About This Lesson
Use Hurrying to the Train Platform to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
오늘 길이 정말 막혀.
oh-NUHL gee-lee juhng-MAHL mah-KYUH. The road is really busy today.
B
러시아워가 시작됐어.
ruh-SHEE-ah-wuh-gah shee-JAHK-dwae-SSUH. Rush hour has started.
A
우리 아직 다음 기차를 탈 수 있을까?
oo-REE ah-JEEK DAH-uhm gee-CHAH-reul tahl soo ee-SSEUL-kkah? Can we still catch the next train?
B
그럴 거야. 역은 바로 앞에 있어.
kuh-REHL kkuh-YAH. yuh-GUHN bah-roh AH-peh ee-SSUH. We should. The station is just ahead.
A
이제 입구가 보여.
ee-JEH eep-KKOO-gah boh-YUH. I can see the entrance now.
B
곧장 승강장으로 가자.
koht-JJAHNG suhng-GAHNG-jahng-uh-roh KAH-jah. Let's head straight to the platform.
A
벌써 기차가 들어오고 있어.
buhl-SSUH gee-CHAH-gah duh-ruh-OH-goh ee-SSUH. The train is pulling in already.
B
가까이 있어, 우리 같이 타자.
KAH-kkah-ee ee-SSUH, oo-REE KAH-chee TAH-jah. Stay close, and we'll board together.Word by Word
오늘
오늘 means “today” in 오늘 길이 정말 막혀, setting the time for the traffic situation. It commonly comes before the rest of a sentence to say when something happens, as in 오늘 비가 와요 for “It is raining today.”
길이
길이 refers to the road as the thing that is congested in 오늘 길이 정말 막혀. The ending 이 marks 길 as the subject, and this form is useful when describing a road or path with an adjective or verb.
정말
정말 means “really” and strengthens the statement 오늘 길이 정말 막혀. It is commonly placed before the word or expression it emphasizes, such as 정말 좋아 for “really good.”
막혀
막혀 means that the road is congested or blocked in 오늘 길이 정말 막혀. It is the casual form used when speaking to a familiar person, and 막히다 is commonly used for roads or traffic that cannot move freely.
러시아워가
러시아워가 means “rush hour” as the subject of the sentence 러시아워가 시작됐어. The ending 가 marks 러시아워 as the thing that has started, and this pattern is useful when stating that an event or period has begun.
시작됐어
시작됐어 says that something has started, here referring to rush hour in 러시아워가 시작됐어. It is a casual statement used with a familiar listener, and 시작되다 can be used with an event or period that begins.
우리
우리 refers to “we” or “us,” meaning the speaker and listener together in 우리 아직 다음 기차를 탈 수 있을까? It is commonly used to include both people in a question or proposed action.
아직
아직 means “still” or “yet” in 우리 아직 다음 기차를 탈 수 있을까? It shows that the possibility is being considered at this point in time. It commonly appears before the action or situation being discussed.
다음
다음 means “next” and describes 기차 in 다음 기차를. It commonly comes directly before a noun to identify the one that follows the current one, such as 다음 버스 for “the next bus.”
기차를
기차를 means “the train” as the object of 탈 in 우리 아직 다음 기차를 탈 수 있을까? The ending 를 marks the train as what the speakers may board, and this object pattern is used with action verbs such as 타다.
탈
탈 expresses “ride” or “board” in 탈 수 있을까, referring here to boarding the next train. It is the form of 타다 used before 수 in the possibility expression 탈 수 있다, so it stays directly before 수.
수
수 is the possibility or ability element in 탈 수 있을까. The full expression 탈 수 있을까 asks whether the speakers can board the train, and 수 commonly appears between an action form and 있다 or 없다 to express possibility or ability.
있을까
있을까 completes the wondering question in 탈 수 있을까, asking whether boarding is possible. It is used at the end when the speaker is wondering about a possibility, rather than making a firm statement.
그럴
그럴 points back to the possibility mentioned in the previous question in 그럴 거야, meaning that things will be that way or that the expected result will happen. It is the form used before 거야, and it can refer back to an earlier statement or question instead of repeating it.
거야
거야 helps present the preceding idea in 그럴 거야 as the speaker’s expected answer. In this dialogue it gives a casual, reassuring response, and the pattern 그럴 거야 can be used when saying that an expected situation will probably be so.
역은
역은 means “the station” as the topic in 역은 바로 앞에 있어. The ending 은 sets the station as the thing being located, and this topic pattern is useful when describing where a place or object is.
바로
바로 means “just” or “right” in 바로 앞에 있어, emphasizing that the station is directly ahead. It commonly comes before a location expression to make the location more precise, as in 바로 여기 for “right here.”
