Fixing a Light Problem | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 불이 안 켜져요.

   The light does not work.

   불이

   the light

   안

   not

   켜져요

   turns on; is on

   More detail

   불이 means “the light” here. 불 can refer to a flame or a light, and the fixed translation selects the light-related meaning. The particle 이 marks 불 as the subject of the following predicate. Example: 불이 밝아요. — “The light is bright.” 안 is placed before the predicate to make a negative statement. Here it negates 켜져요, so the sentence says that the light does not turn on or is not coming on. 안 is a common everyday negator; it is not part of the verb itself. 켜져요 is the polite present form of 켜지다. In this use, 켜지다 describes a light or device becoming switched on or being on, rather than a person actively switching something on. The related verb 켜다 is transitive: 불을 켜요. means “I turn on the light,” while 불이 켜져요. means “The light turns on/is on.” The observed form 켜져요 does not identify who tried to turn the light on. As a reusable pattern, N이/가 안 V-어요 can mean “N does not V” or “N will not V,” with the exact English phrasing depending on the verb. Example: 컴퓨터가 안 켜져요. — “The computer won’t turn on.” Putting the parts together, 불이 identifies the light as the subject, 안 negates the predicate, and 켜져요 describes its failure to turn on. The whole utterance therefore means “The light does not work,” in the intended sense that it is not coming on. This is a polite, everyday statement.

2. 스위치를 확인했어요?

   Did you check the switch?

   스위치

   switch

   확인했어요?

   Did you check?

   More detail

   스위치 is a noun meaning “switch.” It is a loanword used for a switch or switch control. In the utterance, it appears as 스위치를: 를 is the object particle attached to the noun, marking the switch as what is being checked. Korean may omit an object particle in some conversational contexts, but it is present here. 확인했어요? comes from 확인하다, “to check” or “to confirm.” A useful form chain is 확인하다 → 확인해요 (polite present) → 확인했어요 (polite past). The 했- part marks a completed past action, and -어요 gives a polite everyday style. The same form can be a statement or a question; here the question mark and intonation make it a question. The subject is not written in Korean, while the fixed translation identifies it as “you.” Example: 문을 확인했어요? — “Did you check the door?” This uses the same pattern with a different object. Together, 스위치를 marks “the switch” as the object, and 확인했어요? asks whether the listener checked it. The whole utterance means “Did you check the switch?”

3. 확인했는데, 아직도 안 켜져요.

   I checked it, and it still does not work.

   확인했는데

   checked it, and

   아직도

   still

   안

   not

   켜져요

   turns on

   More detail

   확인했는데 comes from 확인하다, “to check” or “to confirm.” The observed form 확인했- marks a completed past action, and -는데 connects that action to what follows, often with a contrast such as “but” or a continuing situation such as “and.” Here it means that the speaker checked it, referring to the item being discussed, without changing the source wording. 아직도 means “still”: the situation continues at the relevant time. Compare 아직 (“still/yet”) with 아직도, which more strongly emphasizes that the situation remains unchanged. 안 is a short negator placed directly before the predicate. It makes the following action or state negative. Here it negates 켜져요, rather than meaning “not” as part of the preceding check. 켜져요 is the polite present form of 켜지다, “to turn on” or “to become switched on.” 켜지다 describes something coming on or being switched on, while 켜다 means “to turn something on,” with a person or other agent performing the action. For example, 불이 켜져요 means “The light turns on” or “The light comes on.” Together, 확인했는데 + 아직도 + 안 + 켜져요 means: “I checked it, and it still does not work.” More literally, the latter part says that it still does not come on. The connective links the completed check with the continuing negative result, and the polite ending makes the utterance suitable for ordinary polite conversation.

4. 전구가 오래됐을지도 몰라요.

   Maybe the bulb is old.

   전구

   light bulb

   오래됐

   is old

   을지도 몰라요

   might be

   More detail

   전구 means “light bulb.” It is a noun, and 가 marks it as the subject of the clause. Korean subject markers are 이 after a consonant and 가 after a vowel; 전구 ends in a vowel sound, so 가 is used here. 오래됐 comes from 오래되다, “to become/be old.” In this sentence, it describes the bulb as old. The form 오래됐다 is the plain ending, while 오래됐어요 is the polite form; before the possibility construction, the form appears as 오래됐을. 을지도 몰라요 is a polite possibility pattern meaning “might” or “may.” It follows a verb or descriptive form; 을 is used here because the preceding form ends in a consonant. In this pattern, 몰라요 contributes uncertainty rather than its ordinary standalone meaning “does not know.” For example, 비가 올지도 몰라요 means “It might rain.” Together, 전구가 identifies the light bulb as the subject, 오래됐 describes it as old, and 을지도 몰라요 presents that description as uncertain. The complete meaning is: “Maybe the bulb is old.”

5. 지금 방이 너무 어두워요.

   The room is too dark now.

