Choosing the Next Task | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 지금 무엇을 할까요?

   What should we do now?

   지금

   now

   무엇을

   what

   할까요?

   should we do?

   More detail

   지금 means “now” and places the action in the present time. It can be moved to another position for emphasis, but here it comes first as the time setting. 무엇을 means “what” as the object of the action. 무엇 is the question word “what,” and -을 marks the object; the full form is used before a verb when asking what is acted on. In less formal speech, 뭐 is a common shorter form of 무엇. 할까요? comes from 하다 (“to do”) plus the polite question ending -(으)ㄹ까요?. The form 할까요? asks for a joint decision or suggestion involving the speaker and listener: “shall we do …?” or “what should we do …?” It is not simply the ordinary present-tense question 해요?, which asks whether someone does or is doing something. For example, 같이 갈까요? means “Shall we go together?” Together, 지금 sets the time, 무엇을 asks what object or activity is intended, and 할까요? asks the speaker and listener to decide on an action. The whole utterance therefore means “What should we do now?”

2. 짧은 목록부터 시작해요.

   Let's start with the short list.

   짧은

   short

   목록

   list

   부터

   from; starting with

   시작해요

   start; begin

   More detail

   짧은 means “short” here and is the form used before a noun. Its base form is 짧다 (“to be short”); 짧은 목록 means “a short list.” The form 짧은 is an attributive form, linking the description to 목록. 목록 means “list.” It is a noun and can be reused with descriptions or particles: 긴 목록 means “a long list.” Example: 목록을 확인해요. — “I check the list.” 부터 marks the starting point: “from” or “starting with.” In 목록부터, it means “starting with the list,” emphasizing that this is the first item or stage. Example: 이것부터 해요. — “Let’s do this first.” 시작해요 means “start” or “begin” in this sentence. It comes from the verb 시작하다; 시작해요 is its polite present-style form used for a current suggestion or action. The ending -해요 gives a polite, conversational tone. Example: 지금 시작해요. — “Let’s start now.” Together, 짧은 목록부터 means “starting with the short list,” and 시작해요 supplies the suggestion “let’s start.” Korean commonly leaves the subject unstated when the context makes it clear, so the complete utterance means “Let’s start with the short list.”

3. 파일을 검토하기 전에 이 목록을 끝낼까요?

   Should we finish it before reviewing the file?

   파일

   file

   검토하기 전에

   before reviewing

   이

   this

   목록

   list

   끝낼까요?

   shall we finish it?

   More detail

   파일 means “file.” It is a noun and can combine directly with a verb: 파일을 검토하다 means “to review a file,” with 을 marking the file as the object. Example: 파일을 열어요. — “I open the file.” 검토하기 전에 means “before reviewing.” 검토하다 is the base verb “to review”; 검토하기 uses -기 to turn the verb into an activity or event, and 전에 means “before” that activity. The pattern 동사-기 전에 is reusable: 자기 전에 — “before sleeping.” Here, 파일을 검토하기 전에 means “before reviewing the file.” 이 means “this” and identifies something near the speaker or otherwise treated as the current item. It is a demonstrative determiner placed before the noun it modifies, as in 이 목록 (“this list”). Its form does not change for the noun’s number or gender. 목록 means “list.” In 이 목록을, the particle 을 marks this list as the object of 끝내다. Example: 목록을 만들어요. — “I make a list.” 끝낼까요? comes from 끝내다, “to finish” or “bring to an end.” The observed form uses -ㄹ까요?, a question pattern used to suggest or ask about a joint action: “Shall we finish?” The verb is transitive here because the thing being finished is 이 목록; 이 목록을 끝내다 means “finish this list.” The same pattern can make a suggestion with another verb: 시작할까요? — “Shall we start?” Together, 파일을 검토하기 전에 sets the time condition, “before reviewing the file.” 이 목록을 끝낼까요? asks whether the participants should finish this list. The complete utterance therefore means, “Should we finish this list before reviewing the file?” The question uses a cooperative suggestion rather than a plain statement.

4. 일을 나누면 빨리 끝낼 수 있어요.

   We can get through it quickly if we split the work.

