Plan a movie night at home | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 집에서 영화 보는 건 어때요?

   How about a movie at home?

   집에서

   at home

   영화

   movie

   보는

   watching

   건 어때요?

   how about it?

   More detail

   집에서 combines 집 (“home/house”) with 에서, which marks the place where an action or event takes place. Here it sets the location for the proposed activity: “at home.” 에서 can also mark a place of origin in other sentences, but that is not its meaning here. 영화 means “movie” or “film.” It is the object associated with the activity that follows. Example: 영화를 봐요. — “I watch a movie.” The object marker 를 appears in that complete example; in the fixed sentence, 영화 is part of the larger noun-plus-verb construction. 보는 comes from the verb 보다, “to see” or “to watch.” The form 보는 uses the verb stem 보- plus the attributive ending -는, which lets the verb describe a following noun or nominalized activity. In 영화 보는 것, it means “watching a movie,” not simply the isolated word “watching.” Compare 본 for a completed action and 볼 for a future or intended action, as in 본 영화 (“a movie [someone] watched”) and 볼 영화 (“a movie [someone] will watch / plans to watch”). 건 어때요? is the contracted form of 것은 어때요?: literally, “as for the thing/activity, how is it?” 것 nominalizes an action or idea, and 은 marks that nominalized activity as the topic; 건 is the common contraction of 것은. 어때요? comes from 어떻다 (“to be how / what be the situation like”) and asks for an evaluation or suggestion. In this sentence, the relevant topic is the activity 영화 보는 것, so the construction naturally means “How about watching a movie?” Together, 집에서 places the activity at home, 영화 보는 builds “watching a movie,” and 건 어때요? asks how that idea sounds as a suggestion. The whole utterance therefore means “How about watching a movie at home?”

2. 좋고 편할 것 같아요.

   That sounds nice and easy.

   좋고

   nice and

   편할

   easy

   것 같아요

   sounds like

   More detail

   좋고 comes from 좋다, meaning “to be good” or “nice.” The ending -고 links this description to the next one: 좋고 편하다 = “be nice and be easy/comfortable.” In this sentence, 좋고 is not a past form; it is the linking form of the descriptive verb. Example: 방이 넓고 조용해요. — “The room is spacious and quiet.” Here -고 connects two descriptions. 편할 comes from 편하다, meaning “to be comfortable” or, in this context, “to be easy/convenient.” The form 편할 is the form placed before 것 in the pattern -(으)ㄹ 것 같다. With 편하다, the stem ends in a vowel, so -ㄹ is used: 편하- + -ㄹ → 편할. This form presents the quality as an expectation or possibility rather than a confirmed fact. Example: 이 방법이 편할 것 같아요. — “I think this method will be convenient.” 것 같아요 is the polite form of 것 같다, literally built around “seem like a thing,” and it expresses a judgment, impression, or prediction. After a descriptive verb, -(으)ㄹ 것 같아요 commonly means “it seems it will be …,” “I think it will be …,” or, as in the fixed translation, “that sounds ….” The polite ending is -아요 in 같아요. Together, 좋고 links “nice” with 편할 것 같아요, “seems easy/comfortable.” Thus 좋고 편할 것 같아요. means “That sounds nice and easy.” The sentence presents this as the speaker’s impression, not as an absolute statement that it is already proven to be easy.

3. 짧은 영화를 골라요.

   Let's choose a short movie.

   짧은

   short

   영화

   movie; film

   골라요

   choose; select

   More detail

   짧은 means “short” here and describes 영화, “movie.” It is the attributive form of 짧다 (“to be short”): 짧다 → 짧은 before a noun. This form describes the movie’s length rather than selecting a different kind of movie. Example: 짧은 책을 읽어요. — “I read a short book.” 영화 means “movie” or “film.” In this sentence it is the object being selected. A useful reusable pattern is 짧은 + noun for “a short [noun].” 골라요 means “choose” or “select” here. Its base form is 고르다; the polite present form is 골라요. This is a 르-irregular change: 고르다 becomes 골라요, not a form made by simply attaching -어요. In this fixed utterance, the polite form is understood as a suggestion addressed to the listener, matching “Let’s choose.” Example: 메뉴를 골라요. — “Let’s choose a menu item.” Together, 짧은 영화 means “a short movie,” and 짧은 영화를 골라요 means “Let’s choose a short movie.” The object marker 를 marks 영화 as what is chosen, while the subject is omitted because the fixed translation supplies the intended joint suggestion “let’s.”

4. 그러면 늦기 전에 끝낼 수 있어요.

   Then we can finish before it gets late.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   늦기 전에

   before it gets late

   끝낼 수 있어요

   can finish

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It links the utterance to a condition or proposal already understood from context. Example: 그러면 시작해요. — “Then let’s start.” 늦기 전에 means “before it gets late.” 늦다 is the base form meaning “to be late” or “to become late.” Here, 늦기 uses the verb stem with -기 to form an action or situation, and 전에 means “before” that situation. The pattern [verb stem]기 전에 is reusable: 자기 전에 — “before going to sleep.” 끝낼 수 있어요 means “can finish.” 끝내다 is the base verb “to finish something”; its stem is 끝내-. -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility, so 끝낼 수 있어요 literally presents finishing as possible. 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다 in this construction. Example: 오늘 끝낼 수 있어요. — “I can finish it today.” The Korean sentence does not state a subject in this form; the fixed translation identifies the intended subject as “we.” Together, 그러면 sets up the consequence, 늦기 전에 gives the time limit, and 끝낼 수 있어요 states the possibility: “Then we can finish before it gets late.”

