Finding the Back of the Line | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: Near a doorway, two adults talk about where a line ends and where to join from the back..

EN → KO / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Finding the Back of the Line to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

이 줄의 끝이 어디예요?

ee jool-eh kkuh-chee uh-DEE-eh-yoh? Where is the end of this line?
B

끝은 문 쪽에 있어요.

kkuh-teun moon jjoh-geh ee-SSUH-yoh. The end is over by the door.
A

거기서 기다릴까요?

guh-GEE-suh gee-dah-reel-KKAH-yoh? Should I wait there?
B

마지막 사람 뒤에 서세요.

mah-JEE-mak sah-ram dwee-eh suh-SEH-yoh. Stand behind the last person.
A

표지판을 못 봤어요.

pyoh-jee-PAHN-uhl moht BWAH-ssuh-yoh. I missed the sign.
B

문 옆에 붙어 있어요.

moon YUH-peh boo-TUH ee-SSUH-yoh. It is posted next to the door.
A

뒤로 갈게요.

dwee-roh gal-KKEH-yoh. I will head to the back.
B

사람들이 줄을 서기 시작하는 곳이에요.

sah-ram-deu-ree joo-reul suh-gee shee-jah-kah-neun goh-shee-eh-yoh. That is where people are joining.

Word by Word

이 이 means “this” here and points to the line in 이 줄의 끝이 어디예요? It is placed directly before a noun, as in 이 + noun. In a new example, 이 문 means “this door”.
줄의 줄의 means “of the line” here, linking the line to its end in 이 줄의 끝이 어디예요? 줄 is “line,” and 의 marks the relationship between 줄 and 끝. This pattern is useful for expressing “the [noun] of [something].”
끝이 끝이 means “the end” as the subject of the question 이 줄의 끝이 어디예요? 끝 means “end,” and 이 marks it as what is being located. A noun followed by 이 can be the subject before a description of its location.
어디예요 어디예요 means “where is it?” here, asking for the location of 이 줄의 끝이. 어디 asks “where,” and 예요 gives a polite spoken form. Use 어디예요 after a place or thing when asking where it is.
끝은 끝은 means “as for the end” in 끝은 문 쪽에 있어요. 끝 introduces the end as the topic, while 은 marks that topic. This form is useful when answering a question by shifting attention to a specific thing.
문 문 means “door” here, referring to the doorway near the end of the line. It is used as a noun in 문 쪽에, meaning the direction or side of the door. It can be used before location expressions to identify a place.
쪽에 쪽에 means “on the side of” or “in the direction of” here, as in 문 쪽에 있어요. 쪽 identifies a side or direction, and 에 marks the location. The pattern noun + 쪽에 is useful for pointing out a nearby direction or side.
있어요 있어요 means “is located” here, describing where the end is in 끝은 문 쪽에 있어요. It is the polite spoken form of 있다 used for the existence or location of something. Use it after a place phrase to say that something is there.
거기서 거기서 means “there, at that place” here, referring to the place just mentioned in 거기서 기다릴까요? 서 marks the place where an action happens. Use a place plus 서 before an action performed there.
기다릴까요 기다릴까요 means “shall I wait?” here, asking whether the speaker should wait there. It comes from 기다리다, “to wait,” with a polite question ending that proposes or checks an action. It can follow a place phrase when asking whether to wait at that place.
마지막 마지막 means “last” here and describes the person at the back of the line in 마지막 사람. It comes directly before the noun it describes. This pattern is useful for identifying the final person or item in an order.
사람 사람 means “person” here, referring to the last person in 마지막 사람 뒤에 서세요. It is a noun used after a describing word such as 마지막. Use it with a location phrase when referring to where a person is.
뒤에 뒤에 means “behind” here, identifying the place where the speaker should stand in 마지막 사람 뒤에 서세요. 뒤 means “back” or “behind,” and 에 marks the location. Use it after a person or object to express being behind that reference point.
서세요 서세요 means “stand” as a polite instruction here. It is used after the location phrase 마지막 사람 뒤에 to tell someone where to stand. This polite request form is useful when giving simple directions to a person.
표지판을 표지판을 means “the sign” as the object in 표지판을 못 봤어요. 표지판 means “sign,” and 을 marks it as the thing that was not seen. A noun followed by 을 can be the object before an action verb.
못 못 means “could not” here and shows that the speaker did not manage to see the sign in 표지판을 못 봤어요. It is placed directly before the verb 봤어요. Use 못 + verb when an action was not possible or was not successfully completed.
봤어요 봤어요 means “saw” here, referring to seeing the sign in 표지판을 못 봤어요. It is the polite past form of 보다, “to see,” and 못 changes the meaning to “could not see.” The pattern 못 + 봤어요 is useful for saying that something was not seen.
옆에 옆에 means “next to” here, locating the posted sign in 문 옆에 붙어 있어요. 옆 means “side,” and 에 marks the location beside the door. Use it after a noun to identify something positioned next to it.
붙어 붙어 contributes the meaning “attached” or “posted” in 붙어 있어요, describing the sign as fixed beside the door. It connects with 있어요 to describe an attached state that remains in place. This form is useful for notices or objects that are attached to a surface.
뒤로 뒤로 means “to the back” or “toward the back” here in 뒤로 갈게요. 뒤 means “back,” and 로 marks the direction of movement. Use a place or direction plus 로 before a movement verb when saying where someone will go.
갈게요 갈게요 means “I’ll go” here, expressing the speaker’s decision to head to the back in 뒤로 갈게요. It comes from 가다, “to go,” with a polite ending used for a willing commitment. Use a destination plus 갈게요 when telling someone where you will go.
사람들이 사람들이 means “people” as the subject here, referring to the people joining the line in 사람들이 줄을 서기 시작하는 곳이에요. 들 marks people as plural, and 이 marks them as the subject. This pattern is useful when people are doing an action.
줄을 줄을 means “the line” as the object of 서다 in 줄을 서기 시작하는 곳이에요. 줄 means “line,” and 을 marks it as the object in the expression 줄을 서다, “stand in line.” Keep the object marker when reusing this expression.
서기 서기 represents the activity of standing in line in 줄을 서기 시작하는 곳이에요. It comes from 서다, “to stand,” and makes that action function as a noun before 시작하는. It is useful before verbs such as 시작하다 when describing the start of an activity.
시작하는 시작하는 means “starting” here and describes the place where people begin to stand in line in 사람들이 줄을 서기 시작하는 곳이에요. It is placed before 곳 to describe what happens there. Use an action form before 곳 when identifying a place by the activity that happens there.
곳이에요 곳이에요 means “it is the place” here, completing the description of where people start standing in line. 곳 means “place,” and 이에요 gives a polite spoken form after the noun. Use it after a description to identify a place.

