Confirming the Right Bus | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 버스가 왔어요.

   The bus is here.

   버스

   bus

   왔어요

   has arrived; is here

   More detail

   버스 is a noun meaning “bus.” It is a loanword, and its form does not change for singular or plural in this sentence. In Korean, a noun can be followed by a particle showing its role; here, 버스가 marks the bus as the subject. 왔어요 comes from the verb 오다, “to come.” The form 왔어요 is the polite past form: 와요 means “comes/is coming” or “come” in polite speech, while 왔어요 means “came” or “has arrived.” In this utterance, the arrival is relevant now, so “is here” is a natural translation. The past marking belongs to the verb 왔어요, not to 버스. Together, 버스가 (“the bus,” as subject) and 왔어요 (“has arrived”) produce “The bus is here.” This is a short, polite everyday statement.

2. 이 버스가 맞는 것 같아요?

   Do you think this is the right bus?

   이

   this

   버스

   bus

   맞는

   right; correct

   것 같아요

   seems to be

   More detail

   이 means “this” and points to a nearby thing. It is a demonstrative determiner placed before the noun it specifies. The related pronoun 이것 means “this thing,” while 그것 means “that thing.” Here, the fixed translation identifies the bus as the thing being pointed out. 버스 is the noun “bus.” Korean nouns do not change form for singular versus plural in the way English nouns often do; context supplies that information. For example, 버스가 왔어요 means “The bus came/is here,” as in the supplied context. 맞는 comes from 맞다, “to be right, correct, or the appropriate one.” The ending -는 changes the verb into a form that can describe a following noun: 맞는 버스 means “the bus that is right/correct” or, more naturally here, “the right bus.” This is not the comparative form of an adjective; it is the present attributive form of 맞다. 것 같아요 is a reusable pattern meaning “seems,” “looks like,” or “I think.” In 맞는 것 같아요, the descriptive clause 맞는 modifies 것 (“thing”), and the whole pattern expresses the speaker’s tentative judgment: “it seems to be right.” The polite ending -아요 makes the expression polite. A similar example is 비가 오는 것 같아요 — “I think it is raining” or “It seems to be raining.” Together, 이 + 버스 identifies the bus being indicated, 맞는 describes it as the appropriate or correct one, and 것 같아요 presents that judgment tentatively. With the question intonation shown by ?, the complete utterance means: “Do you think this is the right bus?”

3. 타기 전에 기사님께 물어봐요.

   Let's ask the driver before we get on.

   타기 전에

   before getting on

   기사님께

   to the driver

   물어봐요

   ask

   More detail

   타기 전에 means “before getting on” here. 타다 is the base form for riding or getting on a vehicle; 타기 uses -기 to turn the verb into an activity or event, “getting on.” 전에 means “before” and follows that activity. The same pattern is reusable: V-기 전에 = “before doing V.” Example: 자기 전에 책을 읽어요. — “I read a book before going to bed.” 기사님께 refers to “to the driver.” 기사님 is an honorific way to say “driver,” with 님 adding respect. 께 marks the recipient and is the honorific counterpart of the ordinary recipient markers 에게 or 한테. Example: 선생님께 물어봐요. — “I ask the teacher.” 물어봐요 means “ask” in this sentence. Its base form is 물어보다, a commonly used verb for asking someone for information; the polite present form is 물어봐요. This form is different from 말해요, which means “say” or “tell,” rather than “ask.” Example: 주소를 물어봐요. — “I ask for the address.” Together, 타기 전에 sets the time as before getting on, 기사님께 identifies the respected recipient as the driver, and 물어봐요 expresses the proposed action of asking. The complete utterance is therefore “Let’s ask the driver before we get on.” The polite ending -요 gives the suggestion a polite conversational tone.

4. 실례합니다. 이 버스가 역에 가나요?

   Excuse me, does this bus go to the station?

   실례합니다

   Excuse me

   이

   this

   버스

   bus

   역

   station

   가나요?

   does it go?

   More detail

   실례합니다 is a polite way to get someone's attention before asking a question. It is commonly used as “Excuse me”; the form comes from 실례하다 with the formal-polite ending -ㅂ니다. 이 means “this” and is a demonstrative placed before a noun. It identifies a nearby or contextually selected thing; it does not itself show a numeric count or the noun's gender. A useful contrast is 그 “that” (often associated with something already mentioned) and 저 “that over there.” 버스 is the noun “bus.” In 이 버스, the demonstrative modifies the noun. The particle 가 after 버스 marks the bus as the subject of the question. Korean subject particles vary with the final sound of the noun: 이 follows a consonant-final noun, while 가 follows a vowel-final noun. 역 means “station.” The particle 에 after it marks the destination in this sentence. Thus 역에 means “to the station,” rather than simply naming a station. 가나요? asks whether something goes or travels. Its base verb is 가다 “to go”; here its stem 가- combines with the question ending -나요?, producing 가나요? The ending makes a polite question seeking information. For example, 지금 가나요? means “Are you going now?” Together, 이 버스가 역에 가나요? means “Does this bus go to the station?” The subject is “this bus,” 역에 gives the destination, and 가나요? asks whether going there is the case. The opening 실례합니다 politely introduces the question.

