Trying on shoes | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 이 신발은 편해 보여요.

   These shoes look comfortable.

   이

   this

   신발

   shoes

   편해

   comfortable

   보여요

   looks; seems

   More detail

   이 points to a nearby or contextually identified thing: “this.” Korean demonstratives do not themselves show whether the referent is singular or plural. Here, the fixed translation identifies the referent as these shoes. 신발 means “shoe” or “shoes.” The form itself does not mark singular versus plural; Korean commonly leaves number to context. In 이 신발, the demonstrative and noun form the noun phrase “these shoes.” 편해 is the informal connective form of 편하다, “to be comfortable” or “to be convenient.” The ending -해 is used here because 편하다 changes to 편해 before the following expression. Example: 이 의자는 편해요. — “This chair is comfortable.” 보여요 is the polite present form of 보이다, “to look” or “to seem.” After a descriptive expression, -아/어 보이다 means that something appears to have that quality. Thus 편해 보여요 is “looks comfortable,” rather than a direct statement that the speaker has personally confirmed its comfort. Example: 맛있어 보여요. — “It looks delicious.” Together, 이 신발은 sets “these shoes” as the topic, and 편해 보여요 says that they appear comfortable. The complete meaning is: “These shoes look comfortable.”

2. 오래 걸을 때 신는 신발이에요.

   They are made for long walks.

   오래

   for a long time

   걸을

   walk

   때

   when; time

   신는

   wearing; used to wear

   신발

   shoes

   이에요

   is; are

   More detail

   오래 means “for a long time.” It is an adverb, so it describes the duration of the walking rather than the shoes themselves. Example: 오래 기다렸어요. — “I waited for a long time.” 걸을 comes from the verb 걷다, “to walk.” Here it is the form used before 때 in the pattern -을 때, “when …” or “while …”. 걷다 has a ㄷ irregular change: the ㄷ becomes ㄹ before the vowel-initial ending -을, giving 걸을, not 걷을. 때 means “time” and forms time clauses with a preceding verb. 걸을 때 means “when walking” or, with 오래, “when walking for a long time.” The form -을 때 is used here because 걸을 is the relevant verb form before this noun-like time expression. 신는 comes from 신다, “to put on or wear footwear.” It is the present attributive form, used before a noun: 신는 신발 means “shoes that one wears” or more naturally “shoes for wearing.” Unlike 걷다, 신다 does not undergo the ㄷ-to-ㄹ change here; its stem remains 신-, producing 신는. 신발 means “shoes” or “footwear.” Korean does not require a plural ending here, so this form can refer to one shoe or a pair of shoes depending on context; the supplied translation and context support “these shoes” as the intended item. 이에요 is the polite copula used after a noun ending in a consonant. It identifies the subject as 신발: 신발이에요 means “they are shoes” or “it is footwear,” with number supplied by context. It is not itself a marker meaning “made for”; that purpose-like meaning comes from the descriptive clause before it. Putting the parts together: 오래 걸을 때 means “when walking for a long time,” and 신는 신발 means “shoes one wears” in that situation. The whole sentence therefore means “They are shoes for wearing on long walks,” naturally expressed by the fixed translation as “They are made for long walks.”

3. 여기서 신어 봐도 돼요?

   Can I try them on here?

   여기서

   here

   신어

   wear (footwear)

   봐도 돼요?

   is it okay to try?

   More detail

   여기서 means “here” as the place where an action happens. 여기 is “here,” and -서 marks the location of an activity: 여기서 공부해요 means “I study here.” 신어 comes from 신다, “to put on or wear footwear.” The form 신어 is the connective form used before another verb. In 신어 보다, it combines with 보다 to mean “try wearing” or “try putting on.” The verb 신다 is specifically used for footwear, while clothing generally uses 입다. 봐도 돼요? is a permission pattern. 보다 means “to see” or, in this construction, “to try”; -아/어도 되다 asks whether an action is allowed. Thus -아/어도 돼요? means “Is it okay to …?” or “May I …?” Here, 봐도 is 보다 plus -아도, and 돼요 is the polite present form of 되다. Together, 신어 봐도 돼요? asks permission to try wearing the footwear. The complete sentence 여기서 신어 봐도 돼요? means “Can I try them on here?” The Korean sentence does not itself mark the footwear as plural; that “them” comes from the fixed translation and context.

4. 신을 때 이 의자를 사용하세요.

   Use this bench while you put them on.

   신을 때

   while putting them on

   이

   this

   의자

   bench

   사용하세요

   please use

   More detail

   신을 때 combines 신다 (“to put on footwear”) with -(으)ㄹ 때 (“when/while doing”). 신다 is the base form; before 때, it appears as 신을. Here, the understood object is the footwear referred to as “them” in the fixed translation. The same pattern is reusable: 읽을 때 means “when/while reading,” from 읽다. 이 is a demonstrative meaning “this” here, used before the noun it identifies. Korean demonstratives do not themselves mark grammatical gender or number; the noun and context determine whether a singular or plural reading is intended. In this sentence, the fixed translation presents the referent as one bench. 의자 is a noun meaning “chair” or a seat; in this sentence, the fixed translation identifies the intended seat as a bench. It is modified by the demonstrative in 이 의자. Example: 의자에 앉으세요. — “Please sit on the chair.” 사용하세요 is a polite request meaning “please use.” Its base form is 사용하다 (“to use”); 사용하세요 is the polite -세요 form used for a request or instruction. The lexical verb is 사용하다, not 하세요 by itself. Example: 이 펜을 사용하세요. — “Please use this pen.” Together, 이 의자 identifies the seat, and 사용하세요 gives the polite instruction to use it. The opening time expression 신을 때 says when to use it: while putting on the footwear. Thus the whole utterance means, “Use this bench while you put them on.”

