About This Lesson
Use Finding a Quiet Place for a Break to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
우리 어디에서 쉴 수 있어요?
oo-REE uh-dee-eh-soh shweel soo ee-SUH-yoh? Where can we take a break?
B
복도에 조용한 곳이 있어요.
pohk-DOH-eh joh-YONG-han goh-shi ee-SUH-yoh. There's a quiet spot in the hall.
A
거기에 벤치가 있어요?
guh-GEE-eh BEN-chee-gah ee-SUH-yoh? Is there a bench there?
B
벽 옆에 하나 있어요.
byuhg yuh-peh hah-NAH ee-SUH-yoh. There is one by the wall.
A
저는 앉아서 쉬고 싶어요.
juh-NEUN an-JAH-suh shwee-goh shee-PUH-yoh. I want to sit and rest.
B
우리 거기 같이 앉아요.
oo-REE guh-GEE GAH-chee an-JAH-yoh. Let's sit there together.
A
여기는 조용한 것 같아요.
yuh-GEE-neun joh-YONG-han guht KKAHT-tah-yoh. This spot feels quiet.
B
여기는 잠깐 쉬기에 좋은 곳이에요.
yuh-GEE-neun jahm-KKAN shwee-gee-eh joh-EUN goh-shi-eh-yoh. This is a good place for a short break.Word by Word
우리
In 우리 어디에서 쉴 수 있어요?, 우리 means “we,” referring to the speaker and listener together. In 우리 거기 같이 앉아요, it helps make the meaning “let’s,” presenting a shared suggestion. It is useful when talking about an action involving the speaker and other people.
어디에서
어디에서 asks where the action takes place in 우리 어디에서 쉴 수 있어요? 에서 marks the location of the action, so the question asks where they can take a break. A common reuse pattern is 어디에서 followed by an action.
쉴
쉴 means “rest” or “take a break” in 쉴 수 있어요. This is the form of 쉬다 used before 수 in the possibility expression 쉴 수 있어요, which means “can rest.” The reusable pattern is an action form followed by 수 있어요.
수
In 쉴 수 있어요, 수 expresses possibility or ability, while the whole expression means “can rest.” It does not mean “can” by itself; the preceding action and 있어요 complete the construction. A common reuse pattern is an action followed by 수 있어요.
있어요
In 쉴 수 있어요, 있어요 completes the expression meaning “can rest.” In 조용한 곳이 있어요 and 벤치가 있어요?, it means that something exists or asks whether it exists. A useful reuse pattern is a place or thing followed by 있어요.
복도에
복도에 means “in the hallway” in 복도에 조용한 곳이 있어요. 에 marks the location where the quiet place exists. A common reuse pattern is a location followed by 에 and 있어요 when saying that something is there.
조용한
조용한 means “quiet” and directly describes 곳 in 조용한 곳. It is the form of 조용하다 used before a noun. It is useful for describing a quiet place, room, or other setting.
곳이
곳이 means “a place” or “a spot” as the subject in 조용한 곳이 있어요. 이 marks the place as the thing that exists. A common reuse pattern is a place followed by 이 or 가 and 있어요.
거기에
거기에 means “there” in 거기에 벤치가 있어요? and points to the location being asked about. 에 marks there as the place where the bench may exist. It is useful when asking whether something is located at a particular place.
벤치가
벤치가 means “a bench” as the subject in 벤치가 있어요? The question asks whether a bench exists at the place already mentioned. A common reuse pattern is a thing followed by 이 or 가 and 있어요 to ask whether it is there.
벽
벽 means “wall” in 벽 옆에 하나 있어요. It names the reference point for locating the bench. It is useful with a location expression that says something is beside the wall.
옆에
옆에 means “beside” or “next to” in 벽 옆에 하나 있어요. It places the bench in relation to the wall. A common reuse pattern is a reference noun followed by 옆에.
하나
하나 means “one” in 하나 있어요 and refers to one bench without repeating 벤치. Here it identifies the single bench located by the wall. It is useful when counting one item or referring to one previously mentioned item.
저는
저는 means “I” as the topic in 저는 앉아서 쉬고 싶어요. 는 presents the speaker as the person expressing the desire. A common reuse pattern is 저는 followed by a statement about the speaker’s intention or condition.
앉아서
앉아서 contributes “sit” in 앉아서 쉬고 싶어요 and connects sitting with resting. It presents sitting as part of the action the speaker wants to do. The form 앉다 changes to 앉아서 before the following action in this expression.
