About This Lesson
Use Fresh Air During a Work Break to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
책상에 앉아 있는데 피곤해요.
chek-SSAHNG-eh AHN-jah een-neun-deh pee-gon-HAE-yoh. I feel tired at my desk.
B
잠깐 창문을 열어요.
jahm-KKAHN chahng-MOO-neul YUH-ruh-yoh. Let's open the window for a moment.
A
신선한 공기가 필요해요.
sheen-SUN-han gong-GEE-gah pee-RYOH-hae-yoh. I need some fresh air.
B
밖의 공기가 시원해요.
pah-KKEH gong-GEE-gah shee-WON-hae-yoh. The air outside feels cool.
A
창문 옆에서 쉬어도 돼요?
chahng-MOON YUH-peh-suh shwee-UH-doh DWAH-yoh? Can we rest by the window?
B
여기서 잠깐 쉴 수 있어요.
yuh-GEE-suh jahm-KKAHN shweel SSOO ee-SSUH-yoh. We can take a short break here.
A
이제 덜 피곤해요.
ee-JEH duhl pee-gon-HAE-yoh. I feel less tired now.
B
곧 일하러 돌아가요.
gohn-NEEL-hah-ruh doh-rah-GAH-yoh. Let's go back to work soon.Word by Word
책상
책상 means “desk” in 책상에 앉아 있는데, referring to the desk where the speaker is sitting. It is used before a location marker when describing a position or activity at a desk. You would use 책상 when talking about sitting or working at a desk.
에
에 marks 책상 as the place where the speaker is seated in 책상에 앉아 있는데. Here it means “at” or “on,” depending on the location expression. It is commonly attached to a place noun before a verb of position or movement.
앉아
앉아 means “sitting” in 책상에 앉아 있는데, describing the speaker’s seated state. It appears before 있는데 to connect that current situation with 피곤해요. You can use 앉아 when describing someone being seated before another part of a sentence.
있는데
있는데 presents the situation of being or sitting in 책상에 앉아 있는데 before the speaker says 피곤해요. In this sentence, the whole expression means “while I am sitting at my desk” or “I am sitting at my desk, and…”. It is useful for giving a current situation before adding an explanation or result.
피곤해요
피곤해요 means “I feel tired” in 책상에 앉아 있는데 피곤해요. It describes the speaker’s current state after the preceding situation. You can use 피곤해요 to tell someone that you are tired in everyday conversation.
잠깐
잠깐 means “for a moment” in 잠깐 창문을 열어요, showing that the action will be brief. It comes before the action it limits here, 열어요. You can use 잠깐 before an action when asking or suggesting that something happen briefly.
창문
창문 means “window” in 창문을 열어요. It is the thing that B suggests opening. You can use 창문 when talking about opening, closing, or looking through a window.
을
을 marks 창문 as the object of 열어요 in 창문을 열어요. The whole phrase means “open the window,” with 을 showing what is opened. It is used after an object noun before an action that affects that object.
열어요
열어요 means “open” in 잠깐 창문을 열어요. Here it expresses B’s suggestion that the window be opened briefly. You can use 열어요 when telling or suggesting that someone open something in a polite way.
신선한
신선한 means “fresh” and directly describes 공기 in 신선한 공기가 필요해요. The phrase 신선한 공기 means “fresh air,” which A says is needed. You can place 신선한 before a noun when describing something as fresh.
공기
공기 means “air” in 신선한 공기가 필요해요. It is the thing that the speaker needs, together with 신선한 and 필요해요. You can use 공기 when talking about the air in a room or outside.
가
가 marks 공기 as the grammatical subject in 신선한 공기가 필요해요. The whole phrase means that fresh air is needed. It is used after the noun being presented as the subject of a state or description.
필요해요
필요해요 means “need” or “be necessary” in 신선한 공기가 필요해요. In this sentence, it says that fresh air is necessary for the speaker. You can use it after a needed thing, as in the structure shown by 신선한 공기가 필요해요.
밖
밖 means “outside” in 밖의 공기가 시원해요. With 의, it describes the air as the air outside. You can use 밖 when referring to an outdoor place or something located outside.
의
의 links 밖 and 공기 in 밖의 공기, meaning “the air outside.” It gives the first noun a describing or possessive relationship to the second noun. A common reuse pattern is one noun followed by 의 and another noun to describe their relationship.
시원해요
시원해요 describes the air in 밖의 공기가 시원해요 as cool and refreshing. Here it gives B’s impression of the outside air after the window is opened. You can use 시원해요 when describing pleasantly cool air or another refreshing feeling.
옆
옆 means “side” or “next to” in 창문 옆에서 쉬어도 돼요?, referring to the area next to the window. The expression 창문 옆 means “beside the window.” You can use 옆 after a noun to identify a nearby position.
에서
에서 marks 창문 옆 as the place where the resting happens in 창문 옆에서 쉬어도 돼요?. The whole phrase means “rest beside the window.” It is commonly used after a place expression before an action that takes place there.
