About This Lesson
Use Talking about reading to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
무엇을 읽고 있어요?
moo-UH-seul il-KKOH ee-SSUH-yoh? What are you reading?
B
짧은 책을 읽고 있어요.
jjal-BUHN chae-GUHL il-KKOH ee-SSUH-yoh. I am reading a short book.
A
이 이야기가 좋아요?
ee ee-yah-gee-gah joh-AH-yoh? Do you like the story?
B
이해하기 쉬워요.
ee-HEH-ha-gee shwee-WUH-yoh. It is easy to follow.
A
보통 어디에서 읽어요?
boh-TOONG uh-dee-eh-suh il-GUH-yoh? Where do you usually read?
B
저는 보통 집의 조용한 방에서 읽어요.
juh-NUHN boh-TOONG jee-BEH joh-YOHNG-han bahng-eh-suh il-GUH-yoh. I usually read in a quiet room at home.
A
차분하게 들려요.
chah-BOON-ha-geh duhl-LYUH-yoh. That sounds calm.
B
여가 시간을 즐기는 데 도움이 돼요.
yuh-GAH shi-GAH-nuhl juhl-GEE-nuhn deh doh-OO-mee DWEH-yoh. It helps me enjoy my free time.Word by Word
무엇을
무엇을 means “what” here, marked as the object of reading in 무엇을 읽고 있어요? The object marker 을 shows what the speaker is reading. Use it before a verb when asking what action is directed toward.
읽고
읽고 is the form of 읽다 used in the ongoing-action construction 읽고 있어요, “is reading.” It links the action of reading to 있어요, which completes the ongoing meaning here. This form can be reused before 있어요 when describing an action in progress.
있어요
In 읽고 있어요, 있어요 helps show that the reading is currently in progress. The whole expression 읽고 있어요 means “am/is reading”; 있어요 alone does not mean “reading.” Reuse the pattern of a verb followed by 고 있어요 for an action happening now.
짧은
짧은 means “short” here and describes the book in 짧은 책. It is the form of 짧다 used directly before a noun. Korean commonly places this kind of description before the noun it modifies.
책을
책을 means “a book” as the object of reading in 책을 읽고 있어요. 책 is followed by 을 because the book receives the action of reading. Use a noun plus 을 when that noun is the object of an action.
이
이 means “this” and points to the story in 이 이야기. It comes directly before the noun it identifies. Reuse 이 before a nearby or currently relevant noun.
이야기가
이야기가 means “the story” as the thing being evaluated in 이 이야기가 좋아요? The subject marker 가 marks the story as the subject of 좋아요. Korean can use this subject pattern when expressing that something is liked or pleasing.
좋아요
좋아요 means “is good” or “is liked” here, so 이 이야기가 좋아요? asks whether the speaker likes the story. In this expression, the liked thing is presented as the subject, rather than as an English-style “you” object. Reuse the pattern of a thing followed by 이/가 좋아요 when expressing that you like it.
이해하기
이해하기 means “understanding” or “following” here in 이해하기 쉬워요. It is the -기 form of 이해하다, turning the action into something that can be described as easy. Use this form before 쉬워요 when saying that an activity is easy to do.
쉬워요
쉬워요 means “is easy” in 이해하기 쉬워요, which as a whole means “is easy to understand or follow.” 쉬워요 supplies the evaluation of difficulty; it does not mean “understand” by itself. Reuse the pattern of an activity in -기 followed by 쉬워요 to describe something easy to do.
보통
보통 means “usually” here and describes the speaker’s regular reading habit. It commonly appears before the verb phrase that it modifies. Use it when describing what normally happens or what someone regularly does.
어디에서
어디에서 means “where” here, asking at which place the person reads in 어디에서 읽어요? 어디 means “where,” and 에서 marks the place where the action occurs. Use a place expression with 에서 when asking or stating where an action takes place.
읽어요
읽어요 means “read” here in the polite question 보통 어디에서 읽어요? With 보통, it refers to the person’s usual reading habit. This polite form of 읽다 can follow an object or a place expression when talking about reading.
저는
저는 means “I” or “as for me” and introduces the speaker as the topic in 저는 보통 집의 조용한 방에서 읽어요. 저 is the polite first-person form, and 는 marks the topic. Use it before a statement about your own actions or habits.
