Preparing for a Meeting | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 회의록이 준비됐어요?

   Are the meeting notes ready?

   회의록

   meeting notes

   준비됐어요?

   are ready?

   More detail

   회의록 means “meeting notes” or “meeting minutes.” It is a noun referring to the written record of a meeting. The form itself does not show a number; context determines whether one record or more is intended. 준비됐어요? is the polite question form of 준비되다, “to become/be ready” or “to be prepared.” Here, 됐어요 presents the notes as having reached a ready state, so the natural meaning is “are ready?” rather than simply “do they prepare?” The ending -어요? makes the utterance a polite question. For example, 자료가 준비됐어요. means “The materials are ready.” In the full sentence, 회의록이 uses 이 to mark 회의록 as the subject; 이 follows a noun ending in a consonant. Together, 회의록이 준비됐어요? asks whether the meeting notes are ready. The following context confirms that “they” refers to the meeting notes and says they are on the speaker’s desk.

2. 회의록은 제 책상 위에 있어요.

   They are on my desk.

   회의록

   meeting notes; minutes

   제

   my

   책상

   desk

   위에

   on; above

   있어요

   is; are located

   More detail

   회의록 means “meeting notes” or “minutes.” Korean nouns do not normally mark singular versus plural, so this form can refer to one set of notes or more than one; here, the fixed translation identifies the intended item as “they.” The final 은 is a topic marker attached to 회의록: it sets the meeting notes as the topic of the statement. 제 means “my” here. It is the contracted possessive form of 저의 (저 + 의), with 저 being the humble first-person pronoun. A useful contrasting form is 내, the less-humble/informal possessive form of 나 (“I”). 책상 means “desk.” It is a noun and can be combined with possessive expressions such as 제 책상 (“my desk”). 위에 expresses a location on or above a surface: 위 means “top” or “upper side,” and 에 marks the location. In 제 책상 위에, it means “on my desk.” The phrase describes the location of the notes, not movement toward the desk. 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, used here for the existence or location of something. Korean does not change this verb for singular versus plural, so the same form can correspond to “is” or “are” in English. For example, 책이 책상 위에 있어요. means “The book is on the desk.” The sentence follows the pattern [topic]은/는 [possessor] [place]에 있어요: 회의록은 makes the meeting notes the topic, 제 책상 위에 gives their location, and 있어요 states that they are located there. Together, 회의록은 제 책상 위에 있어요. means “They are on my desk.”

3. 제 복사본이 있나요?

   Is there a copy for me?

   제

   my

   복사본

   copy

   있나요?

   is there?

   More detail

   제 is the contracted form of 저의, meaning “my.” 저 is the humble first-person pronoun, and 제 is its possessive form. Example: 제 책이에요. — “It is my book.” In this utterance, the fixed translation presents the copy as intended for the speaker; that interpretation comes from the full phrase and context, not from 제 alone. 복사본 is a noun meaning “copy.” It can refer to a reproduced document or another reproduced item. Example: 복사본이 필요해요. — “I need a copy.” 있나요? comes from 있다, “to exist” or “to be present,” with the polite question ending -나요?. In an existence question, it asks whether something is available or present. Korean often leaves the subject understood, so 복사본이 있나요? asks whether a copy exists or is available. 있어요? is another common polite way to ask the same basic question; -나요? is a distinct polite question ending. Together, 제 복사본 is understood here as “a copy for me,” and 있나요? asks whether it is available. The whole utterance therefore means, “Is there a copy for me?”

4. 여기 하나 있어요.

   Here is one.

   여기

   here

   하나

   one

   있어요

   is / exists

   More detail

   여기 means “here,” indicating the relevant location. It can be used independently to point out a place: 여기 있어요 means “It is here” or “There is/are something here,” depending on context. 하나 means “one” in this sentence. It identifies a single item without naming the item itself. A useful pattern is 명사 하나, meaning “one [noun]”; for example, 책 하나 means “one book.” The fixed translation supports the reading “one,” but the omitted item is not identified. 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, “to exist” or “to be located.” With a location such as 여기, it states that something exists or is present there. It is not the copula used to equate two nouns; it expresses presence or location. For example, 책이 여기 있어요 means “The book is here.” Together, 여기 + 하나 + 있어요 gives “Here is one.” The location is presented first, 하나 identifies a single item, and 있어요 says that the item is present. The item itself remains unnamed because the utterance relies on the surrounding situation to identify it. This is a polite, everyday expression.

5. 오늘 우리는 무엇을 논의하나요?

   What are we discussing today?

   오늘

   today

   우리는

   we

   무엇을

   what

   논의하나요?

   are discussing?

