About This Lesson
Use Taking a Short Break to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
저는 피곤해요.
juh-nun pee-GOHN-hae-yo. I feel tired.
B
우리 잠깐 쉬어요.
oo-ree jahm-KKAN shwee-uh-yo. Let's take a short break.
A
이 의자는 비어 있나요?
ee ee-JAH-nun bee-uh in-NAH-yo? Is this chair free?
B
여기에 앉아도 돼요.
yuh-gee-eh ahn-jah-doe DWEH-yo. You can sit here.
A
쉬는 시간에 먹을 작은 간식을 가져왔어요.
shwee-nun shee-GAHN-eh muh-GUL jah-GUN gan-SHEE-gul ga-juh-WASS-uh-yo. I brought a small snack for the break.
B
물을 좀 가져올게요.
mool johm ga-juh-ohl-KKEH-yo. I'll get some water.
A
여기는 조용한 것 같아요.
yuh-gee-nun joh-YONG-han guht KKA-ta-yo. This place feels quiet.
B
그럼 우리 여기서 잠깐 쉴 수 있어요.
guh-rum oo-ree yuh-gee-suh jahm-KKAN shweel soo ee-ssuh-yo. Then we can rest here for a bit.Word by Word
저는
In '저는 피곤해요', 저는 means I as the topic of the sentence. It is 저 with the topic marker 는. Use it when introducing your own state or action, as in this line.
피곤해요
In '저는 피곤해요', 피곤해요 means feel tired or am tired. It is the polite form used to describe the speaker's condition. Use it to tell someone that you need rest.
우리
In '우리 잠깐 쉬어요', 우리 means we or us and includes the speaker and the listener. It introduces a shared action. Use 우리 before a suggested action when proposing that you do something together.
잠깐
In '우리 잠깐 쉬어요', 잠깐 means for a short while. It limits the break to a brief period. Use it before an action when you want to suggest doing it briefly.
쉬어요
In '우리 잠깐 쉬어요', 쉬어요 means take a rest or take a break. It is the polite form of 쉬다 used in a suggestion with 우리. Use it when proposing a short rest.
이
In '이 의자는 비어 있나요?', 이 means this and points to the chair near the speaker. It comes before the noun it describes. Use 이 before a nearby object when identifying it.
의자는
In '이 의자는 비어 있나요?', 의자는 means the chair as the topic of the question. It combines 의자, chair, with the topic marker 는. Use it to ask or comment about a particular chair.
비어
In '비어 있나요?', 비어 contributes the idea of being empty. Together with 있나요, it describes whether the chair remains empty and therefore available. Use this form when checking whether a place or seat is unoccupied.
있나요
In '비어 있나요?', 있나요 turns the preceding description into a polite question. Here, the question asks whether the chair is free. Use it after a statement when asking politely about a current state.
여기에
In '여기에 앉아도 돼요', 여기에 means here or to this place and identifies where the person would sit. It marks the place connected with the action. Use it when directing an action toward a particular place.
앉아도
In '앉아도 돼요', 앉아도 provides the action of sitting that is being considered. Together with 돼요, it asks whether sitting is allowed. Use this form when asking permission to sit.
돼요
In '앉아도 돼요', 돼요 means is okay or is allowed. Together with 앉아도, it completes the polite permission question. Use it to ask whether an action is acceptable.
쉬는
In '쉬는 시간에', 쉬는 describes the time as connected with resting or taking a break. It is the form of 쉬다 placed before 시간. Use it before 시간 when referring to break time.
시간에
In '쉬는 시간에', 시간에 means during the time and marks when the snack is intended to be eaten. It combines 시간, time, with 에. Use 에 after a time expression to show when something happens.
먹을
In '먹을 작은 간식', 먹을 means to eat or intended for eating and describes the snack. It tells what the snack is for. Use this form before a noun when identifying something intended to be eaten.
작은
In '작은 간식을 가져왔어요', 작은 means small and describes the size of the snack. It is placed before the noun 간식. Use it before a noun when describing something as small.
간식을
In '작은 간식을 가져왔어요', 간식을 means snack as the object that was brought. It combines 간식, snack, with the object marker 을. Use it when identifying a snack as the thing involved in an action.
가져왔어요
In '간식을 가져왔어요', 가져왔어요 means brought, with the completed action of bringing something to the current place. It is the polite form of 가져오다. Use it after an object when telling someone that you brought it.