5. 역이 종점이에요.

   The station is the last stop.

   역

   station

   종점

   last stop

   이에요

   is

   More detail

   역 means “station” here. It is a noun and can be used in other location sentences, for example: 역에 가요. — “I go to the station.” The following 이 in 역이 marks 역 as the subject; it is attached because 역 ends in a consonant. 종점 means “last stop” or “terminal,” the endpoint of a route. It is a noun; 종점 can refer to the final station or stop of a bus, train, or similar route. For example: 여기가 종점이에요. — “This is the last stop.” 이에요 is the polite present form of the Korean copula 이다, used here to say that the subject is the stated noun: “is.” After a noun ending in a consonant, use 이에요; after a noun ending in a vowel, the corresponding common form is 예요. Thus 종점 + 이에요 gives 종점이에요. Together, 역이 (“the station,” as subject) and 종점이에요 (“is the last stop”) produce the complete meaning: “The station is the last stop.”

6. 그럼 이 버스가 맞네요.

   Then this is the right bus.

   그럼

   then

   이

   this

   버스

   bus

   맞네요

   is right

   More detail

   그럼 is a common shortened form of 그러면, meaning “then” or “in that case.” It connects the conclusion here with information already established. A reusable pattern is 그럼 + clause: “Then …” 이 means “this” and is a demonstrative placed before a noun. It normally points to something near the speaker or otherwise presented as the current item. It does not itself specify the noun’s number; the noun supplies that information if needed. For example, 이 책 means “this book.” 버스 means “bus.” It is a noun and can be used after a demonstrative: 이 버스 means “this bus.” 맞네요 comes from 맞다, “to be right” or “to be the correct one,” with the ending -네요. Here 맞네요 expresses the speaker’s recognition or confirmation that something is correct: “is right” or “is the right one.” The form 맞다 is the dictionary form; 맞아요 is a common polite present form, while 맞네요 adds the feeling of noticing or confirming the conclusion. For example, 이 답이 맞네요 means “This answer is correct.” Together, 이 버스 identifies the bus currently being considered, and 맞네요 says that it is the correct one. 그럼 links that conclusion to the preceding information, giving the whole utterance: “Then this is the right bus.”

7. 타서 안쪽으로 더 들어가요.

   Let's get on and move farther inside.

   타서

   get on and then

   안쪽으로

   toward the inside

   더

   farther; more

   들어가요

   go in; move inside

   More detail

   타서 comes from 타다, “to get on” a vehicle (also “to ride”). The ending -아서 links this action to the next one, giving the sequence “get on and then …” here. The form is not a separate past-tense form; the connective shows that getting on is the preceding step. Example: 버스를 타서 학교에 가요. — “I take the bus and go to school.” 안쪽으로 means “toward the inside.” 안쪽 is “the inner side/interior,” and -으로 marks the direction or route toward which movement is made. This is a directional use, not a claim that a specific person or object is already inside. 더 means “more” or “farther” in relation to a current position or degree. Here it increases the distance of the movement: move farther toward the inside. Example: 조금 더 가요. — “Let’s go a little farther.” 들어가요 comes from 들어가다, “to go in” or “to enter.” 들어가요 is the polite, nonpast form used here for the proposed/current movement. The verb itself supplies the idea of moving inward, while 안쪽으로 specifies the direction. Example: 안으로 들어가요. — “Let’s go inside.” Together, 타서 sets up the first action, and 안쪽으로 더 들어가요 gives the following direction and movement: “Let’s get on and move farther inside.” In this context, the preceding sentence identifies the bus, so 타서 naturally means getting on that bus. The polite -요 style is suitable for an ordinary courteous spoken suggestion or instruction.

8. 저는 가운데 근처에 서 있을게요.

   I'll stand near the middle.

   저는

   as for me; I

   가운데

   middle

   근처

   vicinity; nearby area

   서 있을게요

   will stand

   More detail

   저는 contains 저 (“I,” the humble/polite first-person pronoun) plus the topic marker 는. It presents the speaker as the topic: “As for me, …”. In less formal speech, 나 is the corresponding plain form, while 저 is appropriate when speaking politely. 가운데 is a noun meaning “middle” or “center.” It can identify a central part or position: 가운데에 앉아요 means “I sit in the middle.” Here it is followed by 근처, so the intended location is not exactly the center but an area near it. 근처 is a noun meaning “vicinity” or “nearby area.” A useful pattern is N 근처, “near N”: 역 근처 means “near the station.” In 가운데 근처, it makes “near the middle.” The location particle 에 after this noun phrase marks the place where the standing occurs: 가운데 근처에 means “near the middle.” 서 있을게요 combines 서다 (“to stand”), 있다 (“to be/stay”), and the polite ending -을게요. 서 있다 describes being in a standing position, while -을게요 presents the speaker’s intention or commitment, so 서 있을게요 means “I’ll stand” or “I’ll stay standing.” For example, 여기서 기다리고 있을게요 means “I’ll wait here.” The form 서 is the connective form of 서다; it is not a separate verb with a different base. Together, 저는 sets the speaker as the topic, 가운데 근처에 gives the location, and 서 있을게요 states the speaker’s intended action or arrangement. The complete meaning is: “I’ll stand near the middle.”