Reviewing Words with Cards | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 이 단어들을 복습하고 싶어요.

   I want to review these words.

   이

   these

   단어들

   words

   복습하고

   review

   싶어요

   want to

   More detail

   이 means “this/these” and appears before the noun it specifies. In this sentence, its plural interpretation is supported by 단어들; Korean demonstratives do not change form for singular versus plural. Compare 그 “that/those” and 저 “that/those over there.” 단어들 means “words.” The base noun is 단어 “word,” and 들 is a plural marker used when plurality is relevant or being made explicit. The following 을 marks 단어들 as the object of the action; the quoted phrase itself is 단어들, while the full object expression is 단어들을. 복습하고 comes from the verb 복습하다, “to review.” The form 복습하고 uses the connective ending -고: 복습하- + -고. Here -고 links 복습하다 to the following desire expression, producing the pattern 동사 stem + -고 싶다 (“want to do ...”). For example, 읽고 싶어요 means “I want to read.” 싶어요 is the polite present form of 싶다 in this construction. After a verb with -고, 싶다 expresses the subject’s desire to carry out that verb: 복습하고 싶어요 means “want to review.” The polite ending -어요 makes the statement suitable for ordinary polite conversation. 싶다 can also occur in other contexts, but here its meaning is specifically the desire construction. Together, 이 단어들을 identifies “these words” as the object, and 복습하고 싶어요 expresses the speaker’s desire to review them. The complete utterance means “I want to review these words.” A reusable pattern is 이/그 + noun을/를 + verb stem-고 싶어요, meaning “I want to [verb] this/that noun.”

2. 이 단어 카드들을 사용해 봐요.

   Let's use these word cards.

   이

   these

   단어

   word

   카드들을

   cards

   사용해 봐요

   let’s use

   More detail

   이 points to a noun understood from the situation. In this sentence, 이 단어 카드들 means “these word cards.” Korean demonstratives do not change for English-style singular versus plural; 이 is used for something near the speaker or currently being indicated. Example: 이 책 — “this book.” 단어 means “word.” It can also be used before another noun to describe a word-related item, as in 단어 카드 — “word card.” Here it identifies what kind of cards they are. 카드들을 is 카드 (“card”) plus 들, a plural marker, and 을, the object marker. 들 makes the plural reading explicit here, while 을 marks the cards as what is used. The object marker has the form 을 after a consonant and 를 after a vowel. Example: 책을 읽어요. — “I read a book.” 사용해 봐요 is a polite suggestion meaning “let’s use” in this context. 사용하다 is the base form “to use”; 사용해 is its connective form, and 보다 after another verb can mean “try doing.” The polite ending -아요 appears here as 봐요. Thus, the reusable pattern 동사-아/어 봐요 can suggest trying an action: 먹어 봐요. — “Let’s try eating it” or “Try eating it.” In this fixed sentence, the intended suggestion is naturally translated as “Let’s use.” Together, 이 단어 카드들을 means “these word cards” as the object, and 사용해 봐요 makes using them a polite suggestion. The complete utterance is: “Let’s use these word cards.”

3. 이건 기억이 안 나요.

   I can't remember this one.

   이건

   this one

   기억이 안 나요

   can’t remember

   More detail

   이건 is the shortened spoken/written form of 이것은: 이것 means “this,” and 은 marks it as the topic. Here it refers to “this one,” as fixed by the translation. The same pattern can introduce a topic: 이건 책이에요. — “This is a book.” 기억이 안 나요 uses the Korean expression 기억이 나다, meaning that something comes to mind or is remembered. 기억 means “memory” or “remembering”; 이 marks it as the subject of this expression; and 안 negates it. 나요 is the polite present-style form of 나다, “to come out” or “to arise,” with the meaning here determined by the expression 기억이 나다. Thus, 기억이 안 나요 means “I can’t remember” rather than simply describing a memory as absent. A reusable example is 이 이름이 기억이 안 나요. — “I can’t remember this name.” Together, 이건 sets “this one” as the topic, and 기억이 안 나요 says that remembering it does not come to mind. The complete utterance therefore means “I can’t remember this one.”

4. 예문을 보세요.

   Look at the example sentence.

   예문

   example sentence

   보세요

   please look

   More detail

   예문 means “example sentence.” It is a noun used here as the object of the action, marked by 을 in 예문을. The word is commonly useful for referring to a sentence that illustrates a word or pattern. 보세요 comes from 보다, “to see” or “to look.” The ending -세요 makes a polite request or instruction, so 보세요 means “please look” here. The same ending can appear in other polite requests, but the exact meaning comes from the verb and context. Example: 여기를 보세요. — “Please look here.” Together, 예문을 보세요 means “Look at the example sentence.” The object marker shows what the listener is asked to look at, and the polite request form makes the instruction courteous.

5. 그 문장이 그 단어를 기억하는 데 도움이 돼요.

   The sentence helps me remember it.

   그

   that

   문장이

   the sentence

   단어

   word

   기억하는

   remembering

   도움이 돼요

   helps

   More detail

   그 is a demonstrative determiner meaning “that” when placed before a noun. It appears before 문장 and later before 단어, giving “that sentence” and “that word.” 문장이 means “the sentence” here. 문장 means “sentence,” and 이 is the subject particle used after a consonant-ending noun. Thus, 그 문장이 presents the sentence as the subject of the clause. 단어 means “word.” In the full expression 그 단어를, 를 marks “that word” as the object of remembering. The form 단어 itself does not change; the following particle supplies the object marking. 기억하는 comes from 기억하다, “to remember.” The -는 form places the verb before a noun-like expression. In 기억하는 데, it describes the activity for which something is helpful: “for remembering.” This is not a past-tense form. 도움이 돼요 is the polite present form of 도움이 되다, meaning “is helpful” or “helps.” 도움 means “help,” and 이 marks 도움 as the subject of 되다 in this construction; it is not an object or complement particle. 돼요 is the polite present form of 되다, from the contracted form of 되어요. Example: 이 설명이 도움이 돼요 means “This explanation is helpful.” Together, 그 문장이 identifies the sentence as the subject, 그 단어를 기억하는 데 means “for remembering that word,” and 도움이 돼요 says that it is helpful. The fixed meaning is therefore “The sentence helps me remember it,” with the translation making the experiencer “me” explicit. A reusable pattern is N이/가 V-는 데 도움이 되다, meaning “N is helpful for doing V.”