   지금

   now

   방

   room

   너무

   too; excessively

   어두워요

   is dark

   More detail

   지금 means “now” and places the situation at the present time. It is an adverb, so it does not change for person or number. Example: 지금 와요. — “I’m coming now.” 방 means “room.” It is a noun and can be used with a particle when its role needs to be marked: 방이 커요. — “The room is big.” Here, 이 marks 방 as the subject. 너무 means “too” or “excessively” in this sentence. It modifies the following description and shows that the darkness is beyond a suitable or comfortable degree. Example: 커피가 너무 뜨거워요. — “The coffee is too hot.” 어두워요 means “is dark” here. Its base form is 어둡다 (“to be dark”), and 어두워요 is the polite present form used as a predicate. 어둡다 is a ㅂ-irregular descriptive verb: before the vowel ending -어요, the form becomes 어두워요, not *어둡어요*. Example: 밖이 어두워요. — “It is dark outside.” Together, 방이 너무 어두워요 means “the room is too dark”: 방 is the subject, 너무 increases the degree of 어두워요, and 지금 adds the present-time setting. The complete utterance therefore means “The room is too dark now.”

6. 작은 램프를 가져올 수 있어요.

   I can bring a small lamp.

   작은

   small

   램프

   lamp

   가져올

   bring

   수 있어요

   can; be able to

   More detail

   작은 means “small” here and describes the noun 램프 that follows it. Its base form is 작다; before a noun, this adjective appears as 작은: 작은 램프 = “a small lamp.” For comparison, 더 작은 means “smaller,” while 가장 작은 means “the smallest.” 램프 is a noun meaning “lamp.” It is a loanword used for a lamp or light. Example: 큰 램프 means “a large lamp.” 가져올 comes from the verb 가져오다, “to bring.” The base verb combines 가져오- with -ㄹ to form 가져올, the form used before 수 in the ability pattern. Example: 물을 가져올 수 있어요. means “I can bring water.” 수 있어요 completes the pattern verb-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요, meaning that someone can or is able to do the action. Here, 가져올 수 있어요 means “can bring.” The subject is understood from the fixed translation as “I,” although Korean commonly leaves such a subject unstated when it is clear from context. The polite ending -어요 makes the statement polite. Together, 작은 램프 (“a small lamp”) is the object, and 가져올 수 있어요 (“can bring”) expresses the speaker’s ability. The whole utterance means, “I can bring a small lamp.”

7. 나중에 전구를 바꿔야 해요.

   We should change the bulb later.

   나중에

   later

   전구

   light bulb

   바꿔야 해요

   need to change

   More detail

   나중에 means “later” here. It is an adverb, so it gives the time of the action without changing form. For example, 나중에 만나요 means “See you later.” 전구 means “light bulb.” The object marker 를 follows it in 전구를, marking the bulb as what is changed. 전구 is a noun; it is not the word for the whole lamp (램프). 바꿔야 해요 expresses that changing is necessary: “need to change” or, in the fixed translation, “should change.” Its base verb is 바꾸다 (“to change”); 바꾸어야 contracts to 바꿔야. The pattern -아/어야 하다 means “must/need to do,” and its polite form here is 해야 해요, with 하다 appearing as 해요. Together, 전구를 바꿔야 해요 means “need to change the bulb.” Korean does not state the subject in this sentence; the fixed translation identifies the intended subject as “we.” Adding 나중에 places that necessary change later: “We should change the bulb later.”

8. 전구를 바꿀 때까지 램프를 사용하세요.

   Use the lamp until we replace it.

   전구

   bulb

   바꿀

   will change / change to be done

   때까지

   until the time when

   램프

   lamp

   사용하세요

   please use

   More detail

   전구 means “bulb,” specifically the bulb being replaced in the supplied context. It is a noun. Example: 전구가 나갔어요. — “The bulb went out.” 바꿀 is the modifier form of 바꾸다, “to change” or “to replace.” Here it modifies 때, giving 바꿀 때 (“the time when [someone] changes/replaces [it]”). The form -ㄹ marks a prospective or not-yet-completed action in this construction; it does not itself state who will perform the action. The fixed translation and preceding context support “we replace it.” 때까지 combines 때 (“time”) with 까지 (“until/up to”), producing the reusable pattern V-(으)ㄹ 때까지 — “until [someone] does V.” Example: 친구가 올 때까지 기다리세요. — “Please wait until my friend comes.” 램프 is the noun “lamp.” Example: 램프를 켜세요. — “Please turn on the lamp.” 사용하세요 comes from 사용하다, “to use,” with the polite request/command ending -세요. It means “please use” here. The ending is attached to the verb stem: 사용하- + -세요 → 사용하세요. Example: 이 의자를 사용하세요. — “Please use this chair.” Together, 전구를 바꿀 때까지 means “until we replace the bulb,” with 전구를 marking the bulb as the object of 바꾸다. 램프를 사용하세요 means “please use the lamp,” with 램프를 marking the lamp as the object of 사용하다. In the source order, the complete utterance is therefore: “Please use the lamp until we replace it.”