Choosing a Comfortable Chair | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 어느 의자를 고를까요?

   Which chair should we choose?

   어느

   which

   의자를

   chair

   고를까요?

   shall we choose?

   More detail

   어느 means “which” when it selects one option from a set and comes directly before the noun it describes. It is a determiner, so it is used with a noun rather than standing alone in this sentence. Example: 어느 책을 읽어요? — “Which book are you reading?” 의자를 contains 의자, “chair,” plus the object particle 를. The particle marks the chair as the thing being chosen. 를 follows a noun ending in a vowel; the corresponding object-particle form after a consonant is 을. Example: 책을 골라요. — “I choose a book.” 고를까요? comes from 고르다, “to choose.” The form -(으)ㄹ까요? asks about a proposed action, commonly giving the meaning “shall we …?” or “should we …?” Here, 고르다 becomes 고를까요?; the subject is omitted in Korean, while the fixed translation identifies the intended subject as “we.” Example: 지금 출발할까요? — “Shall we leave now?” Together, 어느 identifies the choice, 의자를 marks the chair as the object, and 고를까요? asks whether the speaker and listener should choose it: “Which chair should we choose?”

2. 이 의자는 편안해 보여요.

   This one looks comfortable.

   이

   this

   의자는

   chair

   편안해

   comfortable

   보여요

   looks; seems

   More detail

   이 means “this” and is a demonstrative modifier placed before the noun it identifies. Here it modifies 의자, so 이 의자 means “this chair”; in the fixed translation, this is naturally rendered as “this one” because the chair is already understood. 의자는 contains the noun 의자 (“chair”) followed by the topic marker 는. The marker presents the chair as the topic, often with a contrast or comparison in the surrounding context. The noun itself does not change; 의자는 is 의자 plus 는. 편안해 comes from the descriptive word 편안하다, “to be comfortable.” Its -해 form connects the description to the following expression: 편안해 보이다 means “to look comfortable.” This form is different from 작다, “to be small,” as in the context’s 작아 보여요 (“looks small”). 보여요 is the polite present form of 보이다, “to look” or “to appear.” With a preceding adjective, -아/어 보이다 expresses an appearance judged by observation: 편안해 보여요 means “looks comfortable,” rather than directly asserting that the chair is certainly comfortable. The ending -요 makes the statement polite. Together, 이 의자는 sets “this chair” as the topic, and 편안해 보여요 describes how it appears. The whole utterance means: “This one looks comfortable.”

3. 다른 의자는 너무 작아 보여요.

   The other chair seems too small.

   다른

   other

   의자

   chair

   너무

   too

   작아

   small

   보여요

   seems; looks

   More detail

   다른 means “other” or “different.” Here it distinguishes the chair being discussed from another chair; it does not itself state how many chairs there are. It commonly appears before a noun: 다른 방법 means “another/different method.” 의자 means “chair.” It is a noun. For example, 의자에 앉아요 means “I sit on a chair.” 너무 means “too” in this sentence, marking an excessive degree: the chair appears small to an undesirable extent. It can also mean “very” in some contexts, but “too” is the intended meaning here. 작아 comes from the descriptive adjective 작다, “to be small.” 작아 is the connective form used before 보여요 in 작아 보여요. The form changes from 작다 to 작아 before a following expression in this pattern. For contrast, 크다 means “to be big,” and its corresponding form here is 커: 커 보여요 means “looks big.” 보여요 is the polite present form of 보이다, “to appear” or “to look.” In the pattern [descriptive adjective] + 아/어 보이다, it means that something appears to have that quality based on how it looks or seems: 예뻐 보여요 means “It looks pretty.” The adjective 작아 supplies the quality, while 보여요 presents it as an appearance rather than a direct statement that the chair objectively is small. Together, 다른 의자 identifies the other chair, and 너무 작아 보여요 says that it appears excessively small. The complete utterance means, “The other chair seems too small.”

4. 그럼 이 의자가 괜찮겠어요.

   Then this one should work.

   그럼

   then

   이

   this

   의자

   chair

   괜찮겠어요

   should work

   More detail

   그럼 connects this choice to what was just discussed. It commonly means “then” or “in that case,” so it helps introduce a conclusion or next suggestion. Example: 그럼 시작해요. — “Then let’s start.” 이 is the proximal demonstrative “this,” placed before a noun: 이 + noun. It identifies something as relatively near the speaker or as the one currently being indicated. Korean demonstratives do not change for grammatical gender, and 이 itself does not mark singular versus plural. Example: 이 책 — “this book.” 의자 means “chair.” It is a noun and can be used directly before a particle or other noun phrase. Example: 의자가 편해요. — “The chair is comfortable.” 괜찮겠어요 is the polite sentence ending formed from 괜찮다 (“to be okay; to be suitable”) with -겠어요. In this utterance, -겠어요 presents the speaker’s assessment or expectation, giving the context-appropriate meaning “should be okay” or “should work.” The form can have other uses in other contexts, including a speaker’s intention, so its exact meaning comes from the situation. Example: 이 방법이 괜찮겠어요. — “This method should work.” Together, 그럼 (“then”), 이 의자 (“this chair”), and 괜찮겠어요 (“should be okay/work”) produce: “Then this one should work.” Here, 이 의자 identifies the proposed chair, while -겠어요 makes the conclusion an assessment rather than a flat statement of certainty.

5. 밝은 색은 어때요?

   What do you think of the bright color?

   밝은

   bright

   색

   color

   어때요?

   What do you think?