쉬어
쉬어 means “rest” in 쉬어도 돼요?, where it is followed by 도 in a permission question. The whole expression 쉬어도 돼요? asks whether resting is allowed. You can use this form when asking politely if you may rest.
도
도 in 쉬어도 돼요? forms part of the permission expression meaning “Is it okay to rest?” It connects 쉬어 with 돼요 so that the action is presented for approval. You can recognize its use in the exact question 쉬어도 돼요? when asking permission to do something.
돼요
돼요 means “is okay” or “is allowed” in 쉬어도 돼요?. Together with 쉬어도, it makes a polite question about permission to rest. You can use 돼요? at the end of a similar permission question in everyday conversation.
여기
여기 means “here” in 여기서 잠깐 쉴 수 있어요, identifying the speaker’s current place. With 서, 여기서 means “here” as the place where the break can happen. You can use 여기 when pointing out or referring to the place where you are.
서
서 in 여기서 marks 여기 as the place where the action occurs. In 여기서 잠깐 쉴 수 있어요, the whole expression means “can rest here.” It is useful in the pattern 여기서 followed by an action to say what happens at this place.
쉴
쉴 supplies the meaning “rest” before 수 in 쉴 수 있어요. The whole expression 쉴 수 있어요 means “can rest,” describing the possibility of taking a short break. You can use 쉴 before this ability expression when talking about being able to rest.
수
수 in 쉴 수 있어요 expresses possibility or ability. Together with 쉴 and 있어요, it makes the meaning “can rest,” rather than simply naming a kind of rest. This construction is useful when saying that an action is possible or someone is able to do it.
있어요
있어요 completes the ability expression in 쉴 수 있어요 and means “can” or “be able to” in this context. It follows 수 to say that resting is possible here. You can use it in the same kind of expression when stating that an action can be done.
이제
이제 means “now” or “by now” in 이제 덜 피곤해요. It marks the speaker’s condition after taking a short break, contrasting with being tired earlier. You can use 이제 before a current state when something has changed by this point.
덜
덜 means “less” in 덜 피곤해요, showing that the speaker is not as tired as before. It comes before 피곤해요 to reduce the degree of that state. You can use 덜 before a description when comparing a current amount or degree with an earlier one.
곧
곧 means “soon” in 곧 일하러 돌아가요, indicating that the return to work will happen in the near future. It comes before the action or movement expression. You can use 곧 when referring to something expected to happen shortly.
일하러
일하러 means “to work” or “for the purpose of working” in 일하러 돌아가요. It shows the purpose of the return: B is going back in order to work. A common reuse pattern is an activity expression followed by a movement verb to state the purpose of going or returning.
돌아가요
돌아가요 means “go back” or “return” in 일하러 돌아가요. Here it describes returning to work after the short break. You can use 돌아가요 when someone moves back to a previous place or activity.
Grammar Points
V-아/어도 돼요?
여기서 쉬어도 돼요?
yuh-GEE-suh shwee-UH-doh DWAH-yoh?May we rest here?
Attach -아/어도 돼요 to ask for or give permission to do something.
V-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요
여기서 쉴 수 있어요.
yuh-GEE-suh shweel SSOO ee-SSUH-yoh.We can rest here.
Use -(으)ㄹ 수 있어요 to express ability or possibility.
Korean Vocabulary
공기
noun
gong-GEE
air
공기가
신선한 공기가 필요해요.
밖
noun
PAHK
outside
밖의
밖의 공기가 시원해요.
시원하다
adj
shee-WON-hah-dah
to be cool; refreshing
시원해요
밖의 공기가 시원해요.
신선하다
adj
sheen-SUN-hah-dah
to be fresh
신선한
신선한 공기가 필요해요.
앉다
verb
AHN-ttah
to sit
앉아
책상에 앉아 있는데 피곤해요.
열다
verb
YUHL-dah
to open
열어요
잠깐 창문을 열어요.
옆
noun
YUHPP
side; next to
옆에서
창문 옆에서 쉬어도 돼요?
잠깐
adv
jahm-KKAHN
for a moment; briefly
잠깐 창문을 열어요.
창문
noun
chahng-MOON
window
창문을
잠깐 창문을 열어요.
책상
noun
chek-SSAHNG
desk
책상에
책상에 앉아 있는데 피곤해요.
피곤하다
adj
pee-GON-hah-dah
to be tired
피곤해요
책상에 앉아 있는데 피곤해요.
필요하다
adj
pee-RYOH-hah-dah
to be needed; to need
필요해요
신선한 공기가 필요해요.
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
I feel tired at my desk.
Show Answer
책상에 앉아 있는데 피곤해요.Let's open the window for a moment.
Show Answer
잠깐 창문을 열어요.I need some fresh air.
Show Answer
신선한 공기가 필요해요.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to be tired
Show Answer
피곤해요to be needed; to need
Show Answer
필요해요to be cool; refreshing
Show Answer
시원해요for a moment; briefly