Asking for Help with a Task | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 이 일에 도움이 필요해요.

   I need help with this task.

   이

   this

   일

   task; work

   도움이

   help

   필요해요

   need

   More detail

   이 means “this” here and is a demonstrative placed before the noun it identifies: 이 일 = “this task.” It points to something nearby or contextually relevant. Korean 이 does not by itself establish that the noun is singular; it can also modify a plural noun phrase when the context calls for one. 일 is a noun meaning “task” or “work.” In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies it as a task. The combination 이 일 therefore means “this task.” 도움이 means “help,” with the subject-marking particle 이 attached. Korean commonly expresses “need X” with the pattern X이/가 필요하다: the needed thing is marked as the subject of the predicate 필요하다. After a noun ending in a consonant, use 이; after a vowel, use 가. For example, 시간이 필요해요 means “I need time.” 필요해요 is the polite present form of 필요하다, meaning “to be necessary” or “to be needed.” In 도움이 필요해요, it naturally corresponds to “need help” in English. This form does not itself identify the person who needs something; here, the fixed translation supplies “I.” Together, 이 일 identifies “this task,” and 도움이 필요해요 states that help is needed for it. The whole utterance means “I need help with this task.”

2. 어느 부분이 어려워요?

   Which part feels difficult?

   어느

   which

   부분

   part

   어려워요

   is difficult

   More detail

   어느 means “which” when selecting one item from an understood set. It is a question determiner and comes before the noun it specifies. For example, 어느 책이 좋아요? means “Which book do you like?” 부분 means “part” or “section.” It is a noun that can refer to one segment of a larger thing. In 어느 부분, it identifies what kind of item is being selected: “which part.” Example: 이 부분이 중요해요. means “This part is important.” 어려워요 expresses that something is difficult. Its base form is 어렵다; 어려워요 is the polite present-style form used here. The form 어렵다 changes to 어려워요 because of the verb/adjective stem’s spelling pattern before the polite ending. Example: 한국어가 어려워요. means “Korean is difficult.” Together, 어느 부분 asks the listener to identify a section, and 어려워요 asks which section is difficult. Korean commonly places the question word before the noun it describes, while the descriptive predicate comes at the end. The whole utterance therefore means “Which part feels difficult?” It is a polite question about the difficult section, without specifying that section in advance.

3. 첫 부분이 잘 이해되지 않아요.

   The first part is unclear.

   첫

   first

   부분

   part

   잘

   clearly

   이해되지 않아요

   is not understood

   More detail

   첫 appears before 부분 and means “first” in the expression 첫 부분, “the first part.” It is used before a noun to identify the initial item or section. For example, 첫 문장 means “the first sentence.” 부분 is a noun meaning “part” or “section.” In 첫 부분, it refers to the initial section of whatever is being discussed; the utterance does not specify the larger whole. For example, 이 부분이 중요해요 means “This part is important.” 잘 means “well” or “clearly” here. With a perception or understanding-related verb, it describes how successfully something is understood: 잘 이해해요 means “understand well.” It is not part of the noun phrase 첫 부분. 이해되지 않아요 is the polite negative form of 이해되다, “to be understood” or “to make sense.” The pattern -지 않아요 negates the preceding verb or adjective in a polite present-style statement. Thus, 이해되지 않아요 says that the meaning does not come through clearly to the speaker, rather than simply naming a lack of information. The form 이해되다 is distinct from 이해하다, “to understand”: 이해가 돼요 means “It makes sense,” while 이해해요 means “I understand it.” Together, 첫 부분 identifies the initial section, 이 marks it as the subject, 잘 describes the success of understanding, and 이해되지 않아요 says that it is not understood clearly. The complete meaning is: “The first part is unclear.”

4. 제가 하나씩 알려 드릴게요.

   I can walk you through it.