   More detail

   밝은 means “bright” here and describes the noun that follows. It is the attributive form of 밝다 (“to be bright”): 밝다 → 밝은 색 (“bright color”). The form 밝은 is used before a noun; in a sentence such as 방이 밝아요 (“The room is bright”), the predicate form is 밝아요 instead. 색 means “color.” With the topic marker 은, the phrase 색은 sets “the color” as the topic: 밝은 색은 means “as for the bright color.” The marker 은 is attached after a noun ending in a consonant; its paired form 는 is used after a vowel-ending noun. 어때요? is the polite present form of 어떻다, asking how something is or what someone thinks of it. 어떻다 → 어때요? involves the change in the stem before the polite ending. It can be used for an evaluation, as in 이 색은 어때요? (“What do you think of this color?”), not only for asking about physical condition. Together, 밝은 색은 identifies the bright color as the topic, and 어때요? asks for the listener’s evaluation. The whole utterance means “What do you think of the bright color?”

6. 밝은 색이라 의자가 쉽게 보여요.

   It makes the chair easy to spot.

   밝은

   bright

   색

   color

   이라

   because it is

   의자

   chair

   쉽게

   easily

   보여요

   is visible

   More detail

   밝은 means “bright” here and describes the following noun. It is the attributive form of 밝다 (“to be bright”): 밝다 → 밝은 색 (“a bright color”). The form 밝은 is used before a noun; in a predicate, the same adjective appears as 밝아요 (“is bright”). 색 means “color.” In this sentence it is the noun that is described by 밝은. The combination 밝은 색 means “bright color,” not simply “bright” by itself. 이라 is the causal connective form of the copula after a noun ending in a consonant: 색이다 (“be a color”) → 색이라 (“because it is a color”). Here 밝은 색이라 means “because it is a bright color.” After a vowel-final noun, the corresponding form is commonly 라, as in 의자라 (“because it is a chair”). 의자 means “chair.” The following subject marker 가 makes 의자가 the thing that is visible: “the chair” is the subject of the second part. The noun itself does not change form here. 쉽게 means “easily.” It comes from the adjective 쉽다 (“to be easy”); the adverbial form is 쉽게. This form describes how something happens. For example, 이 단어를 쉽게 배워요 means “I learn this word easily.” 보여요 means “is visible” or “can be seen” in this sentence. Its base form is 보이다, not 보다: 보이다 → polite present 보여요. 보다 means “to see/watch,” and its polite present form is 봐요, so 보여요 and 봐요 are different forms with different roles. Here the chair is the thing that can be seen easily. Together, 밝은 색이라 gives the reason, “because it is a bright color,” and 의자가 쉽게 보여요 says “the chair is easy to see.” The whole utterance therefore means, “It makes the chair easy to spot,” with the bright color presented as the reason the chair is easy to see.

7. 이 의자를 고릅시다.

   Let's choose this chair.

   이

   this

   의자

   chair

   고릅시다

   let’s choose

   More detail

   이 means “this” and is a demonstrative placed before a noun. In this sentence, it identifies the chair intended by the fixed translation. Korean also distinguishes 그 (“that,” typically associated with the listener or an already mentioned item) and 저 (“that over there,” farther from both speakers). Here, 이 modifies 의자, rather than standing as a separate pronoun. 의자 means “chair.” It is a noun; Korean commonly leaves number unmarked, so the form can refer to one chair or more than one when context supports that reading. In this sentence, the translation identifies one chair. The following 를 is the object marker: 의자를 means “the chair” as the thing being chosen. 고릅시다 comes from the dictionary form 고르다, “to choose” or “to select.” The ending -(으)ㅂ시다 makes a formal, inclusive proposal, so 고릅시다 means “let’s choose.” This is different from a plain statement such as 고릅니다, “choose/select” in a formal declarative form. For example, 이것을 고릅시다. means “Let’s choose this.” Together, 이 의자를 identifies the chair as the object, and 고릅시다 proposes that the speaker and listener choose it: “Let’s choose this chair.”

8. 제가 이 의자를 이쪽으로 옮길게요.

   I will move it over here.

   제가

   I

   이

   this

   의자

   chair

   이쪽으로

   over here

   옮길게요

   I’ll move

   More detail

   제가 means “I” as the subject. It combines the modest/polite first-person pronoun 저 (“I”) with the subject particle 가; 저 contracts to 제 before 가. This form identifies the speaker as the person who will carry out the action. Example: 제가 할게요. — “I’ll do it.” 이 means “this” and points to something near the relevant viewpoint. Here it modifies 의자, so 이 의자 means “this chair.” The demonstrative itself does not carry the noun’s number or gender. 의자 means “chair.” In the supplied context, 이 의자 refers to the chair mentioned in the preceding sentence. Example: 의자가 커요. — “The chair is big.” 이쪽으로 means “toward this side” or, naturally here, “over here.” It consists of 이쪽 (“this side/this direction”) and 으로, a particle marking direction or destination. The particle is 으로 after a consonant other than ㄹ, and 로 after a vowel or after final ㄹ. Example: 이쪽으로 오세요. — “Please come this way.” 옮길게요 is the verb 옮기다 (“to move” something from one place to another) with -(으)ㄹ게요. This ending presents the speaker’s intention or commitment to do the action, often translated as “I’ll …”. Because 옮기다 is transitive here, its object is expressed by 이 의자; English uses “it” in the fixed translation. The ending is not simply a neutral future tense: it commonly signals what the speaker offers or undertakes to do. Example: 제가 문을 닫을게요. — “I’ll close the door.” The sentence proceeds as subject (제가) + object (이 의자) + direction (이쪽으로) + verb (옮길게요). Together, these parts mean that the speaker undertakes to move this chair over here, matching the fixed translation “I will move it over here.”