5. 조금 작은 것 같아요.

   They feel a little small.

   조금

   a little

   작은

   small

   것 같아요

   seem; feel like

   More detail

   조금 means “a little” here and softens the degree of the following description. It can be placed before an adjective to express a small amount: 조금 비싸요 means “It is a little expensive.” 작은 means “small” here. It is the form of 작다 used before a noun: 작다 → 작은 것, “a small thing.” Korean descriptive adjectives change form when they directly modify a noun; the change here belongs to 작다, not to 것. 것 같아요 is a polite pattern meaning “seem” or “feel like” in this sentence. 것 is a noun meaning “thing,” but in the pattern 형용사-(으)ㄴ 것 같아요, the whole expression presents the description as an impression rather than a direct categorical statement. With 작다, the pattern is 작은 것 같아요, “seem small” or “feel small.” 같아요 is the polite present form of 같다 in this construction. Together, 조금 + 작은 + 것 같아요 means “feel a little small.” The subject is omitted in Korean; with the supplied translation and context, the items being put on are the things described. The complete utterance is therefore: “They feel a little small.”

6. 이 큰 사이즈를 신어 보세요.

   Try this larger pair.

   이

   this

   큰

   large; big

   사이즈

   size

   신어 보세요

   try on

   More detail

   이 means “this” and is the demonstrative placed before the noun it describes. In this sentence it points to the size being discussed; Korean 이 itself does not mark the noun’s number or gender. A useful contrast is 그 “that” and 저 “that over there,” although the choice depends on distance and discourse context. 큰 is the form of the descriptive verb 크다 “to be big/large” used before a noun: 크다 → 큰 사이즈 (“a large size”). The form 큰 is not itself a comparative; Korean commonly uses 더 for “more” or “larger.” Here the fixed translation’s “larger” fits the contrast with the previously mentioned small item, while 큰 contributes “large.” 사이즈 is the noun “size,” a commonly used loanword. In 큰 사이즈, 큰 comes before and describes the size. Example: 작은 사이즈를 주세요. — “Please give me a small size.” 신어 보세요 is a reusable construction meaning “try wearing [footwear].” 신어 comes from the verb 신다, “to put on or wear footwear,” with -어 linking it to the next verb. 보세요 comes from 보다 “to see/try” plus the polite request ending -세요; in this construction, -어 보다 means “try doing something.” The request is polite and directed to the listener. Example: 이 신발을 신어 보세요. — “Please try these shoes on.” Together, 이 큰 사이즈 identifies the larger size being offered, and 신어 보세요 politely asks the listener to try wearing it. The whole utterance therefore means “Try this larger pair.”

7. 이 신발이 더 편해요.

   This pair feels better.

   이

   this

   신발

   shoes; footwear

   더

   more

   편해요

   is comfortable; feels comfortable

   More detail

   이 points to a nearby referent as “this” and appears before the noun it describes. In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies the referent as the pair being discussed. Korean 이 does not itself state a numeric count. Example: 이 가방 — “this bag.” 신발 means footwear or shoes. In the fixed sentence, together with 이 and the translation, it refers to the pair under consideration. 신발 is the noun; the following 이 in 신발이 is the subject marker, not part of the noun itself. Example: 신발이 편해요. — “The shoes are comfortable.” 더 means “more” or “to a greater degree.” It makes the following description comparative: 더 편해요 means “is more comfortable” or, naturally here, “feels better.” The sentence does not state the comparison standard explicitly; it is understood from the choice being discussed. Example: 이것이 더 좋아요. — “This one is better.” 편해요 is the polite present form of 편하다, “to be comfortable.” The form 편해요 is used for a polite statement about the current situation; 편하다 is the plain dictionary form. With 더, it describes greater comfort rather than simply comfort. Example: 이 의자가 편해요. — “This chair is comfortable.” Together, 이 신발이 marks “this pair of shoes” as the subject, 더 adds comparison, and 편해요 says that it is comfortable. Thus the whole utterance means “This pair feels better,” or more literally, “These shoes are more comfortable.”

8. 그 사이즈가 잘 맞아 보여요.

   That size looks right on you.

   그

   that

   사이즈

   size

   잘 맞아

   fits well

   보여요

   looks; seems

   More detail

   그 means “that” and points to a specific item identifiable in the situation. Korean demonstratives distinguish distance or discourse reference: 이 is “this,” while 그 is “that” or “the one just mentioned.” Here it modifies 사이즈, so it is not the wearer that is being pointed out. 사이즈 is the noun “size,” commonly used in Korean in practical contexts. Here it refers to the size of the item being tried on; the translation makes clear that the evaluation concerns how that size looks on the person. 잘 맞아 means “fits well.” The verb is 맞다, “to fit” or “to be right/suitable.” Its connective form here is 맞아; 잘 adds the idea that the fit is good. For example, 이 신발이 잘 맞아요 means “These shoes fit well.” The subject of 맞다 is the item or size that fits the person, not the person who wears it. 보여요 means “looks” or “seems.” It comes from 보이다, “to be seen” or “to look/seem,” and is the polite present form. Korean commonly places an adjective or verb in its connective form before 보이다 to express appearance: 좋아 보여요 means “looks good,” and 잘 맞아 보여요 means “looks like it fits well.” This describes an appearance or impression rather than asserting a direct physical measurement. Together, 그 사이즈가 identifies “that size” as the subject, 잘 맞아 says that it fits well, and 보여요 presents this as an observed impression. The whole utterance means: “That size looks right on you.”