Basic Checking and Status | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 이거 괜찮아요?

   Is this okay?

   이거

   this

   괜찮아요

   is okay; is all right

   More detail

   이거 means “this” or “this thing” and points to something understood from the situation. It is the commonly used spoken form of 이것. Unlike an English article, it can stand on its own as the thing being discussed. The related form 이것 is more formal or written in many contexts; 이거 is natural in ordinary conversation. 괜찮아요 comes from the adjective 괜찮다, “to be okay / all right.” The ending -아요 gives a polite present-style form, so 괜찮아요 can mean “is okay” or “is all right,” depending on the situation. It is also commonly used when asking whether something is acceptable or whether there is a problem. Example: 괜찮아요. — “It’s okay.” Together, 이거 + 괜찮아요? forms a polite question: “Is this okay?” Korean commonly leaves the subject implicit when the context makes it clear, but here 이거 explicitly identifies the thing being evaluated. The rising question intonation turns the polite statement into a question. The same pattern can be reused with another item, for example 이거 좋아요? — “Is this good?”

2. 이거 네 가방이에요?

   Is this your bag?

   이거

   this

   네

   your

   가방

   bag

   이에요?

   is ...?

   More detail

   이거 means “this.” It is a conversational form used for a thing identified in the situation, often something near the speaker. Example: 이거 뭐예요? means “What is this?” 네 means “your” here. It is the possessive form related to 너 (“you”) and comes before the noun it describes. In another context, 네 can mean “yes”; before 가방 here, it has the possessive meaning. Compare 내 가방 (“my bag”) with 네 가방 (“your bag”). 가방 means “bag.” It is a noun. Example: 가방이 있어요. means “There is a bag” or “I have a bag,” depending on context. 이에요? is the polite question form of the copula used after a noun ending in a consonant. The noun phrase comes before it: 가방이에요? asks whether something is a bag. After a vowel-final noun, use 예요, as in 의자예요? (“Is it a chair?”). In this sentence, 이에요? follows the noun phrase 네 가방, so it asks whether the identified item is the listener’s bag. Together, 이거 + 네 가방 + 이에요? means “Is this your bag?” The item is identified first as 이거 (“this”), then 네 가방 specifies the proposed identity or ownership, and 이에요? turns the statement into a polite question. This is a polite everyday question.

3. 여기 앉아 있는 사람 있어요?

   Is anyone sitting here?

   여기

   here

   앉아 있는

   sitting

   사람

   person

   있어요?

   is present? / exists?

   More detail

   여기 means “here,” referring to the location relevant in the conversation. It is a location word; compare 거기 (“there,” near the listener or a previously indicated place) and 저기 (“over there,” farther away). In this sentence, 여기 comes first and sets the place being asked about. 앉아 있는 describes someone who is in a seated state. Its base verb is 앉다 (“to sit”). The form 앉아 있다 combines the action-related form 앉아 with 있다 to express remaining in a state; before a noun, 있다 appears as 있는, giving 앉아 있는 사람 (“a person who is sitting”). This differs from simply describing the act of sitting down: the sentence focuses on being seated here. 사람 means “person.” Korean does not mark ordinary singular versus plural on this noun by itself; 사람들 explicitly marks people as a plural group. Here, the question context gives the intended indefinite reading “anyone,” not a claim about a particular identified person. 있어요? is the polite question form of 있다, meaning “is present?” or “exists?” in this context. 있다 is used for the presence or existence of something at a place, while 없다 expresses absence or nonexistence. The polite ending -어요 makes the question suitable for ordinary conversation. Together, 여기 (“here”) + 앉아 있는 사람 (“a person who is sitting”) + 있어요? (“is present?”) asks whether anyone is sitting in this place: “Is anyone sitting here?”

4. 지금 바빠요?

   Are you busy now?

   지금

   now

   바빠요

   busy

   More detail

   지금 means “now,” referring to the current time. It can be placed before a verb or descriptive verb to specify when something is true. Example: 지금 가요. — “I’m going now.” 바빠요 means “are busy” here. Its base form is 바쁘다 (“to be busy”), a Korean descriptive verb. In the polite present form, the ㅂ changes before the ending: 바쁘다 → 바빠요. The ending -요 gives the utterance a polite everyday style. Example: 오늘 바빠요. — “I’m busy today.” Together, 지금 + 바빠요? asks whether the listener is busy at the present time: “Are you busy now?” The question mark and question intonation make the otherwise polite present statement into a question.

5. 지금 준비됐어요?

   Are you ready now?

   지금

   now

   준비됐어요

   are you ready

   More detail

   지금 means “now” and points to the present time. It can be placed with many kinds of clauses: 지금 바빠요? means “Are you busy now?” In this utterance, it asks about the person’s state at the current moment. 준비됐어요 is the polite form used here for “are ready.” It is based on 준비되다, “to become/be prepared,” with 됐어요 representing the polite form of 되었어요. Although this form has past-style morphology, with a resulting state it naturally describes someone who is ready now; it does not mean that the person was ready only in the past. 준비됐어요? is a reusable way to ask whether someone is ready. It differs from 준비했어요?, which asks whether someone prepared something or made preparations. Together, 지금 + 준비됐어요? asks about the addressee’s present state: “Are you ready now?” Korean leaves the subject unstated here; the English translation supplies “you” because the utterance is directed to the listener. The polite -어요 style makes the question suitable for ordinary courteous conversation.

6. 도움이 필요해요?

   Do you need help?

   도움

   help

   필요해요

   need; be necessary

   More detail

   도움 means “help” here. It is a noun, so it can be used with 필요하다 to say that help is necessary or needed. For example: 도움이 필요해요. — “I need help.” 필요해요 comes from 필요하다, “to be necessary” or “to be needed.” In this form, 필요해요 is a polite present-tense form in the 해요 style. The ending does not itself specify who needs something; Korean often leaves the subject unstated when the context makes it clear. For example: 시간이 필요해요. — “I need time” or “Time is needed.” Together, 도움이 필요해요? means “Do you need help?” The question mark and question intonation turn the polite present statement into a question. The subject is omitted, and the intended reading is that the listener is being asked whether help is needed.