쉬고
In 쉬고 싶어요, 쉬고 supplies the action “rest” for the desire expression. The whole phrase means “want to rest,” rather than 쉬고 alone meaning “want to.” A common reuse pattern is an action followed by 고 싶어요.
싶어요
싶어요 expresses desire for the action before it in 쉬고 싶어요, so the whole phrase means “want to rest.” It is useful when politely stating what the speaker wants to do. A common reuse pattern is an action followed by 고 싶어요.
거기
거기 means “there” in 거기 같이 앉아요 and points to the place where the speakers should sit. Together with 같이 앉아요, it forms a polite suggestion to sit there together. It is useful when directing someone to a place already known in the conversation.
같이
같이 means “together” in 거기 같이 앉아요 and shows that the speaker wants to sit with the other person. It is commonly placed before the action that people will do together. Here it supports the shared suggestion to sit.
앉아요
In 우리 거기 같이 앉아요, 앉아요 makes a polite suggestion meaning “let’s sit.” The surrounding words show that the suggested action is sitting there together. It is useful for making a friendly suggestion about sitting.
여기는
여기는 means “here” or “this place” as the topic in 여기는 조용한 것 같아요 and 여기는 잠깐 쉬기에 좋은 곳이에요. 는 marks this place as what the speaker is describing. A common reuse pattern is 여기는 followed by a description or evaluation of the place.
것
In 조용한 것 같아요, 것 is part of the expression used to present the description as an impression. The whole phrase means “seems quiet” or “feels quiet,” not simply “quiet thing.” A common reuse pattern is an adjective followed by 것 같아요 when giving an impression.
같아요
In 조용한 것 같아요, 같아요 completes the expression meaning “seems” or “feels,” so the speaker gives a gentle impression that the place is quiet. The whole construction is used when the speaker is not presenting the description as a firm statement. It is useful for politely expressing an impression.
잠깐
잠깐 means “briefly” or “for a short time” in 잠깐 쉬기에 좋은 곳이에요. It limits the intended rest to a short break. It is useful when an action is meant to last only a little while.
쉬기에
쉬기에 means “for resting” or “for taking a break” in 쉬기에 좋은 곳이에요. It identifies resting as the activity for which the place is suitable. The reusable pattern is an action followed by 기에 좋은 곳이에요.
좋은
좋은 means “good” in 좋은 곳이에요 and describes the place as suitable for a short break. It is the form of 좋다 used before the noun 곳. A common reuse pattern is 좋은 followed by a noun being evaluated positively.
곳이에요
곳이에요 completes 좋은 곳이에요, meaning “it is a good place.” In this dialogue, the place is evaluated as suitable for a short break. A common reuse pattern is a description followed by 곳이에요 when identifying or evaluating a place.
Grammar Points
N에 있어요
벤치는 벽 옆에 있어요.
BEN-chee-neun byuhg yuh-peh ee-SUH-yoh.The bench is next to the wall.
에 marks a location, and 있어요 means something exists or is located there.
V-아서
저는 벤치에 앉아서 잠깐 쉴 것 같아요.
juh-NEUN BEN-chee-eh an-JAH-suh jahm-KKAN shweel guht KKAHT-tah-yoh.I think I will sit on the bench and rest for a while.
아서 connects actions in sequence: 앉아서 means “sit and then,” or “while sitting.”
Korean Vocabulary
거기
adv
guh-GEE
there
곳
noun
goht
place; spot
벤치
noun
BEN-chee
bench
벽
noun
byuhk
wall
복도
noun
pohk-DOH
hallway
복도에
어디
adv
uh-DEE
where
옆
noun
yuhp
side; next to
우리
pron
oo-REE
we; us; our
있다
verb
eet-TTAH
to exist; to be
있어요
저
pron
juh
I; me
저는
조용하다
adj
joh-YONG-hah-dah
to be quiet
조용한
하나
num
hah-NAH
one
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
Where can we take a break?
Show Answer
우리 어디에서 쉴 수 있어요?There's a quiet spot in the hall.
Show Answer
복도에 조용한 곳이 있어요.Is there a bench there?
Show Answer
거기에 벤치가 있어요?Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to be quiet
Show Answer
조용한to exist; to be
Show Answer
있어요there
Show Answer
거기I; me