   일

   work; task

   나누면

   if (we) divide/share

   빨리

   quickly

   끝낼 수 있어요

   can finish

   More detail

   일 is a noun meaning “work” or “task.” Here it refers to the work being divided. A useful related expression is 일을 하다, “to do work.” Example: 일이 많아요. — “There is a lot of work.” 나누면 comes from 나누다, “to divide” or “to share,” plus the conditional ending -(으)면, “if/when.” The ending presents a condition; here, the fixed translation identifies the understood subject as “we,” and 일을 is the work being divided. Example: 이것을 나누면 더 쉬워요. — “If we divide this, it is easier.” 빨리 is an adverb meaning “quickly.” It describes the speed of the finishing action. Its adjective counterpart is 빠르다, “to be fast,” but 빨리 is the form used to describe how an action happens. Example: 빨리 와요. — “Come quickly.” 끝낼 수 있어요 combines 끝내다, “to finish something,” with -(으)ㄹ 수 있다, “can” or “be able to,” followed by the polite form 있어요. 끝내다 is transitive: it means bringing something to an end. This contrasts with 끝나다, “to end” or “to be over,” which describes the thing that reaches its end. Example: 오늘 일을 끝낼 수 있어요. — “I can finish the work today.” The -ㄹ in 끝낼 is part of the pattern -(으)ㄹ 수 있다; it is not a separate word meaning “can.” With a verb stem ending in a vowel, as in 끝내다, this pattern uses -ㄹ 수 있다: 끝낼 수 있다. With a consonant-ending stem, it commonly uses -을 수 있다, as in 먹을 수 있다, “can eat.” Together, 일을 나누면 means “if we divide the work,” 빨리 means “quickly,” and 끝낼 수 있어요 means “can finish.” The complete utterance therefore means: “We can get through it quickly if we split the work.” The conditional clause comes first, followed by the result. In this context, the implicit subject of both actions is understood as “we,” consistent with the fixed translation and surrounding discussion.

5. 그럼 제가 앞부분을 맡을게요.

   Then I'll take the first part.

   그럼

   then

   제가

   I

   앞부분

   the first part

   맡을게요

   will take responsibility for

   More detail

   그럼 means “then” or “in that case.” It is a shortened form of 그러면 and links this decision to what has just been said. Example: 그럼 시작할게요. — “Then I’ll start.” 제가 is the subject-marked form of the humble first-person pronoun 저: 저 + 가 → 제가. It means “I” as the person taking the action here. The less humble or informal counterpart is 내가, from 나 + 가. Here, 가 is included in the written form 제가; it is not a separate word after it. 앞부분 is a noun meaning “the first/front part.” In this sentence, 앞부분을 marks that part as the object of 맡다; 을 is the object marker. The noun can be reused for divisions of a task, text, or process. Example: 앞부분을 읽어 주세요. — “Please read the first part.” 맡을게요 comes from the verb 맡다, “to take charge of, handle, or be responsible for,” plus -(으)ㄹ게요. Because the verb stem 맡- ends in a consonant, this form uses -을게요: 맡다 → 맡을게요. -(으)ㄹ게요 presents the speaker’s intention or commitment, often as a promise or offer relevant to the listener; it is not simply a neutral statement about a scheduled future event. Example: 제가 확인할게요. — “I’ll check it.” Together, 제가 앞부분을 맡을게요 means “I’ll take responsibility for the first part.” With 그럼 at the beginning, the whole utterance is: “Then I’ll take the first part.”

6. 저는 나머지를 맡을게요.

   I'll handle the rest.

   저는

   as for me; I

   나머지를

   the rest

   맡을게요

   I’ll handle it

   More detail

   저는 저 means “I” in a humble or modest form, and 는 marks the topic: “as for me.” The topic marker can introduce the person whose role or action is being discussed. In this sentence, the speaker is the person who will take responsibility for the remaining work. A useful contrast is 저는 “as for me” versus 제가 “I” with subject emphasis; the previous sentence uses 제가 because it presents the speaker as the one taking the first part. Example: 저는 이 일을 할게요. — “I’ll do this work.” 나머지를 나머지 means “the rest” or “what remains.” The ending 를 marks it as the object of the action. Here, it refers to the remaining part of the work, without specifying its exact contents. The form 나머지를 is 나머지 + object marker 를. Example: 나머지를 확인해 주세요. — “Please check the rest.” 맡을게요 맡다 means “to take charge of,” “to handle,” or “to take responsibility for.” The observed form 맡을게요 combines the verb stem 맡- with -을게요. After a verb stem ending in a consonant, -을게요 is used; after a vowel, -ㄹ게요 is used. This ending presents the speaker’s willingness or commitment to carry out the action, often as a response to the situation or another person’s needs. It is not simply a neutral future tense. Example: 제가 확인할게요. — “I’ll check it.” Putting the parts together, 저는 sets the speaker as the topic, 나머지를 identifies the remaining work as the object, and 맡을게요 expresses the speaker’s commitment to handle it. The whole utterance therefore means, “I’ll handle the rest.”

