thought about how complicated this could get?