Sitting at the Front | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: In a language classroom, two adults talk about sitting near the front, hearing the teacher clearly, and focusing during class..

EN → KO / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Sitting at the Front to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

항상 여기 앉아요?

hang-SANG yuh-GEE an-jah-YOH? Do you always sit here?
B

저는 앞자리에 앉는 것을 좋아해요.

juh-NUHN ap-JJAH-ree-eh an-NEUN guh-seul joh-AH-hae-YOH. I like sitting at the front.
A

선생님 말씀이 잘 들려요.

suhn-SENG-nim mal-SSEU-mee jal tul-LYUH-YOH. I can hear the teacher well.
B

여기서는 질문하기 쉬워요.

yuh-GEE-suh-nuhn jil-moon-ha-GEE shwee-WUH-YOH. It is easy to ask questions here.
A

다음에는 같이 앉아요.

dah-UHM-eh-nuhn gah-CHEE an-jah-YOH. Let's sit together next time.
B

그렇게 하고 싶어요.

guh-ruh-KEH hah-GOH shee-PUH-YOH. I would like that.
B

앞자리에 앉으면 집중이 잘돼요.

ap-JJAH-ree-eh an-JUH-myuhn jip-JJOONG-ee jal-DWEH-YOH. Sitting at the front helps me focus.

Word by Word

항상 항상 means “always” in 항상 여기 앉아요?, asking whether the person sits here every time. It commonly comes before the verb it modifies. Use it when asking about a repeated or regular action.
여기 여기 means “here,” referring to the place where the speakers are sitting in 항상 여기 앉아요?. It identifies the current location and comes before 앉아요. Use it when pointing out or asking about the place where you are.
앉아요 앉아요 means “sit” or “sit down” in 항상 여기 앉아요?, describing the other person’s sitting here. The polite form is used in this conversation. Use it when politely talking about sitting or asking someone to sit.
저 저 means “I” in 저는 앞자리에 앉는 것을 좋아해요. It is the speaker referring to themself in a polite way. It appears before 는 when the speaker sets themself as the topic.
는 는 marks 저 as the topic in 저는 앞자리에 앉는 것을 좋아해요, giving the sense of “as for me.” It follows 저 in 저는. Use it after a person or thing when introducing what you want to say about that topic.
앞자리 앞자리 means “front seat” in 앞자리에 앉는 것을 좋아해요 and 앞자리에 앉으면 집중이 잘돼요. It refers to a seat near the front of the classroom. It can be followed by 에 when describing sitting in that seat.
에 에 marks 앞자리 as the place where the speaker sits in 앞자리에 앉는 것을 좋아해요. Here it means “at” or “in” a place. Use it after a location with a verb such as 앉아요 when describing where someone sits.
앉는 앉는 describes the act of sitting in 앞자리에 앉는 것을 좋아해요. It comes before 것 to turn the action into something that can be liked. Use this form before 것 when referring to an action as an activity or thing.
것 것 means “thing” here, but in 앉는 것을 좋아해요 it refers to the act of sitting. Together with 앉는, it makes “sitting” the object of 좋아해요. Use a verb form before 것 when talking about an action as a thing.
을 을 marks 앉는 것 as the object of 좋아해요 in 앉는 것을 좋아해요. It shows what the speaker likes: the act of sitting at the front. Use it after an object before a verb that describes an action toward that object.
좋아해요 좋아해요 means “like” in 저는 앞자리에 앉는 것을 좋아해요. The speaker says that they like sitting at the front. Use it after the thing or activity that someone likes, such as 앉는 것을.
선생님 선생님 means “teacher” in 선생님 말씀이 잘 들려요. The 님 form makes the reference respectful. Use it when politely referring to a teacher in a classroom conversation.
말씀 말씀 means the teacher’s “words” or “speech” in 선생님 말씀이 잘 들려요. It is a respectful way to refer to what the teacher says. It appears with 선생님 and is followed by 이 as the subject of 들려요.
이 이 marks 선생님 말씀 as the subject in 선생님 말씀이 잘 들려요. The sentence says that the teacher’s words can be heard clearly. Use it after a subject ending in a consonant sound when marking what is heard or does an action.
잘 잘 means “well” or “clearly” in 선생님 말씀이 잘 들려요. It describes how clearly the teacher’s words can be heard. Use it before a verb when describing an action or condition as going well.
들려요 들려요 means “can be heard” in 선생님 말씀이 잘 들려요. Here the teacher’s words are audible to the speaker, rather than the speaker actively hearing them. Use it when describing whether a sound or someone’s words can be heard.
여기서 여기서 means “here” or “in this place” in 여기서는 질문하기 쉬워요. It identifies the place where asking questions is easy. Use it to describe an action or situation happening at the current place.
질문 질문 means “question” in 질문하기 쉬워요. It names the questions that can be asked in class. It combines with 하기 to refer to the activity of asking questions.
하기 하기 refers to “asking” in 질문하기 쉬워요, where 질문하기 means “asking questions.” It presents the action as an activity before 쉬워요. Use it after a verb stem when describing an action as something that is easy or difficult.
쉬워요 쉬워요 means “is easy” in 여기서는 질문하기 쉬워요. The sentence says that asking questions is easy here. Use it after an action or task when saying that the task is easy.
다음에 다음에 means “next time” in 다음에는 같이 앉아요. It refers to a later occasion when the speakers will sit together. Use it to set the time for a future action.
같이 같이 means “together” in 다음에는 같이 앉아요. It shows that the speakers will sit with each other. Use it before an action when the action is done together with someone.
그렇게 그렇게 means “that way” or “like that” in 그렇게 하고 싶어요. It refers back to the suggested plan of sitting together next time. Use it when referring to an action or manner already mentioned or understood.
하고 하고 contributes the meaning “do” in 그렇게 하고 싶어요, where the whole expression means “I would like to do that.” It is the action placed before 싶어요. Use a verb form followed by 싶어요 when expressing a desire to do an action.
싶어요 싶어요 expresses “want to” or “would like to” in 그렇게 하고 싶어요. Here the speaker agrees that they would like to carry out the suggested plan. Use it after an action expression to state what someone wants to do.
앉으면 앉으면 means “if” or “when sitting” in 앞자리에 앉으면 집중이 잘돼요. It links sitting at the front with the result that focusing goes well. Use it to connect a condition or situation with its result.
집중 집중 means “focus” or “concentration” in 집중이 잘돼요. It refers to the speaker’s ability to focus during class. It can be followed by 이 when it is the subject of a sentence describing how well focusing works.
잘돼요 잘돼요 means “works well” or “goes well” in 앞자리에 앉으면 집중이 잘돼요. Here it says that focusing goes well when the speaker sits at the front. Use it after an activity or situation to say that it functions or proceeds successfully.

