Choosing between a sandwich and a salad | Learn Korean in English

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Use Choosing between a sandwich and a salad to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

샌드위치를 고를까요, 샐러드를 고를까요?

SAEN-duh-wee-chee-rul goh-rul-KKAH-yoh, SAEL-luh-duh-rul goh-rul-KKAH-yoh Should I choose a sandwich or a salad?

샐러드가 더 가벼운 선택이에요.

SAEL-luh-duh-ga duh gah-byuh-oon suh n-TAE-gi-eh-yoh The salad is a lighter option.

저는 배가 별로 고프지 않아요.

JUH-nun BAE-ga BYUHL-loh GOH-puh-jee a-NAH-yoh I am not very hungry.

그럼 샐러드가 더 잘 맞겠어요.

guh-rum SAEL-luh-duh-ga duh JAHL mat-KKESS-uh-yoh Then it may suit you better.

뭘 고를 거예요?

MWUHL goh-rul guh-yeh-YOH What are you getting?

저는 더 큰 것을 원해요.

JUH-nun duh KUHN guh-sul WUHN-heh-yoh I want something bigger.

저는 샌드위치를 고를게요.

JUH-nun SAEN-duh-wee-chee-rul goh-rul-KKEH-yoh I will choose the sandwich.

저는 샐러드가 괜찮아요.

JUH-nun SAEL-luh-duh-ga gwen-CHAN-a-yoh The salad works for me.

직원이 돌아오면 주문해요.

JEE-gwon-ee doh-ra-oh-myun joo-MOON-heh-yoh Let's order when the server comes back.

Word by Word

샌드위치를 “샌드위치를” means sandwich as the thing being chosen. The ending 를 marks it as the object of 고를까요 in the question “샌드위치를 고를까요?”. Use this object-marking pattern when naming an option you may choose at a counter.

고를까요 “고를까요” means “shall I choose?” here. It is the form of 고르다 used in the polite question “샌드위치를 고를까요?”, where the speaker asks for advice about two options. Use this question when asking a companion which item you should select.

샐러드를 “샐러드를” means salad as the thing being chosen. The ending 를 marks it as the object of 고를까요 in “샐러드를 고를까요?”. Use this form when presenting salad as an option to choose.

샐러드가 “샐러드가” presents the salad as the subject or option being evaluated. In “샐러드가 더 가벼운 선택이에요”, it is the salad that is described as the lighter choice. Use this subject-marking pattern when comparing or evaluating an option.

더 “더” means “more” here and marks a comparison with the sandwich. In “더 가벼운”, it comes before the description it strengthens. Use it when saying that one option has a greater degree of a quality than another.

가벼운 “가벼운” means “light” in the context of food and describes the choice in “더 가벼운 선택이에요”. It is the form of 가볍다 used before a noun, and here means “lighter”. Use it before a noun when describing food or another option as light.

선택이에요 “선택이에요” means “is a choice” or “is an option”. In “샐러드가 더 가벼운 선택이에요”, the whole phrase says that the salad is the lighter option, while 선택 identifies the option and 이에요 makes the statement polite. Use a noun followed by 이에요 to identify or describe something politely.

저는 “저는” means “as for me” or “I”, setting the speaker as the topic. In “저는 배가 별로 고프지 않아요”, the speaker gives personal information, and it also introduces a preference or decision in “저는 더 큰 것을 원해요” and “저는 샌드위치를 고를게요”. Use 저는 when stating your own condition, preference, or decision.

배가 “배가” presents the stomach or appetite as the subject in this sentence. It is part of “배가 별로 고프지 않아요”, which means that the speaker is not very hungry; 배가 itself does not mean “not hungry”. Use 배가 as the subject when talking about hunger in this expression.

별로 “별로” means “not particularly” or “not very” here because it occurs with the negative expression “고프지 않아요”. Together, 별로 and the negative statement soften the meaning to “not very hungry”. Use 별로 with a negative statement when you mean “not especially”.

고프지 “고프지” is the “hungry” part of the negative expression “배가 별로 고프지 않아요”. It comes from 고프다 and connects the meaning “hungry” to 않아요, so the sentence says that the speaker is not very hungry. Use 고프지 않아요 when describing this state.

않아요 “않아요” supplies the polite negation in “고프지 않아요”. It does not carry the whole meaning “not hungry” by itself; together with 고프지, it makes the statement negative. Use the exact pattern 고프지 않아요 to say that someone is not hungry.

그럼 “그럼” means “then” or “in that case”, linking the suggestion to the previous statement that the speaker is not very hungry. It introduces the conclusion in “그럼 샐러드가 더 잘 맞겠어요”. Use it when responding to information and proposing what should follow.

