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

Sentence explanations

1. 이 줄이 카운터에 가는 줄이에요?

   Is this line for the counter?

   이

   this

   줄이

   line; queue

   카운터

   counter

   가는

   going

   줄

   line; queue

   이에요?

   is it?

   More detail

   이 means “this” and is a demonstrative placed before a noun. It identifies something near the speaker or otherwise salient; here it points to the line being indicated. Korean demonstratives do not themselves specify the noun’s gender or number. 줄이 is 줄 (“line” or “queue”) plus the subject marker 이. In this utterance, 줄 is understood as a queue, matching the fixed translation. The same noun can also mean a line in other contexts, so the surrounding situation determines the sense. A reusable pattern is N이/가 ... for marking the subject; 이 follows a noun ending in a consonant, while 가 follows one ending in a vowel. 카운터 is a noun meaning “counter.” It is a loanword used here for the place or service point called the counter. The location phrase 카운터에 would mean “to/at the counter”: 에 marks a destination or location depending on the verb and context. 가는 is the present attributive form of 가다, “to go.” It appears before a noun and describes a destination-oriented action: 가는 줄 means “a line that goes to [somewhere].” In Korean, 가다 becomes 가는 before a following noun in this descriptive form. For example, 학교에 가는 사람 means “a person who goes to school.” The second 줄 is the noun modified by 가는, so 카운터에 가는 줄 is “the line that goes to the counter.” It is separate from the earlier 줄이: the first one is the subject of the question, and the second one names the line being described. 이에요? is the polite copula question form, meaning “is it?” after a noun ending in a consonant. After a noun ending in a vowel, the corresponding polite form is 예요; for example, 학생이에요? means “Are you a student?” and 의사예요? means “Are you a doctor?” Here, 줄 ends in a consonant, so 줄이에요? is used. Together, 이 줄이 identifies “this line” as the subject, 카운터에 가는 줄 describes it as “the line that goes to the counter,” and 이에요? asks for confirmation. The complete meaning is: “Is this the line for the counter?”

2. 여기서 줄이 시작해요.

   This is where it starts.

   여기서

   here; at this point

   줄이

   the line

   시작해요

   starts; begins

   More detail

   여기서 여기서 means “here” or “at this point.” It combines 여기, “here,” with 서, a particle that marks the place or point where an action occurs. A reusable pattern is 장소에서 ..., meaning “... at/in a place.” For example: 집에서 공부해요. — “I study at home.” 줄이 Here 줄 means “line,” as in a queue, and 이 marks it as the subject. Because 줄 ends in a consonant sound, 이 is the subject particle used here; after a vowel, 가 is used instead. The form 줄이 therefore presents “the line” as the thing that starts. The translation and context support the queue meaning here. 시작해요 시작해요 means “starts” or “begins” here. Its base form is 시작하다, “to start/begin”; 시작해요 is its present-tense 해요-style form, suitable for polite everyday speech. The same form can describe something starting now or a usual starting point, depending on context. For example: 수업이 아홉 시에 시작해요. — “The class starts at nine.” Whole utterance 여기서 sets the starting place or point, 줄이 identifies the line as the subject, and 시작해요 says that it starts there. Together, 여기서 줄이 시작해요. means “This is where it starts,” specifically indicating that the line begins at this point.

3. 표가 필요해요?

   Do I need a ticket?

   표

   ticket

   필요해요

   need; be necessary

   More detail

   표 means “ticket” here. It is a noun and can be reused with different particles: 표가 marks “ticket” as the subject of a need/necessity statement, while 표를 would mark it as an object in a sentence such as 표를 사요 (“I buy a ticket”). 필요해요 comes from 필요하다, “to be necessary” or “to be needed.” The form 필요해요 is the polite 해요-style form used in the fixed question. Korean often leaves the person who needs something unspoken; with the supplied translation, the omitted person is understood as the speaker. A useful pattern is N이/가 필요해요 (“I need N” / “N is needed”). For example, 물병이 필요해요. means “I need a water bottle.” Together, 표가 필요해요? asks whether a ticket is needed, with the speaker understood as the person whose need is being asked about: “Do I need a ticket?” The question mark makes it an explicit question; the polite -요 ending keeps the wording suitable for ordinary polite conversation.

4. 이 상자에서 하나 가져가세요.

   Take one from this box.

   이

   this

   상자

   box

   에서

   from

   하나

   one

   가져가세요

   please take it

   More detail

   이 means “this” here. It is a demonstrative placed before 상자, identifying the box as the one referred to as “this.” Korean demonstratives include 이 “this,” 그 “that,” and 저 “that over there”; the choice depends on the demonstrative system and context, not on the noun’s gender or number. 상자 is the noun “box.” Korean nouns do not take plural marking merely because more than one could exist in the situation. Example: 상자가 커요. — “The box is big.” 에서 marks the place from which an action or movement originates here, so 상자에서 means “from the box.” The same form can mark the place where an action occurs with some verbs. Example: 상자에서 꺼내세요. — “Take it out of the box.” 하나 is the independent native counting form “one.” Here it specifies one item to be taken; the item itself is understood from the situation. Before a counter, Korean uses 한, as in 한 개 — “one item.” 가져가세요 comes from 가져가다, “to take away” or “to carry away.” Its ending -세요 makes it a polite request or directive to the listener, rather than leaving it in dictionary form. 가져오세요 means “please bring it,” with 오다 indicating movement toward the relevant place, whereas 가져가세요 indicates taking something away from the current place. The object is understood, and 하나 specifies its quantity. Together, 이 상자에서 identifies the source as “from this box,” 하나 limits the object to one, and 가져가세요 politely directs the listener to take it away. The complete meaning is “Take one from this box.”

