Preparing for Cold Weather | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 밖이 추워요.

   It feels cold outside.

   밖이

   outside

   추워요

   is cold

   More detail

   밖이 means “outside” with the subject marker 이. 밖 is a noun meaning the outside or outdoors. 이 is used after a noun ending in a consonant; after a vowel, the corresponding subject marker is 가. Here, 밖이 presents the outdoors as the thing described as cold. 추워요 is the polite present form of 춥다, “to be cold.” 춥다 is a descriptive verb: Korean uses it as the predicate for a state such as cold weather or a cold environment. Its stem changes before this ending: 춥다 → 추워요. This is a useful ㅂ-irregular pattern. Example: 오늘은 추워요. — “It’s cold today.” Together, 밖이 추워요 means “It feels cold outside” or more literally, “Outside is cold.” The sentence uses 밖이 as the subject and 추워요 as the polite description of its temperature or condition.

2. 목도리를 하세요.

   Wear your scarf.

   목도리

   scarf

   하세요

   please wear/do

   More detail

   목도리 means “scarf.” It is a noun. In the utterance, 목도리를 하다 is the reusable expression for wearing a scarf; Korean uses 하다 (“do”) in this clothing-related expression rather than a separate verb meaning “wear.” The ending 를 marks 목도리 as the object of the action. 하세요 is the polite request form of 하다 (“do”). Its base form is 하다; 하세요 is used when politely telling or asking the listener to do something. Here, the surrounding noun construction gives it the specific meaning “wear [it],” while the person being addressed is understood rather than stated. The form is polite and does not itself identify the listener by name or number. Together, 목도리를 하세요 means “Wear your scarf.” The pattern N을/를 하세요 can be reused with clothing-related expressions formed with 하다, with the noun taking the object marker 을 or 를 according to its final sound. In this context, the sentence is a polite instruction to put on a scarf, fitting the cold-weather situation.

3. 저는 장갑도 필요해요?

   Do I need gloves too?

   저는

   as for me; I

   장갑

   gloves

   도

   too; also

   필요해요?

   need?

   More detail

   저는 sets the topic as the speaker: “as for me.” 저 is the humble first-person pronoun “I,” and 는 marks the topic. It is useful when contrasting the speaker with someone or something else, but here it simply frames the question from the speaker’s point of view. Example: 저는 학생이에요. — “I am a student.” 장갑 means “gloves.” Korean nouns do not require a plural ending here, so 장갑 can refer to gloves as an item or items when the context supplies that meaning. The following 도 adds the sense “too” or “also.” Together, 장갑도 means “gloves too,” extending the question to gloves in addition to something already under discussion, such as the scarf in the preceding context. Example: 모자도 필요해요. — “I need a hat too.” 필요해요? comes from 필요하다, “to be necessary” or “to be needed.” In this polite 해요 style, 필요해요 means “is needed” or, with a person and an item, naturally “need.” The ending -요 marks polite everyday speech; the question mark and rising question intonation make it a question. The form is not an inflected form of 장갑; 필요하다 is the predicate. Example: 물이 필요해요. — “I need water.” Combining the parts, 저는 frames the speaker, 장갑도 adds gloves to the already relevant item, and 필요해요? asks whether they are needed. The whole utterance therefore means “Do I need gloves too?”

4. 장갑이 손을 따뜻하게 해 줄 거예요.

   They'll keep your hands warm.

   장갑이

   gloves

   손을

   hands

   따뜻하게

   warmly; to a warm state

   해 줄 거예요

   will do it for someone

   More detail

   장갑이 means “gloves” here and carries the subject marker 이. The gloves are presented as the thing that will produce the result. 장갑 is the noun “glove”; its plural meaning is supplied by context rather than by a separate plural ending. Example: 장갑이 필요해요. — “I need gloves.” 손을 means “your hands” in this translation and carries the object marker 을. Korean does not mark “your” on this noun here; the possessive meaning is understood from the intended translation and situation. 손 means “hand,” and 손을 is the object form used before an action affecting the hands. Example: 손을 씻어요. — “I wash my hands.” 따뜻하게 means “to a warm state” or “warmly” in this sentence. It is the adverbial form of the adjective 따뜻하다 (“to be warm”), used to describe the result produced in the hands. Korean uses this pattern to express making something become warm: 손을 따뜻하게 하다 — “to make the hands warm.” Example: 방을 따뜻하게 해요. — “I make the room warm.” 해 줄 거예요 is the future-looking form of 해 주다: 하다 (“do/make”) + 주다 (“give” or “do for someone”) + -(으)ㄹ 거예요 (“will be expected/planned to”). In this sentence, 해 is the form of 하다 after 따뜻하게, and 줄 is the form of 주다 used in this construction. 주다 adds the idea that the result benefits someone, though the natural English translation here is simply “keep.” 거예요 presents the action as a prediction or expectation, not as a command. Example: 제가 도와줄 거예요. — “I will help you.” Together, 장갑이 marks the gloves as the subject, 손을 marks the hands as the affected object, and 따뜻하게 해 줄 거예요 says that they will make the hands warm for the person concerned. The whole utterance therefore means “They’ll keep your hands warm.”

5. 제 장갑은 어디에 있어요?

   Where are my gloves?