집의
집의 means “of the home” or “belonging to the home” in 집의 조용한 방. 의 links 집 to the following noun, 방, showing their relationship. Reuse the pattern of one noun followed by 의 and another noun to express an “of” relationship.
조용한
조용한 means “quiet” and describes the room in 조용한 방. It is the form of 조용하다 used before a noun. Korean normally places this kind of description before the noun it modifies.
방에서
방에서 means “in the room” here and marks the place where the speaker reads in 방에서 읽어요. 방 means “room,” and 에서 marks the location of the action. Use a place noun plus 에서 when describing where an activity happens.
차분하게
차분하게 means “calmly” or “in a calm way” in 차분하게 들려요. The -게 form lets 차분하다 describe how something sounds. Use this kind of adverbial form when describing an action or impression as calm.
들려요
들려요 means “sounds” or “is heard” here, and 차분하게 들려요 means “sounds calm.” It describes the impression something gives when heard, rather than simply saying that someone hears it. Reuse an adverb before 들려요 to describe how something sounds.
여가
여가 means “free time” or “leisure” in 여가 시간. It specifies the kind of time being enjoyed. It can be combined with 시간 when talking about time available for relaxation or personal activities.
시간을
시간을 means “time” as the object of enjoying in 여가 시간을 즐기는 데 도움이 돼요. 시간 is followed by 을 because it is what is enjoyed. Use a noun plus 을 when that noun is the object of an action.
즐기는
즐기는 means “enjoying” here and appears in 즐기는 데, “in or for enjoying.” It is the form of 즐기다 used before 데 in the construction 즐기는 데 도움이 돼요. Reuse this construction when describing something that helps with carrying out an activity.
데
데 refers here to the activity or purpose of doing something in 즐기는 데 도움이 돼요. Together, 즐기는 데 means “in or for enjoying,” rather than “place” in a physical sense. The pattern V-는 데 도움이 돼요 is useful for saying that something helps with an activity.
도움이
도움이 means “help” as the subject of the expression 도움이 돼요. The whole expression 도움이 돼요 means “is helpful” or “helps,” while 도움이 identifies the help being provided. Reuse 도움이 돼요 after an activity or situation that benefits from something.
돼요
돼요 completes 도움이 돼요, meaning “helps” or “is helpful” in this dialogue. It is the polite form of 되다, but here the complete expression should be understood together rather than as “becomes” alone. Reuse the exact expression 도움이 돼요 when saying that something is helpful.
Grammar Points
-고 있어요
무엇을 읽고 있어요?
moo-UH-seul il-KKOH ee-SSUH-yoh?What are you reading?
동사 어간 뒤에 붙여 지금 진행 중인 행동을 나타내요.
-은 + 명사
짧은 책
jjal-BUHN CHAEKa short book
형용사 어간 뒤에 붙어 명사를 꾸며요. 받침이 있으면 -은을 사용해요.
Korean Vocabulary
무엇
pron
moo-UHT
what
무엇을
What are you reading?
보통
adv
boh-TOONG
usually
Where do you usually read?
쉽다
adj
shweep-TTAH
to be easy
쉬워요
It is easy to follow.
어디
pron
uh-DEE
where
Where do you usually read?
이야기
noun
ee-yah-GEE
story
이야기가
Do you like the story?
이해하다
verb
ee-HEH-ha-dah
to understand
이해하기
It is easy to follow.
읽다
verb
eek-TTAH
to read
읽고 있어요
I am reading a short book.
조용하다
adj
joh-YOHNG-ha-dah
to be quiet
조용한
a quiet room
좋다
adj
JOH-tah
to like; to be good
좋아요
Do you like the story?
집
noun
JEEP
home
집의; 집에서
at home
짧다
adj
jjal-TTAH
to be short
짧은
a short book
책
noun
CHAEK
book
책을
a short book
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
What are you reading?
Show Answer
무엇을 읽고 있어요?I am reading a short book.
Show Answer
짧은 책을 읽고 있어요.Do you like the story?
Show Answer
이 이야기가 좋아요?Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to understand
Show Answer
이해하기story
Show Answer
이야기가to be quiet
Show Answer
조용한to be short