5. 과일을 좀 가져올게요.

   I can bring some fruit.

   과일

   fruit

   좀

   some

   가져올게요

   I’ll bring it

   More detail

   과일 means “fruit.” It is a noun and can refer to fruit as food in general or to an unspecified amount of fruit. The following 을 marks it as the object of the verb: 과일을 means “fruit” as what is brought. 좀 means “some” here, indicating a modest or unspecified amount. In other contexts, 좀 can also soften a request, but that is not its role in this fixed utterance. For example, 물 좀 주세요 means “Please give me some water,” where 좀 helps make the request less direct. 가져올게요 is built from 가져오다 (“to bring”) and -ㄹ게요. The verb 가져오다 combines 가져오- with -ㄹ게요, producing 가져올게요; the ㄹ is attached because the verb stem ends in a vowel. -ㄹ게요 commonly presents the speaker’s intention or commitment to do something, often understood as “I’ll …” or “Let me …” The implied subject is the speaker, and the form itself is not a general statement about what another person can do. For example, 제가 확인할게요 means “I’ll check it,” expressing the speaker’s commitment. Together, 과일을 좀 identifies some fruit as the object, and 가져올게요 says that the speaker will bring it. The complete utterance therefore means “I can bring some fruit,” matching the fixed translation; in Korean, the verb ending particularly presents this as the speaker’s intention or commitment to bring it. This is a polite conversational form.

6. 가벼운 간식이 있으면 좋겠어요.

   A light snack would be nice.

   가벼운

   light; not heavy

   간식

   snack

   있으면 좋겠어요

   it would be nice to have; it would be good if there were

   More detail

   가벼운 means “light” here, describing the snack as not heavy or substantial. It is the attributive form of 가볍다 (“to be light”): 가볍다 → 가벼운 before a noun. The form 가벼운 modifies 간식 directly. For example, 가벼운 점심 means “a light lunch.” 간식 means “snack,” a small amount of food eaten between meals or instead of a substantial meal. It is a noun, so it can be modified by an adjective such as 가벼운: 가벼운 간식, “a light snack.” 있으면 좋겠어요 combines 있다 (“to exist; to be available”) with -(으)면 (“if/when”) and 좋겠어요 (“would be good/nice”). Here, 있으면 refers to the availability or presence of something understood from the noun phrase: 가벼운 간식이 있으면, “if there is a light snack.” 좋겠어요 is a polite way to express that such a situation would be desirable: “it would be nice.” The conditional pattern is reusable, as in 시간이 있으면 좋겠어요, “It would be nice if there were time.” Together, 가벼운 간식이 있으면 좋겠어요 means “A light snack would be nice,” literally expressing that it would be good if a light snack were available. The polite ending makes this a gentle statement of preference or wish rather than a blunt command.

7. 차도 가져갈까요?

   Should I bring tea too?

   차

   tea

   도

   also; too

   가져갈까요?

   shall I bring it?

   More detail

   차 means “tea” here. It is a noun and can be used with particles: 차를 marks tea as the object, while 차도 means “tea too.” Example: 차를 마셔요. — “I drink tea.” 도 is an additive particle meaning “also” or “too.” It follows the noun or other phrase being added, so 차도 presents tea as an additional possibility. Example: 물도 주세요. — “Please give me water too.” 가져갈까요? comes from 가져가다, meaning “to take” or, in this context, “to bring,” plus the polite question ending -ㄹ까요?. The ending can ask whether the speaker should do something or invite consideration of an action; here, the fixed translation identifies the meaning as “Should I bring...?” The object is omitted from this verb phrase but is understood from 차도: the speaker is asking about bringing tea. Example: 제가 책을 가져갈까요? — “Shall I bring the book?” Together, 차도 means “tea too,” and 가져갈까요? asks “Should I bring it?” The complete utterance is therefore “Should I bring tea too?” It adds tea as another item under consideration, without asserting that the earlier snack was being brought.

8. 차도 좋겠어요.

   Tea would be nice too.

   차도

   tea too

   좋겠어요

   would be nice

   More detail

   차도 means “tea too” here. 차 is the noun “tea,” and 도 is a particle meaning “also/too”; it marks tea as an additional item. The previous sentence also mentions bringing tea, but this sentence itself simply presents tea as an additional desirable option. 좋겠어요 comes from 좋다 (“to be good/nice”) plus -겠어요. In this sentence, -겠어요 presents the situation as desirable or as something that would be nice, giving the natural meaning “would be nice.” 좋겠어요 is polite. The same ending can have other functions in other contexts, so its exact meaning depends on the surrounding sentence. Example: 비가 오면 좋겠어요. — “It would be nice if it rained.” Here, 좋겠어요 again expresses a desirable situation. Together, 차도 (“tea too”) and 좋겠어요 (“would be nice”) produce: “Tea would be nice too.”