잘 “잘” means “well” or “suitably” in “잘 맞겠어요”. Here it modifies 맞겠어요 and contributes to the idea that the salad will suit the speaker. Use 잘 before a word describing how well something is done or how suitably it fits.

맞겠어요 “맞겠어요” means “would suit” or “would fit” here, as part of “더 잘 맞겠어요”. It expresses a polite judgment about what will suit the other person based on their situation, while the complete phrase means “would suit you better”. Use this kind of expression when recommending one option after hearing someone’s needs.

뭘 “뭘” is the conversational shortened form of 무엇을, meaning “what” as the object of choose. In “뭘 고를 거예요?”, it asks which item the other person plans to choose. Use 뭘 with a choice-related verb when asking what someone will select.

고를 “고를” means “choose” in the future-plan expression “고를 거예요”. It is the form of 고르다 that connects to 거예요, and the object being chosen comes before it, as in “뭘 고를 거예요?”. Use this full question when asking about a planned choice.

거예요 “거예요” completes “고를 거예요”, the polite expression for “will choose” or “are going to choose”. The future or plan meaning belongs to the whole expression 고를 거예요, not to 거예요 alone. Use it after a verb form when asking or stating a planned action.

큰 “큰” means “big”, and in “더 큰 것을” it means “bigger”. It is the form of 크다 used before the noun-like expression 것, describing the thing the speaker wants. Use 큰 before a noun when identifying something as big.

것을 “것을” means “thing” or “something” as the object in “더 큰 것을 원해요”. The whole phrase 더 큰 것을 means “something bigger”, while 것을 lets that described thing function as the object of 원해요. Use 것을 after a description when the described thing is the object of a verb.

원해요 “원해요” means “want” in the polite statement “저는 더 큰 것을 원해요”. The desired thing comes before 원해요, and here it is 더 큰 것을. Use this pattern to state what you want when choosing food or another option.

고를게요 “고를게요” means “I’ll choose”, presenting the speaker’s decision or commitment. It comes from 고르다 with the 게요 ending, and the complete form is used after deciding on the sandwich. Use 고를게요 when telling a companion or server which option you have decided to take.

괜찮아요 “괜찮아요” means “is okay” or “works for me”. In “저는 샐러드가 괜찮아요”, the whole sentence says that the salad is acceptable to the speaker, while 샐러드가 is the option being evaluated. Use 괜찮아요 to accept an option or state that it suits you.

직원이 “직원이” means the staff member or server as the subject of the later action. In “직원이 돌아오면”, 직원이 identifies who comes back, with 이 marking the subject. Use this form when talking about what a staff member does.

돌아오면 “돌아오면” means “when someone comes back” in “직원이 돌아오면”. It is the form of 돌아오다 used to set the time or condition for what follows, so the ordering happens after the server returns. Use a 돌아오면 clause before an action that should happen after someone comes back.

주문해요 “주문해요” means “order” or “place an order” in the polite sentence “직원이 돌아오면 주문해요”. In this context, the full sentence is a suggestion to order once the staff member returns; that suggestion comes from the sentence context, not 주문해요 alone. Use 주문해요 at a food counter when placing or proposing an order.

Grammar Points

동사-(으)ㄹ까요?

샌드위치를 고를까요?

SAEN-duh-wee-chee-rul goh-rul-KKAH-yoh

Shall we choose a sandwich?

This ending makes a suggestion or asks what the speaker and listener should do together.

동사-(으)면

직원이 돌아오면 주문해요.

JEE-gwon-ee doh-ra-oh-myun joo-MOON-heh-yoh

We order when the server comes back.

This pattern means “if” or “when” and connects a condition with the following action.

Korean Vocabulary

가볍다 adj

gah-BYUHPT-tah to be light 가벼운

고르다 verb

goh-RUH-dah to choose 고를까요

고프다 adj

goh-PUH-dah to be hungry 고프지 않아요

그럼 adv

guh-RUM then; in that case

더 adv

duh more

배 noun

beh stomach; appetite 배가

별로 adv

BYUHL-loh not particularly; not very

샌드위치 noun

SAEN-duh-wee-chee sandwich 샌드위치를

샐러드 noun

SAEL-luh-duh salad 샐러드가

선택 noun

suhn-TAEK choice 선택이에요

잘 adv

JAHL well

저 pron

juh I; me 저는

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Should I choose a sandwich or a salad?

Show Answer

샌드위치를 고를까요, 샐러드를 고를까요?

The salad is a lighter option.

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샐러드가 더 가벼운 선택이에요.

I am not very hungry.

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저는 배가 별로 고프지 않아요.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

salad

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샐러드가

sandwich

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샌드위치를

choice

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선택이에요

to choose

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고를까요