   제가

   I (humble subject)

   하나씩

   one by one

   알려

   explain; tell

   드릴게요

   I’ll do/give it for you

   More detail

   제가 combines 저 (“I,” the humble first-person pronoun) with 가, the subject marker. The humble form is appropriate when the speaker refers to themself respectfully in relation to the listener. 저 contrasts with the less humble or more casual 나; 제가 is the subject-marked form of 저. Example: 제가 할게요. — “I’ll do it.” Here 제가 marks the person who will perform the action. 하나씩 means doing something one at a time or separately. 하나 means “one,” and -씩 distributes an action across individual items or occasions. The word 하나 is not an indefinite article here; it explicitly contributes the idea of “one.” Example: 하나씩 읽어 보세요. — “Please read them one at a time.” 알려 is the connective form of 알리다, “to inform” or “to let someone know.” The stem 알리- combines with -어, producing 알려; here it connects to 드리다 in the useful pattern 알려 드리다, “to explain or inform someone as a service to them.” Example: 사용 방법을 알려 주세요. — “Please tell me how to use it.” 드릴게요 comes from humble 드리다 (“to give” or, in service expressions, “to do/provide for someone”) plus -(으)ㄹ게요. In 알려 드릴게요, 드리다 does not mean that a physical object is being given: it marks the explanation as something the speaker will provide for the listener. The ending -ㄹ게요 presents the speaker’s intention or commitment, often as a promise concerning the listener. The ending attaches as -ㄹ게요 after a vowel-final stem and -을게요 after a consonant-final stem: 가다 → 갈게요, 먹다 → 먹을게요. In this sentence, 드리다 gives 드릴게요. Together, 제가 identifies the speaker as the person acting, 하나씩 says that the explanation will proceed one item at a time, and 알려 드릴게요 means “I’ll explain it to you” with a helpful, listener-oriented commitment. Thus the whole utterance means: “I can walk you through it.” The specific thing referred to by “it” is supplied by the surrounding context rather than named in this sentence.

5. 이 파일부터 시작할까요?

   Should I start with this file?

   이

   this

   파일

   file

   부터

   starting with; from

   시작할까요?

   should I start?

   More detail

   이 means “this” and is a demonstrative determiner placed before a noun. It identifies a nearby or contextually salient noun; here, the fixed translation identifies the noun as the file. Compare 그 파일 (“that file”) as an example of the same determiner-plus-noun pattern. 파일 means “file.” It is a noun and can combine with particles: 파일을 (“the file” as an object) and 파일에서 (“at/from the file” in a context where that meaning is appropriate). In this utterance, it is the item selected as the starting point. 부터 marks the starting point of an order, range, or action. After 이 파일, 이 파일부터 means “starting with this file,” so this file is proposed as the first item. A reusable pattern is A부터 시작하다, “to start with A.” 시작할까요? contains 시작하다, “to start,” with the question ending -(으)ㄹ까요?. The form 시작할까요? asks whether the speaker should start or proposes deciding whether to start; here, the fixed translation gives the intended reading “Should I start?” The ending is attached to a verb stem: 가다 → 갈까요? (“Shall we go?/Should I go?”), while 시작하다 → 시작할까요?. The exact subject and interpretation depend on context; in this sentence, the translation identifies the speaker as the one who may start. Together, 이 파일부터 selects this file as the starting point, and 시작할까요? asks whether the speaker should begin there. The complete meaning is “Should I start with this file?”

6. 거기서 시작하고, 그다음에 지금까지 한 것을 보여 주세요.

   Start there, then show me what you have.