앞에
앞에 means “ahead” or “in front” in 역은 바로 앞에 있어. The ending 에 marks the location, and 앞에 있어 is a reusable pattern for saying that someone or something is located in front or ahead.
있어
있어 says that the station is located there in 역은 바로 앞에 있어. It is the casual form used with a familiar listener, and it commonly follows a location expression to describe where a person, place, or object is.
이제
이제 means “now” or “at this point” in 이제 입구가 보여. It marks a change in the situation: the entrance can be seen now. It commonly appears near the beginning of a sentence when reporting what is true at the present point.
입구가
입구가 means “the entrance” as the thing that has become visible in 이제 입구가 보여. The ending 가 marks 입구 as the subject, and this pattern is useful when saying that a particular person or thing can be seen or noticed.
보여
보여 means “is visible” or “can be seen” in 이제 입구가 보여. It describes what comes into the speaker’s view, and 보여 commonly follows the visible person or thing as the subject.
곧장
곧장 means “straight” or “directly” in 곧장 승강장으로 가자. It tells the listener to go without taking a detour, and it commonly comes before a movement verb to describe a direct route.
승강장으로
승강장으로 means “to the platform” in 승강장으로 가자. The ending 으로 marks the destination or direction of movement, and the pattern 장소로 가다 is used when telling someone to go to a place.
가자
가자 means “let’s go” in 곧장 승강장으로 가자. It proposes that the speaker and listener move together, and it can follow a destination expression such as 승강장으로 when suggesting where to go.
벌써
벌써 means “already” in 벌써 기차가 들어오고 있어. It points out that the train is arriving sooner than the speakers may have expected or that the situation has reached this stage. It commonly appears before the event being reported.
기차가
기차가 means “the train” as the subject of 들어오고 있어 in 벌써 기차가 들어오고 있어. The ending 가 marks the train as the thing performing the movement, and this pattern is useful when describing what an object is doing.
들어오고
들어오고 describes the train coming in within 들어오고 있어. It is the connecting form of 들어오다 used before 있어 to show that the movement is ongoing, and this pattern can describe an action currently in progress.
가까이
가까이 means “close” or “nearby” in 가까이 있어. It tells the listener to remain near the speaker, and 가까이 commonly comes before 있다 when describing someone’s location or distance.
같이
같이 means “together” in 같이 타자. It shows that the speaker wants to perform the action with the listener, and it commonly comes before a verb when emphasizing shared action.
타자
타자 means “let’s board” or “let’s ride” in 우리 같이 타자, referring to boarding the train together. It proposes joint action in a casual way, and it can follow 같이 when inviting someone to do the same action together.
Grammar Points
V-고 있어
기차가 들어오고 있어.
gee-CHAH-gah duh-ruh-OH-goh ee-SSUH.The train is pulling in.
-고 있어 expresses an action that is currently in progress.
V-자
같이 가자.
KAH-chee KAH-jah.Let's go together.
-자 is used to suggest doing something together, meaning “let's …”.
Korean Vocabulary
기차
noun
gee-CHAH
train
우리 아직 다음 기차를 탈 수 있을까?
길이 막히다
phrase
gee-lee mah-KEE-dah
the road is congested
길이 막혀
오늘 길이 정말 막혀.
다음
det
DAH-uhm
next
우리 아직 다음 기차를 탈 수 있을까?
러시아워
noun
ruh-SHEE-ah-wuh
rush hour
러시아워가 시작됐어.
바로 앞에
phrase
bah-roh AH-peh
just ahead; right in front
역은 바로 앞에 있어.
시작되다
verb
shee-JAHK-dwae-dah
to start; to begin
시작됐어
러시아워가 시작됐어.
아직
adv
ah-JEEK
still; yet
우리 아직 다음 기차를 탈 수 있을까?
역
noun
yuhk
station
역은 바로 앞에 있어.
오늘
adv
oh-NUHL
today
오늘 길이 정말 막혀.
우리
pron
oo-REE
we; us
우리 아직 다음 기차를 탈 수 있을까?
정말
adv
juhng-MAHL
really
오늘 길이 정말 막혀.
타다
verb
TAH-dah
to ride; to board
탈
우리 아직 다음 기차를 탈 수 있을까?
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
The road is really busy today.
Show Answer
오늘 길이 정말 막혀.Rush hour has started.
Show Answer
러시아워가 시작됐어.We should. The station is just ahead.
Show Answer
그럴 거야. 역은 바로 앞에 있어.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to start; to begin
Show Answer
시작됐어rush hour
Show Answer
러시아워still; yet
Show Answer
아직train