Grammar Points

V-(으)ㄹ까요?

기다릴까요?

gee-dah-reel-KKAH-yoh

Shall I wait?

The ending -(으)ㄹ까요? is used to make a suggestion or ask whether to do something.

못 + V

표지판을 못 봤어요.

pyoh-jee-PAHN-uhl moht BWAH-ssuh-yoh

I couldn't see the sign.

못 comes before a verb to express inability or that an action was not successfully completed.

Korean Vocabulary

거기 adv
guh-GEE there

거기서 기다릴까요?

기다리다 verb
gee-dah-REE-dah to wait 기다릴까요

거기서 기다릴까요?

끝 noun
kkuht end; back 끝이

이 줄의 끝이 어디예요?

뒤 noun
dwee back; behind 뒤에

마지막 사람 뒤에 서세요.

마지막 det
mah-JEE-mak last

마지막 사람 뒤에 서세요.

문 noun
moon door

끝은 문 쪽에 있어요.

사람 noun
sah-RAHM person; people

마지막 사람 뒤에 서세요.

어디 adv
uh-DEE where

이 줄의 끝이 어디예요?

이 det
ee this

이 줄의 끝이 어디예요?

있다 verb
eet-TAH to be; to exist 있어요

끝은 문 쪽에 있어요.

줄 noun
jool line; queue

이 줄의 끝이 어디예요?

쪽 noun
jjohk side; direction

끝은 문 쪽에 있어요.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Where is the end of this line?

Show Answer이 줄의 끝이 어디예요?

The end is over by the door.

Show Answer끝은 문 쪽에 있어요.

Should I wait there?

Show Answer거기서 기다릴까요?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to wait

Show Answer기다릴까요

where

Show Answer어디

person; people

Show Answer사람

last

Show Answer마지막