Checking before leaving | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 나가기 전에 필요한 건 다 있나요?

   Do we have everything before we leave?

   나가기 전에

   before leaving

   필요한

   needed; necessary

   건

   as for the thing(s)

   다

   all; everything

   있나요?

   is there?; do we have?

   More detail

   나가기 전에 means “before leaving” here. 나가다 is “to go out/leave”; its -기 form, 나가기, turns the action into a noun-like expression, and -기 전에 is the reusable pattern “before doing ….” Example: 자기 전에 이를 닦아요. — “I brush my teeth before going to bed.” 필요한 means “needed” or “necessary” and describes the following noun or noun-like expression. It is the attributive form of 필요하다 (“to be necessary”): 필요하다 → 필요한 before a noun. Example: 필요한 물건을 준비했어요. — “I prepared the necessary things.” 건 is the contracted form of 것은: 것 (“thing” or “what …”) plus the topic marker 은. In 필요한 건, it presents “what is needed” as the topic. The contraction is common in speech and informal writing. Example: 중요한 건 시간이에요. — “The important thing is time.” 다 means “all” or “everything” in this context. It emphasizes that the whole set of needed things is included, rather than only some of them. 있나요? is a polite question built from 있다 (“to exist; to be present; to have”) and the question ending -나요?. Korean commonly uses 있다 to express possession: depending on context, “Do you/we have …?” is expressed as “Is … present/available?” The omitted subject is understood from the shared situation and the fixed translation as “we.” Example: 시간이 있나요? — “Do you have time?” Together, 나가기 전에 sets the time condition, 필요한 건 makes “what is needed” the topic, 다 says the complete set, and 있나요? asks whether it is present or available. The whole utterance therefore means, “Do we have everything before we leave?”

2. 지금 확인해 봐요.

   Let's check now.

   지금

   now

   확인해 봐요

   let’s check

   More detail

   지금 means “now,” identifying the time of the checking. It can be placed with many actions: 지금 가요 means “I’m going now” or, depending on context, “Let’s go now.” 확인해 봐요 expresses checking as a suggestion: “let’s check.” 확인하다 is the base verb meaning “to check” or “to confirm.” In 확인해, 하다 takes the connecting form 해 before the following verb. 보다 literally means “to see,” but after another verb in this pattern, -아/어 보다 presents trying or carrying out that action: 확인해 보다, “try checking.” Here 봐요 is the polite conversational form of 보다, and the fixed translation identifies the resulting suggestion as “let’s check.” Example: 다시 확인해 봐요. — “Let’s check again.” The added 다시 means “again”; the reusable pattern is 동사-아/어 봐요, used here to suggest trying the action politely. Together, 지금 sets the time and 확인해 봐요 makes the suggestion, producing “Let’s check now.”

3. 열쇠를 가지고 있어요?

   Do you have your keys?

   열쇠

   key(s)

   가지고 있어요

   have / be carrying

   More detail

   열쇠 means “key” here, and the fixed translation specifies the intended plural sense, “keys.” Korean nouns do not normally mark singular versus plural in this form, so 열쇠 can refer to one key or multiple keys when context makes that clear. The object marker 를 in 열쇠를 marks the keys as the object of the possession/holding expression. Example: 열쇠를 찾아요. — “I’m looking for the key(s).” This shows 열쇠를 in another reusable sentence. 가지고 있어요 is the polite present form of the construction 가지고 있다, used here for currently having or carrying something. 가지고 is the connective form of 가지다 (“to have, possess, or carry”), followed by 있어요, the polite form of 있다 (“to exist / be”). Together, this construction presents the item as being in someone’s possession or with them now; it is not merely a general statement that the person owns it. Example: 우산을 가지고 있어요. — “I have an umbrella.” The same pattern is reusable with another object. The question ending -어요? makes the utterance a polite question. Thus 열쇠를 가지고 있어요? combines the object “keys” with the polite question “do you currently have/carry them?” The fixed translation identifies the intended possessor relation as “your keys,” and the following context places them in the speaker’s pocket. The complete meaning is therefore “Do you have your keys?”

4. 제 주머니 안에 있어요.

   They're in my pocket.

   제

   my

   주머니

   pocket

   안에

   in; inside

   있어요

   is/are located; is/are present

   More detail

   제 means “my” here. It is the possessive form used before a noun, commonly understood as a contraction of 저의 (“of me/my”). 저 is the humble first-person pronoun; 제 does not change according to the number of things owned. 주머니 means “pocket.” It is a noun and can combine with location expressions such as 주머니 안에 (“inside the pocket”). 안에 means “inside/in.” 안 means “inside,” and 에 marks the location where something is situated. The pattern 장소 안에 means “inside the place”; for example, 상자 안에 있어요. means “It is inside the box.” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, used here to say that something is located or present somewhere. Korean uses the same form whether the located subject is singular or plural; the form itself does not show “is” versus “are.” It can also be used for existence or possession in other contexts, but its effect here is location. Together, 제 주머니 안에 means “inside my pocket,” and 있어요 says that the relevant thing is located there. The subject is omitted because it is understood from the context: here, the keys referred to in the preceding question are understood as being in the speaker’s pocket. Thus the whole utterance means “They’re in my pocket.”