   More detail

   오늘 means “today,” a time word placed at the beginning here to set the time for the question. It can also appear later when the sentence structure allows it. Example: 오늘 만나요. — “We meet today.” 우리는 is 우리 (“we” or “our”) plus the topic marker 는. In this sentence, 우리 refers to “we,” and 는 presents that group as the topic: “as for us.” The form 우리 itself does not mark gender. In a sentence such as 우리는 공부해요., it means “We study.” 무엇을 means “what” as the object of an action. 무엇 is the question word, and 을 marks it as the object. In informal speech, 무엇을 is often shortened to 뭘, but the supplied sentence uses the full form. Compare 무엇을 읽어요? — “What do you read?” 논의하나요? comes from the verb 논의하다, “to discuss.” The observed form is a polite present-tense question form: 논의하나요? asks whether or what someone discusses, with the fixed translation specifying the intended reading “are discussing.” The ending -나요? makes a polite question; it does not itself mean “what.” The verb 논의하다 is a 하다-type verb, and its polite question form here is 논의하나요?. Together, 오늘 sets the time, 우리는 identifies the topic as “we,” 무엇을 asks for the object, and 논의하나요? asks about discussing it. The complete meaning is “What are we discussing today?”

6. 우리는 새 계획을 논의할 거예요.

   We will discuss the new plan.

   우리는

   we

   새

   new

   계획

   plan

   논의할 거예요

   will discuss

   More detail

   우리는 means “we” as the topic of the sentence. 우리 is a first-person plural pronoun; 는 marks the topic. The form 우리 itself does not change for gender. Example: 우리는 학생이에요. — “We are students.” 새 describes 계획 as “new.” It is a prenominal adjective-like modifier placed before the noun it describes. Do not treat it as the inflected form of 새롭다; 새롭다 is another adjective meaning “to be new,” while 새 is the compact modifier used here. Example: 새 책을 샀어요. — “I bought a new book.” 계획 means “plan.” With the object particle, the phrase is 계획을, showing that the plan is what is discussed. The particle 을 follows this noun because 계획 ends in a consonant. Example: 계획을 세워요. — “I make a plan.” 논의할 거예요 expresses that the subject will discuss something. The base verb is 논의하다, “to discuss.” Its stem 논의하- combines with -(으)ㄹ 거예요; because the stem ends in a vowel, the form is 논의할 거예요. This construction commonly expresses a future plan or expectation. Example: 내일 그 문제를 논의할 거예요. — “We will discuss that issue tomorrow.” Together, 우리는 sets “we” as the topic, 새 계획을 identifies “the new plan” as the object, and 논의할 거예요 says that discussing it will happen in the future. The whole utterance means: “We will discuss the new plan.”

7. 시작하기 전에 제가 회의록을 읽을게요.

   Let me read the notes before we start.

   시작하기 전에

   before starting

   제가

   I

   회의록

   meeting notes

   읽을게요

   I’ll read it / let me read

   More detail

   시작하기 전에 means “before starting.” 시작하다 is “to start”; its -기 form turns the verb into an activity or event, and -기 전에 means “before doing …” or “before … happens.” For example, 자기 전에 이를 닦아요. means “I brush my teeth before going to bed.” 제가 means “I” as the subject in this sentence. 저 is the humble first-person pronoun, and 가 marks the subject; 제가 is the combined form of 저 + 가. It presents the speaker as the person who will perform the reading. The related subject form 내가 is the less humble first-person form, while 제가 is appropriate here for polite speech. 회의록 means “meeting minutes” or “the meeting notes.” It is a noun formed from 회의 (“meeting”) and 록 (“record”), but it functions as one established noun. In this sentence it is the thing being read; the fixed translation renders it naturally as “the notes.” 읽을게요 means “I’ll read it” and, in this context, naturally “Let me read it.” Its base verb is 읽다, “to read.” The ending -(으)ㄹ게요 presents the speaker’s intention or commitment to do something, often in response to the situation or for the listener. After a verb stem ending in a consonant, as in 읽-, this ending appears as -을게요; after a vowel it appears as -ㄹ게요, as in 갈게요 (“I’ll go”). The 게요 ending does not itself specify the object; here 회의록 supplies what will be read. Together, 시작하기 전에 sets the time condition, 제가 identifies the speaker as the subject, 회의록 identifies the object, and 읽을게요 expresses the speaker’s intention to read it. The whole utterance means: “Let me read the notes before we start.” The polite ending makes it suitable for a polite conversation.

8. 시작하기 전에 잠시 시간을 가지세요.

   Take a minute before we begin.

   시작하기 전에

   before starting

   잠시

   for a moment

   시간

   time

   가지세요

   please take

   More detail

   시작하기 전에 means “before starting.” It is built from 시작하다 (“to start”) + -기 (turning the verb into an activity noun) + 전에 (“before”). The reusable pattern V-기 전에 means “before doing V.” Example: 자기 전에 책을 읽어요. — “I read a book before going to bed.” 잠시 means “for a short time” or “briefly.” Here it indicates that the amount of time is short. Example: 잠시 기다리세요. — “Please wait a moment.” 시간 means “time.” In 시간을 가지다, it is the noun object of 가지다, marked by -을; together, the expression means “take or have time,” not simply possess time. 가지세요 is a polite request or instruction based on 가지다, “to take” or “to have.” The form contains the honorific subject marker -시- and the polite ending -어요, which combine here as -세요: 가지다 → 가지세요. The understood subject is the listener, so this means “please take.” Together, 잠시 시간을 가지세요 means “please take a short amount of time,” naturally “take a minute.” With 시작하기 전에 before it, the whole utterance means “Take a minute before we begin.”