5. 제 차례는 언제예요?

   When is my turn?

   제

   my

   차례

   turn

   언제

   when

   예요?

   is it?

   More detail

   제 is the possessive form meaning “my” here. It is a shortened form of 저의, used before a noun: 제 차례 = “my turn.” 차례 means “turn” in this sentence: the position or opportunity for someone to do something. It can also refer to an order or sequence in other contexts. For example, 다음은 제 차례예요. means “Next, it’s my turn.” 언제 is the question word “when.” It asks about a time or point in an order, rather than asking who or what. A reusable pattern is 언제예요? = “When is it?” or “When is [it]?” 예요? is the polite form of the Korean copula in a question, roughly “is it?” or “is [something].” It follows a noun ending in a vowel, as in 차례예요. After a noun ending in a consonant, the corresponding form is 이에요, for example 학생이에요? = “Are you a student?” The question meaning comes from the questioning context and intonation, represented here by ?. Together, 제 차례 identifies the speaker’s turn, and 언제예요? asks when that turn occurs in the relevant sequence. The whole utterance therefore means “When is my turn?”

6. 저 사람 다음이에요.

   You're after that person.

   저

   that (over there)

   사람

   person

   다음

   after; next

   이에요

   is

   More detail

   저 points to a person or thing relatively distant from the speaker: “that … over there.” In 저 사람, it modifies 사람, giving “that person.” It contrasts with 이 “this” and with 그, which commonly refers to something known or previously identified rather than presenting it as distal in this way. 사람 means “person” and is a regular noun. The reusable pattern 저 + noun appears in 저 학생, meaning “that student.” 다음 means “next” or “after.” In 사람 다음, it identifies a position after that person. It can also describe order more generally, as in 다음 주, “next week.” 이에요 is the polite present form of the noun-predicate copula after a noun ending in a consonant. 다음 ends in the consonant ㅁ, so 다음이에요 is used. After a noun ending in a vowel, the corresponding form is 예요, as in 학교예요, “it is a school.” Here Korean omits the subject because it is recoverable from the situation; 이에요 itself does not specify who or what the subject is. Together, 저 사람 다음이에요 means that the omitted subject is after 저 사람 in the relevant order. With the fixed translation’s intended subject, the complete meaning is “You’re after that person.” The preceding question about the speaker’s turn supports understanding this as a queue or turn order. A reusable pattern is A 다음이에요, meaning “(someone or something) is after A.”

7. 저는 여기서 기다릴게요.

   I will wait here.

   저는

   I

   여기서

   here

   기다릴게요

   I will wait

   More detail

   저는 means “as for me/I.” 저 is the humble first-person pronoun “I,” and 는 marks the topic. The topic marker sets the speaker up as the person whose action is being described; it does not itself express a number. 여기서 means “here” as the place where an action occurs. 여기 means “here,” and 에서 marks the location of an action. Compare 여기에, which marks a place as a destination or location of existence rather than the place where an action is carried out. 기다릴게요 is the polite form of 기다리다 (“to wait”) with -ㄹ게요. 기다리다 is the base form; 기다릴게요 presents the speaker’s intention or undertaking to wait, directed toward the listener. The ending is used with a first-person subject and commonly conveys “I’ll wait” or “I’ll do that.” It is different from a simple prediction: 기다릴 거예요 more neutrally states that the speaker will wait. The polite ending 요 makes the utterance suitable for ordinary respectful conversation. Together, 저는 identifies the speaker, 여기서 gives the place of the action, and 기다릴게요 states the speaker’s intention to wait. The complete meaning is: “I will wait here.”

8. 앞 사람이 거의 끝났어요.

   The person ahead is almost finished.

   앞

   ahead; in front

   사람

   person

   거의

   almost

   끝났어요

   is finished

   More detail

   앞 means “ahead” or “in front.” Before a noun, it can identify something positioned ahead: 앞 사람 means “the person ahead.” This is a positional description, not the noun’s name. 사람 means “person” or “people,” depending on context. In 앞 사람, it is the noun being described by 앞. Example: 저 사람 means “that person”; 사람 itself does not mark whether the person is male or female. 거의 means “almost” or “nearly.” It normally comes before the word or phrase whose degree is nearly reached. Here it modifies 끝났어요, so the ending is close but presented as not fully complete yet. Example: 거의 다 왔어요. means “I’m almost there.” 끝났어요 is the polite conversational form of 끝나다, “to end” or “to be finished.” The -았/었어요 ending presents the event or state as completed; with 끝나다, it gives “ended” or “is finished.” The observed form is not an adjective derived from 끝; 끝나다 is the verb being inflected. Example: 수업이 끝났어요. means “The class is over.” Together, 앞 사람 identifies the person who is ahead, 거의 says that the following state is nearly reached, and 끝났어요 says that the person’s process is finished. The complete meaning is “The person ahead is almost finished.” The sentence uses polite conversational Korean.