6. 다른 카드를 써 보고, 예문을 먼저 확인해 보세요.

   Try another card and check the example first.

   다른

   another; different

   카드를

   card

   써 보고

   try using, and

   예문을

   example sentence

   먼저

   first

   확인해 보세요

   please try checking

   More detail

   다른 means “another” or “different” here and modifies the following noun. It is the noun-modifying form of 다르다 (“to be different”): 다르다 → 다른 before a noun. It identifies the card as different from a contextually relevant card, without specifying which card that is. 카드를 is 카드 (“card”) plus the object marker -를. The marker shows that the card is the object of 쓰다 (“to use”) in the following construction. -을 is the corresponding object-marker form after a consonant. 써 보고 contains 쓰다 (“to use”), the try-doing construction -어 보다, and the connective -고: 쓰다 → 써 before 보다, then 써 보다 → 써 보고 when it connects to the next clause. -어 보다 means to try doing something. Example: 이 방법을 써 보세요. — “Try using this method.” 예문을 is 예문 (“example sentence”) plus the object marker -을. The marker identifies the example sentence as the object of 확인하다 (“to check”); -를 is used instead after a vowel. 먼저 means “first” or “before a later step.” Here it gives the checking action the priority expressed by “first,” without specifying an additional step beyond the supplied utterance. 확인해 보세요 contains 확인하다 (“to check”), the try-doing construction -해 보다, and the polite ending -세요. Thus 확인해 보다 means “try checking,” and -세요 makes the clause a polite request or instruction. Example: 주소를 확인해 보세요. — “Please try checking the address.” In this sentence, 보세요 belongs to the construction; it is not a separate instruction to look. Together, 다른 카드를 써 보고 means “try using another card,” and 예문을 먼저 확인해 보세요 means “check the example sentence first.” The connective -고 joins the two parts, while 먼저 emphasizes the first-stage priority of checking. The whole utterance is: “Try another card and check the example first.”

7. 이제 다음 카드로 해 볼게요.

   I will try the next card now.

   이제

   now

   다음

   next

   카드

   card

   해 볼게요

   I’ll try it

   More detail

   이제 means “now” here, placing the action at the present point. It is also useful for marking a change to a new stage or action. Example: 이제 시작할게요. — “I’ll start now.” 다음 means “next” and comes before the noun it describes. Its base form does not change for the noun that follows. Example: 다음 문제 — “the next question.” 카드 means “card.” It is a noun; in 카드로, the particle -로 presents the card as what is being used for the activity. Example: 이 카드를 써 보세요. — “Try using this card.” 해 볼게요 contains 하다 (“to do”) in the form 해, followed by 보다 (“to try” in this auxiliary construction) and -ㄹ게요. The pattern -아/어 보다 adds the meaning “try doing”; 해 보다 therefore means “try doing it.” Here, -ㄹ게요 presents the speaker’s intention or willingness, giving the natural sense “I’ll try.” Example: 읽어 볼게요. — “I’ll try reading it.” Together, 이제 + 다음 카드로 + 해 볼게요 means “I’ll try the next card now.” The sentence uses -로 to frame the next card as the item being used, and 해 보다 to express trying the activity. The polite ending -요 makes the utterance polite.

8. 먼저 문장을 읽고, 그다음에 단어를 말해 보세요.

   Read the sentence first, then say the word.

   먼저

   first

   문장을

   the sentence

   읽고

   read, and then

   그다음에

   then

   단어를

   the word

   말해 보세요

   please say it

   More detail

   먼저 means “first” and marks the first step in the sequence. It commonly appears before the action that should happen before another action. 문장을 means “the sentence” here. 문장 is the noun “sentence,” and -을 is the object marker; after a consonant-final noun such as 문장, it appears as 을. Korean does not use an article matching English “the” here; the definite meaning comes from the context. 읽고 means “read, and then.” Its base form is 읽다 (“to read”). The ending -고 connects this action to the next one in the instruction: 읽고 ... means “read and then ...” in this sentence. Example: 책을 읽고 자요. — “I read a book and then go to sleep.” 그다음에 means “then” or “after that.” It points to the next step after the preceding action. Together, 먼저 ... 읽고, 그다음에 ... creates the reusable sequence pattern “first ..., then ... .” 단어를 means “the word” here. 단어 is the noun “word,” and -를 marks it as the object of the following action. After a vowel-final noun such as 단어, Korean uses 를; after a consonant-final noun, it uses 을, as in 문장을. 말해 보세요 is a polite instruction meaning “please say it” in this context. 말하다 is “to say,” and 말해 보다 combines it with 보다 (“to try”) to give the sense “try saying.” The ending -세요 makes the instruction polite. Here, the object being said is 단어 (“the word”), so the full phrase means “please say the word.” As a whole, 먼저 문장을 읽고, 그다음에 단어를 말해 보세요. tells the listener to complete two actions in order: first read the sentence, and after that try saying the word. The comma separates the two stages, while -고 links the first action to the second.