   제

   my

   장갑

   gloves

   어디에

   where

   있어요

   is/are located

   More detail

   제 means “my” here. It is the contracted form of 저의, where 저 is the humble first-person pronoun and 의 marks possession. This form is used before a noun: 제 책 means “my book.” 장갑 means “gloves” here. Korean nouns do not have to change form for singular and plural, so 장갑 can refer to one glove or a pair/set of gloves; the fixed translation identifies the intended meaning as “gloves.” The plural marker 들 is not required in this sentence. 어디에 asks “where” and marks the location being asked about. 어디 means “where,” and 에 marks a place or destination. For example, 화장실이 어디에 있어요? means “Where is the restroom?” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, meaning “to exist” or “to be located” in this use. With a place expression, it describes where something is: 책이 책상 위에 있어요. means “The book is on the desk.” The form is polite and does not itself specify whether the located item is singular or plural. Together, 제 장갑 means “my gloves,” and 어디에 있어요? asks where they are located. The whole utterance is therefore “Where are my gloves?”

6. 장갑은 네 코트 옆에 있어요.

   They're next to your coat.

   장갑

   gloves

   네

   your

   코트

   coat

   옆에 있어요

   are next to

   More detail

   장갑 means “gloves” here. Korean nouns do not normally mark singular versus plural, so the form itself does not show whether the intended item is one glove or more than one; the context identifies the intended item. With the topic particle, 장갑은 means “as for the gloves.” 네 is the possessive form meaning “your” before a noun: 네 코트 = “your coat.” In careful speech it is pronounced approximately [ne]; in casual speech, speakers often pronounce this possessive form more like 니 to distinguish it from 내 (“my”). The spelling remains 네. 코트 is the loanword for “coat.” It is the noun that 네 describes. 옆에 있어요 expresses being located beside something. 옆 means “side,” -에 marks the location, and 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, “to exist” or “to be located.” Thus A가 B 옆에 있어요 is a reusable pattern meaning “A is next to B.” Example: 가방이 의자 옆에 있어요. — “The bag is next to the chair.” Together, 장갑은 sets the gloves as the topic, 네 코트 identifies the reference object, and 옆에 있어요 states their location. The whole utterance means “The gloves are next to your coat,” matching the fixed translation “They’re next to your coat.” The polite ending -어요 makes the statement suitable for ordinary polite conversation.

7. 저는 나가기 전에 장갑을 낄 거예요.

   I'll put them on before I go.

   저는

   as for me

   나가기

   going out

   전에

   before

   장갑을

   gloves

   낄 거예요

   will put on

   More detail

   저는 means “I” as the topic of the sentence. 저 is the humble/polite first-person pronoun; 는 marks the topic. This form is used when the speaker presents themself as the person doing the action. Example: 저는 학생이에요. means “I am a student.” 나가기 comes from 나가다, “to go out.” The ending -기 turns the verb into a noun-like form, so 나가기 means “going out” as an event. The form 나가다 is the dictionary form; 나가요 is a polite present-style form, while 나가기 is useful before expressions such as 전에 (“before”). 전에 follows a noun-like time expression and means “before.” Together, 나가기 전에 means “before going out.” Example: 자기 전에 책을 읽어요. means “I read a book before going to bed.” 장갑을 means “gloves” as the object of the action. 장갑 is “glove” or “gloves” according to context, and 을 marks it as the object. Here, the surrounding translation and context identify the gloves as the things being put on. The object marker is 을 after a noun ending in a consonant; 를 is used after a noun ending in a vowel. Example: 신발을 신어요. means “I put on shoes.” 낄 거예요 expresses that the speaker will put on or wear the gloves. The lexical verb is 끼다, used for putting on or wearing items such as gloves, rings, or glasses. Its stem is 끼-; before -ㄹ 거예요, it appears as 낄, giving 낄 거예요. This future construction commonly presents a planned or expected action here. Example: 집에 가서 안경을 낄 거예요. means “I’ll go home and put on my glasses.” The structure is 저는 + 나가기 전에 + 장갑을 + 낄 거예요: “As for me, before going out, I will put on the gloves.” In natural English, this is “I’ll put them on before I go.” The pronoun “them” refers to the gloves identified by 장갑을 and the supplied translation.

8. 그러면 추위에 잘 대비할 수 있을 거예요.

   Then you'll be ready for the cold.

   그러면

   then

   추위

   the cold

   잘

   well

   대비할 수

   can prepare for

   있을 거예요

   will be

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It links this statement to a preceding situation or condition and presents the result that follows. Example: 그러면 시작할게요. — “Then I’ll start.” 추위 means “cold” as a noun, here referring to cold weather or cold conditions. Its base form is 추위; it is not the adjective 춥다 (“to be cold”). In the sentence, 추위 is followed by 에, which marks what the preparation is directed toward: 추위에 대비하다, “prepare for the cold.” 잘 means “well” in the sense of adequately or successfully. Here it modifies the preparation, so 잘 대비하다 means “prepare well” or “be adequately prepared.” Example: 비에 잘 대비하세요. — “Prepare well for the rain.” 대비할 수 is part of the pattern 대비할 수 있다, “can prepare for” or “be able to prepare for.” 대비하다 is the base verb “to prepare for”; 대비할 is its form before 수 in this possibility pattern. The pattern is verb stem + -(으)ㄹ 수 있다. For example, 갈 수 있어요 means “can go.” 있을 거예요 completes the future-looking form of the possibility construction. 있다 means “exist” or “be,” and 있을 거예요 is a polite prediction or expectation, “will be” or “will likely be.” In 대비할 수 있을 거예요, it does not mean simply that something will exist; together with 수 it expresses an expected ability: “will be able to prepare.” The pieces combine as 그러면 (“then”) + 추위에 (“for the cold”) + 잘 (“adequately”) + 대비할 수 있을 거예요 (“will be able to prepare”). The whole utterance means, “Then you’ll be ready for the cold,” or more literally, “Then you’ll be able to prepare well for the cold.”