5. 지갑이 가방 안에 있어요?

   Is your wallet in your bag?

   지갑

   wallet

   가방

   bag

   안에

   inside; in

   있어요?

   is there?; is located?

   More detail

   지갑 means “wallet” here. It is a noun and can be reused with location phrases: 지갑이 책상 위에 있어요. — “The wallet is on the desk.” The topic or possessor can be understood from context; in this fixed translation, the wallet is understood as the listener’s wallet. 가방 means “bag.” It is also a noun and can take a location expression such as 가방 안에 (“inside the bag”). Example: 가방이 의자 옆에 있어요. — “The bag is next to the chair.” 안에 expresses a location inside something. 안 means “inside” and -에 marks the place where something exists or is located. The form is reusable with other nouns: 상자 안에 있어요. — “It is inside the box.” Its opposite location expression is 밖에 (“outside,” in a location phrase). 있어요? comes from 있다, “to exist” or “to be located,” in the polite present form 있어요. With a location phrase, it asks whether something is present in that place: 열쇠가 서랍 안에 있어요? — “Is the key in the drawer?” The question mark and rising question interpretation make this a question; 있어요. without the question mark would be a polite statement, “It is there.” Together, 지갑이 marks the wallet as the thing being located, 가방 안에 gives its location, and 있어요? asks whether it is there. Thus 지갑이 가방 안에 있어요? means “Is your wallet in your bag?” Korean does not need a separate word for “your” here; the intended possessor is supplied by the fixed translation and context.

6. 거기에 넣었어요.

   I put it in there.

   거기에

   there; in there

   넣었어요

   put; placed

   More detail

   거기에 means “there” or “in there” here. It combines 거기 (“there”) with -에, a particle used for a location or destination. The same pattern is reusable with other place words: 여기에 means “here,” while 저기에 means “over there.” The specific object located there is not expressed in this phrase. 넣었어요 comes from the verb 넣다, “to put in” or “to place inside.” The form contains the past marker -었- and the polite ending -어요, so it describes a completed action in a polite conversational style. Example: 책을 가방에 넣었어요. — “I put the book in the bag.” Together, 거기에 넣었어요 means “I put it in there.” Korean leaves the object unspoken in the target sentence; the fixed translation identifies it as “it.” The destination is 거기에, and 넣었어요 states that the putting-in action was completed.

7. 문이 잠겨 있어요?

   Is the door locked?

   문

   door

   잠겨 있어요

   be locked

   More detail

   문 means “door” here. It is a noun and can be reused in compounds such as 문이 (“the door” with the subject marker) or 문을 (“the door” with the object marker). The form 문 itself does not mark whether the door is singular or plural; the context supplies that information. 잠겨 있어요 describes a locked state. The underlying verb is 잠기다, “become locked” or “be locked,” not the transitive 잠그다, “lock something.” The form 잠겨 is the connective form of 잠기다, and 있어요 adds the idea of remaining in that state. Thus, 잠겨 있어요 is a useful pattern for “is/remains [in a state].” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다 in this construction. For comparison, 문을 잠갔어요 means “I locked the door,” with 잠그다 and an explicit object. The source sentence instead describes the door’s state and does not identify who locked it. Example: 창문이 열려 있어요. — “The window is open.” This uses the same kind of state pattern: 열리다 (“become/open”) + -어 있어요. Together, 문 and 잠겨 있어요 form 문이 잠겨 있어요? in the fixed utterance. The subject marker 이 appears after 문; it is not included in the selected noun quote, but it marks “the door” as the subject. The rising question intonation turns the statement “The door is locked” into the question “Is the door locked?”

8. 방금 확인했어요.

   I checked it just now.

   방금

   just now

   확인했어요

   checked or confirmed

   More detail

   방금 means “just now” here. It is an adverb, so it tells when the checking happened and does not change form for the subject or object. It can also mean “a moment ago” in similar sentences. Example: 방금 도착했어요. — “I arrived just now.” 확인했어요 means “checked” or “confirmed” here. Its base form is 확인하다, “to check/confirm.” The ending -했어요 is the past form of this 하-type verb in the polite -어요 style: 확인하다 → 확인했어요. The subject is not stated in the Korean sentence; the English “I” comes from the fixed translation. Korean also leaves the object unstated here, while the translation supplies “it” and the preceding question supports that intended object. Example: 예약을 확인했어요. — “I checked the reservation.” Together, 방금 + 확인했어요 gives “I checked it just now.” The time adverb comes first, followed by the polite past-tense verb phrase.