   거기서

   there

   시작하고

   start and

   그다음에

   then; after that

   지금까지

   so far; up to now

   한 것을

   what has been done

   보여 주세요

   please show

   More detail

   거기서 means “there” in this sentence. 거기 refers to a place, and -서 marks the place where an action begins or occurs. The supplied sentence does not identify a more specific referent for “there.” Compare 여기서 (“here”) and 저기서 (“over there”) as useful place contrasts. 시작하고 comes from 시작하다 (“to start”). The ending -고 links this action to the next one: 시작하고 ... means “start and then ...” in this utterance. Example: 여기서 시작하고 읽으세요. — “Start here and read.” 그다음에 means “then” or “after that.” 그다음 refers to the next step or time, and -에 marks that point in the sequence. It makes the order explicit: first start, then do what follows. 지금까지 means “up to now” or “so far.” 지금 is “now,” while -까지 marks the endpoint of a period. It describes the work completed by the present point; it does not itself mean simply “now.” Example: 지금까지 읽었어요. — “I have read up to now.” 한 것을 means “what has been done” here. The verb is 하다 (“to do”); its form 한 is the past attributive form used before the noun-like element 것. 것 means “thing” and turns the preceding description into a noun-like unit, while -을 marks that unit as the object of the next verb. In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies it as what the listener has done so far. Example: 네가 한 것 — “what you did.” 보여 주세요 is a polite request meaning “please show” here. 보여 주다 is the reusable expression “to show,” and 보여 주세요 is its polite request form. The recipient is not stated as a separate word in this phrase; the fixed translation identifies the intended recipient as “me.” Example: 사진을 보여 주세요. — “Please show me the picture.” Together, 거기서 시작하고 gives the first instruction, “start there,” 그다음에 orders the next step, and 지금까지 한 것을 보여 주세요 asks the listener to show what they have done up to now. The whole utterance therefore means: “Start there, then show me what you have.”

7. 지금 해 볼게요.

   I'll try that now.

   지금

   now

   해 볼게요

   I’ll try it

   More detail

   지금 means “now,” locating the action at the present time. It can be reused with many predicates: 지금 시작해요 means “I’m starting now.” 해 볼게요 expresses “I’ll try that.” The first part, 해, is the form of 하다 (“to do”) used before the auxiliary 보다. In 해 보다, 보다 does not mean “see” literally; after another verb, it adds the meaning “try doing.” For example, 먹어 봐요 means “Try eating it.” The final form 볼게요 comes from 보다 plus -ㄹ게요. This ending presents the speaker’s willing, future-oriented commitment or intention, often as a response to the situation. It is not simply a general future marker. Compare 해 볼게요 (“I’ll try it”) with 해 볼까요? (“Shall we try it?”). Together, 지금 + 해 보다 + -ㄹ게요 gives “I’ll try that now.” The English object “that” is supplied by the fixed translation and context; Korean does not contain a separate demonstrative in this utterance. The sentence is a polite, natural way for the speaker to commit to trying the relevant task at once.

8. 그다음에 작업을 확인해 드릴게요.

   I can check your work after that.

   그다음에

   after that; then

   작업

   work; task

   확인해 드릴게요

   I’ll check it for you

   More detail

   그다음에 means “after that” or “then.” 그다음 refers to the next point in an already established sequence, and -에 marks the time at which something happens. For example, 그다음에 시작해요 means “Then we start.” 작업 means “work” or “task.” It is a noun and can combine with 을, the object marker, as in 작업을 확인하다 (“check the work”). In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies the work as the listener’s work; Korean does not need an explicitly stated possessive here. 확인해 드릴게요 contains 확인하다 (“to check” or “to confirm”), -해 드리다, and -ㄹ게요. 확인해 is the connective form of 확인하다; 드리다 presents the action as something the speaker does for the benefit of another person. -ㄹ게요 marks the speaker’s willing commitment or intention, so 확인해 드릴게요 is naturally “I’ll check it for you.” It does not by itself literally mark ability, although the fixed English translation expresses this commitment as “I can check.” The complete object phrase is 작업을 확인해 드릴게요: 작업을 marks the work as what is checked, while 확인해 드릴게요 describes the speaker’s checking it for the listener. Adding 그다음에 places that action after the previously established point: “After that, I’ll check your work for you.”