Waiting for Your Turn at a Counter | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: At a counter line, two adults check where the line starts, take a ticket, and wait for the next turn..

EN → KO / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Waiting for Your Turn at a Counter to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

이 줄이 카운터에 가는 줄이에요?

ee joo-ree KOWN-tuh-eh GAH-neun joo-ree-eh-yo? Is this line for the counter?
B

여기서 줄이 시작해요.

yuh-gi-suh joo-ree shi-jah-KHEH-yo. This is where it starts.
A

표가 필요해요?

pyoh-gah PEEL-lyoh-HEH-yo? Do I need a ticket?
B

이 상자에서 하나 가져가세요.

ee SANG-jah-eh-suh HAH-nah gah-JYUH-gah-SEH-yo. Take one from this box.
A

제 차례는 언제예요?

jeh CHAH-ryeh-nuhn UHN-jeh-yeh-yo? When is my turn?
B

저 사람 다음이에요.

juh SAH-rahm DAH-um-ee-eh-yo. You're after that person.
A

저는 여기서 기다릴게요.

juh-nuhn yuh-gi-suh gee-dah-REEL-kkeh-yo. I will wait here.
B

앞 사람이 거의 끝났어요.

ahp-SSAH-rah-mee GUH-ee KKUHN-nah-SSUH-yo. The person ahead is almost finished.

Word by Word

이 이 means “this” here and points to the line in “이 줄이”. It is placed before a noun to identify something nearby or already being discussed. New example: 이 상자 means “this box”.
줄이 줄이 means “the line” here, with 줄 referring to a queue and 이 marking it as the subject. In “이 줄이 카운터에 가는 줄이에요?”, it identifies which line is being discussed. New example: 줄이 길어요 means “The line is long.”
카운터에 카운터에 means “to the counter” here. 에 marks the counter as the destination of 가는 in “카운터에 가는 줄이에요”. New example: 카운터에 가세요 means “Please go to the counter.”
가는 가는 means “going” here and describes the line in “카운터에 가는 줄이에요”. It is the form used before a noun to say what the line goes to. New example: 학교에 가는 버스 means “a bus going to school.”
줄이에요 줄이에요 means “is a line” here, completing the description “카운터에 가는 줄이에요” — “It is a line going to the counter.” This polite ending identifies or describes something as a line. New example: 이 줄이에요 means “It is this line.”
여기서 여기서 means “from here” in “여기서 줄이 시작해요”, showing the place where the line begins. 서 marks the starting point of an action or event. New example: 여기서 기다리세요 means “Please wait here.”
시작해요 시작해요 means “starts” here, referring to the line beginning at the indicated place. This polite form is used to describe where an event or activity begins. New example: 수업이 아홉 시에 시작해요 means “The class starts at nine.”
표가 표가 means “a ticket” here, with 표 referring to the ticket and 가 marking it as what is needed. In “표가 필요해요?”, it asks whether a ticket is necessary. New example: 표가 있어요 means “There is a ticket.”
필요해요 필요해요 means “is needed” here, so “표가 필요해요?” asks whether a ticket is necessary. It is commonly used after the thing that is needed, marked with 가. New example: 도움이 필요해요 means “Help is needed” or “I need help.”
상자에서 상자에서 means “from the box” here, identifying the source in “이 상자에서 하나 가져가세요”. 에서 marks the place from which something is taken. New example: 가방에서 꺼내세요 means “Please take it out of the bag.”
하나 하나 means “one” here, referring to one ticket in “하나 가져가세요”. It can be used when the object is clear from the situation and does not need to be repeated. New example: 하나 주세요 means “Please give me one.”
가져가세요 가져가세요 means “please take it” here, with the item understood from “하나”. It is a polite request to take something away from the current place. New example: 이걸 가져가세요 means “Please take this.”
제 제 means “my” here and identifies the turn as belonging to the speaker in “제 차례는 언제예요?”. It is placed before the noun it describes. New example: 제 표 means “my ticket.”
차례는 차례는 means “my turn” here when combined with 제, and 는 marks the turn as the topic of the question. “제 차례는 언제예요?” asks when the speaker’s turn is. New example: 다음 차례는 누구예요? means “Whose turn is next?”
언제예요 언제예요 means “when is it?” here and asks for the time or point at which the speaker’s turn occurs. This polite question form is used with a topic such as “제 차례는”. New example: 수업은 언제예요? means “When is the class?”
저 저 means “that” here and points to a person farther from the speaker in “저 사람 다음이에요”. It is placed directly before the noun it describes. New example: 저 상자 means “that box.”
사람 사람 means “person” here, referring to the person whose place comes before the speaker’s. It can be combined with a pointing word such as “저 사람”. New example: 사람이 많아요 means “There are many people.”
다음이에요 다음이에요 means “is next” here, so “저 사람 다음이에요” says that the speaker comes after that person. 다음 is used to identify what follows in an order or sequence. New example: 제가 다음이에요 means “I am next.”
저는 저는 means “I” here, with 저는 marking the speaker as the topic in “저는 여기서 기다릴게요”. This form introduces what the speaker will do or choose. New example: 저는 학생이에요 means “I am a student.”
기다릴게요 기다릴게요 means “I will wait” here and expresses the speaker’s intention to wait in this place. It is used after the subject or topic when the speaker is stating a decision or willingness to do something. New example: 여기서 기다릴게요 means “I will wait here.”
앞 앞 means “ahead” or “in front” here and identifies the position of the person before the speaker in the line. In “앞 사람”, it describes the person who is ahead. New example: 앞에 사람이 있어요 means “There is a person in front.”
사람이 사람이 means “the person” here, with 사람이 marking the person ahead as the subject of “거의 끝났어요”. In “앞 사람이”, the noun is combined with 앞 to mean “the person ahead”. New example: 사람이 기다려요 means “A person is waiting.”
거의 거의 means “almost” here and shows that the person ahead has nearly finished. It is placed before the expression describing the incomplete action or state. New example: 거의 다 왔어요 means “I am almost there.”
끝났어요 끝났어요 means “is finished” here, referring to the person ahead’s activity being nearly complete in “앞 사람이 거의 끝났어요”. With 거의, it means the activity is almost over. New example: 수업이 끝났어요 means “The class is finished.”

Grammar Points

-을게요/-ㄹ게요

기다릴게요.

gee-dah-REEL-kkeh-yo.

I’ll wait.

A polite ending used to express the speaker’s intention or promise to do something.

-(으)세요

가져가세요.

gah-JYUH-gah-SEH-yo.

Please take it.

A polite command or request. The ending makes the instruction sound respectful.

Korean Vocabulary

가다 verb
GAH-dah to go 가는
가져가다 verb
gah-JYUH-gah-dah to take; to take away 가져가세요
상자 noun
SANG-jah box
시작하다 verb
shi-jah-KAH-dah to start; to begin 시작해요
여기서 adv
YUH-gi-suh here; from here
제 pron
jeh my
줄 noun
JOOL line; queue
차례 noun
CHAH-ryeh turn
카운터 noun
KOWN-tuh counter
표 noun
PYOH ticket
필요하다 adj
PEEL-lyoh-HAH-dah to be needed; to need 필요해요
하나 num
HAH-nah one

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Is this line for the counter?

Show Answer이 줄이 카운터에 가는 줄이에요?

This is where it starts.

Show Answer여기서 줄이 시작해요.

Do I need a ticket?

Show Answer표가 필요해요?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to be needed; to need

Show Answer필요해요

to start; to begin

Show Answer시작해요

to take; to take away

Show Answer가져가세요

one

Show Answer하나