물을
In '물을 좀 가져올게요', 물을 means water as the object of 가져올게요. It combines 물, water, with the object marker 을. Use it when saying that water is the thing you will get or bring.
좀
In '물을 좀 가져올게요', 좀 means some or a little and indicates an unspecified small amount of water. It comes before the action phrase. Use it when referring to a modest or unspecified amount.
가져올게요
In '물을 좀 가져올게요', 가져올게요 means I will get or bring it. It expresses the speaker's intention or offer to bring something to the current place. Use it after an object when offering to fetch it.
여기는
In '여기는 조용한 것 같아요', 여기는 means this place or here as the topic. It combines 여기, here, with the topic marker 는. Use it when giving an impression about the place where you are.
조용한
In '조용한 것 같아요', 조용한 means quiet and describes the quality being judged. It appears before 것 in this expression. Use it before a noun or noun-like expression when describing something as quiet.
것
In '조용한 것 같아요', 것 helps turn the description 조용한 into the content of an impression. Together with 같아요, the expression means seems or feels quiet. Use this construction when presenting an observation as an impression rather than a firm statement.
같아요
In '조용한 것 같아요', 같아요 means seems or feels like and shows that the speaker is giving an impression. It follows the description and 것 in this construction. Use it when you want to state how something appears to you.
그럼
In '그럼 우리 여기서 잠깐 쉴 수 있어요', 그럼 means then or in that case. It connects the next suggestion to the quiet surroundings mentioned before. Use it when responding to information and proposing what follows.
여기서
In '우리 여기서 잠깐 쉴 수 있어요', 여기서 means here or at this place and marks where the resting will happen. It combines 여기, here, with 서 for the location of an action. Use it when stating where an action takes place.
쉴
In '쉴 수 있어요', 쉴 means to rest and supplies the action in the possibility expression. It is the form of 쉬다 used before 수. Use it before 수 when saying that resting is possible.
수
In '쉴 수 있어요', 수 expresses possibility or ability as part of the construction with 쉴 and 있어요. It does not mean that the speaker is holding a separate object here. Use this pattern to say that an action can be done.
있어요
In '쉴 수 있어요', 있어요 completes the possibility expression and makes it mean can rest or are able to rest. Together with 쉴 수, it states that resting is possible here. Use it after 수 when saying that an action is possible.
Grammar Points
V-아/어도 되다
여기 앉아도 돼요?
yuh-gee ahn-jah-doe DWEH-yo?May I sit here?
Attach 아/어도 되다 to a verb to ask for or give permission.
A-(으)ㄴ 것 같다
조용한 것 같아요.
joh-YONG-han guht KKA-ta-yo.It seems quiet.
Attach -(으)ㄴ 것 같다 to an adjective to say that something seems a certain way.
Korean Vocabulary
비어 있다
phrase
bee-uh eet-ttah
to be empty; to be unoccupied
비어 있나요
이 의자는 비어 있나요?
쉬는 시간
phrase
shwee-nun shee-gahn
break time
쉬는 시간에 먹을 작은 간식을 가져왔어요.
쉬다
verb
shwee-dah
to rest; to take a break
쉬어요
우리 잠깐 쉬어요.
아/어도 되다
phrase
ah/uh-doe dweh-dah
may; be allowed to
앉아도 돼요
여기에 앉아도 돼요.
앉다
verb
ahn-ttah
to sit
앉아도
여기에 앉아도 돼요.
여기
adv
yuh-gee
here
여기에 앉아도 돼요.
우리
pron
oo-ree
we; us
우리 잠깐 쉬어요.
의자
noun
ee-jah
chair
의자는
이 의자는 비어 있나요?
이
det
ee
this
이 의자는 비어 있나요?
작다
adj
jahk-ttah
to be small
작은
작은 간식
잠깐
adv
jahm-kkan
for a moment; briefly
우리 잠깐 쉬어요.
피곤하다
adj
pee-gohn-ha-dah
to be tired
피곤해요
저는 피곤해요.
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
I feel tired.
Show Answer
저는 피곤해요.Let's take a short break.
Show Answer
우리 잠깐 쉬어요.Is this chair free?
Show Answer
이 의자는 비어 있나요?Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to be tired
Show Answer
피곤해요to rest; to take a break
Show Answer
쉬어요we; us
Show Answer
우리for a moment; briefly