7. 그다음에는 우리가 잘 모르는 부분을 검토할 수 있어요.

   After that, we can review anything unclear.

   그다음에는

   after that

   우리가

   we

   잘 모르는

   do not know well

   부분을

   part

   검토할

   review

   수 있어요

   can; be able to

   More detail

   그다음에는 means “after that.” 그다음 refers to the next step or point, while -에 marks the time or situation and -는 presents it as the topic. The pattern 그다음에는 ... is useful for moving to a later step. 우리가 means “we” as the subject. 우리 is the pronoun for “we” or “us” (and can also mean “our” before a noun); -가 marks the subject here. The form itself does not identify who belongs to “we”; that must come from context. 잘 모르는 describes the following noun: “that we do not know well.” The base verb is 모르다, “to not know,” and 모르는 is its present form used before a noun. 잘 means “well,” so 잘 모르다 means “not know well,” which here gives the sense “be unclear” or “not be familiar.” Example: 제가 잘 모르는 단어 means “a word I do not know well.” 부분을 means “the part” or “the section” as the object of the action. 부분 means “part” or “section,” and -을 marks the object. The preceding clause 우리가 잘 모르는 identifies which part is meant: “the part that we do not know well.” 검토할 means “review” in the form used before 수. Its base verb is 검토하다, “to review” or “to examine.” Here, 검토할 is the -(으)ㄹ form required in the ability or possibility pattern 검토할 수 있다; in this construction it does not by itself assert a future event. Example: 이 문서를 검토할 수 있어요 means “I/we can review this document.” 수 있어요 completes the expression of ability or possibility: “can” or “be able to.” The reusable pattern verb + -(으)ㄹ 수 있어요 means “can [verb].” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다 in this construction, and 수 is the noun used in the fixed expression -(으)ㄹ 수 있다, not the object being reviewed. Together, 그다음에는 sets the next stage, 우리가 잘 모르는 부분을 identifies the part that we do not know well, and 검토할 수 있어요 says that reviewing it is possible. The whole utterance means: “After that, we can review anything unclear.”

8. 목록이 끝나면 제가 파일을 열게요.

   I'll open the file when the list is done.

   목록

   list

   끝나면

   when it ends

   제가

   I (subject)

   파일

   file

   열게요

   will open

   More detail

   목록 means “list.” It is a noun, and it can combine with particles such as 목록이 (the list as subject) or 목록을 (the list as object). Example: 목록을 확인해요. — “I check the list.” 끝나면 means “when it ends” here. The base form is 끝나다, “to end,” and -면 makes a condition or time clause: 끝나면 = “when/if it ends.” The subject of 끝나다 is understood from the sentence as the list, because 목록이 appears before it. Example: 회의가 끝나면 쉬어요. — “When the meeting ends, I rest.” 제가 means “I” as the subject. It is the subject form of the humble first-person pronoun 저; 저 + subject marker 가 contracts to 제가. 나는 or 내가 can also mean “I,” but 제가 is the polite form used here. Example: 제가 할게요. — “I’ll do it.” 파일 means “file,” a noun commonly used for a computer file. With the object marker, it becomes 파일을, as in this sentence. Example: 파일을 저장해요. — “I save the file.” 열게요 means “I’ll open it” here. Its base verb is 열다, “to open,” and -ㄹ게요 expresses the speaker’s intention or commitment, often in response to the situation or as an offer to take responsibility. It is not simply a neutral prediction of the future. Example: 문을 열게요. — “I’ll open the door.” Together, 목록이 끝나면 sets the time condition, “when the list is finished,” and 제가 파일을 열게요 says that the speaker will open the file. The complete meaning is: “I’ll open the file when the list is done.”