Grammar Points

저는 N을/를 좋아해요

저는 앞자리를 좋아해요.

juh-NUHN ap-JJAH-ree-reuhl joh-AH-hae-YOH.

I like the front seat.

는 marks the topic, and 을/를 marks the thing someone likes.

쉽다 → 쉬워요

질문이 쉬워요.

jil-MOO-nee shwee-WUH-YOH.

The question is easy.

쉽다 changes to 쉬워요 in the polite present form because it is a ㅂ-irregular adjective.

Korean Vocabulary

들리다 verb
tuhl-LEE-dah to be heard; to hear 들려요
말씀 noun
mal-SSEUM words; speech 말씀이
선생님 noun
suhn-SENG-nim teacher
쉽다 adj
shweep-TTAH to be easy 쉬워요
앉다 verb
an-TTAH to sit 앉아요
앞자리 noun
ap-JJAH-ree front seat 앞자리에
여기 adv
yuh-GEE here
잘 adv
jal well
저 pron
juh I 저는
좋아하다 verb
joh-AH-hah-dah to like 좋아해요
질문 noun
jil-MOON question
항상 adv
hang-SANG always

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Do you always sit here?

Show Answer항상 여기 앉아요?

I like sitting at the front.

Show Answer저는 앞자리에 앉는 것을 좋아해요.

I can hear the teacher well.

Show Answer선생님 말씀이 잘 들려요.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

front seat

Show Answer앞자리에

to like

Show Answer좋아해요

to be easy

Show Answer쉬워요

words; speech

Show Answer말씀이