Talking about a sore back | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: At home, two adults talk about a sore back, sitting more comfortably, and standing up slowly..

EN → KO / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Talking about a sore back to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

허리가 아파요.

huh-REE-gah ah-PAH-yoh My back feels sore.
B

똑바로 앉아 보세요.

ttok-PPah-roh AHN-jah boh-SEH-yoh Try to sit up straight.
A

오늘 너무 오래 앉아 있었어요.

OH-nuhl NUH-moo OH-reh AHN-jah ee-SSUH-ssuh-yoh I sat too long today.
B

가능하면 천천히 스트레칭하세요.

gah-NUNG-hah-myun chun-CHUN-hee suh-tuh-REH-ching-hah-SEH-yoh Stretch slowly if you can.
A

이 의자가 더 편해요.

ee ee-JAH-gah tuh PYUN-heh-yoh This chair feels better.
B

몇 분 동안 거기 계세요.

myuht-PPoon dohng-AHN guh-GEE gyeh-SEH-yoh Stay there for a few minutes.
A

잠깐 쉬면 도움이 될 거예요.

jahm-KKAHN shwee-myun doh-OO-mee dwel-KKUH-yeh-yoh A short rest should help.
B

일어날 때 천천히 움직이세요.

ee-ruh-NAHL ttae chun-CHUN-hee oom-JEE-gee-SEH-yoh Move slowly when you stand up.

Word by Word

허리가 In 허리가 아파요, 허리가 refers to the back as the part that hurts. 허리 means back or waist, and 가 marks it as the subject. A reusable pattern is a body part followed by 가 and a word describing its condition.
아파요 In 허리가 아파요, 아파요 says that the back hurts or is sore. It is the polite present form of 아프다. With a body part as the subject, it states that the body part hurts.
똑바로 In 똑바로 앉아 보세요, 똑바로 means straight or upright and describes how to sit. It comes before an action to show the desired manner. A reusable pattern is 똑바로 followed by an action verb.
앉아 In 앉아 보세요, 앉아 means sit and connects the action 앉다 to 보세요. The form 앉아 is used here as part of the suggestion to try sitting. 앉아 보세요 is a reusable pattern for politely suggesting that someone try an action.
보세요 In 앉아 보세요, 보세요 helps make the whole expression mean try sitting. It follows 앉아 in the pattern verb plus 아 or 어 plus 보세요, which politely suggests trying the action. The meaning here comes from the complete expression 앉아 보세요, not from 보세요 alone.
오늘 오늘 means today in 오늘 너무 오래 앉아 있었어요. It identifies when the sitting happened. It can be placed before an action or description to give the day or time.
너무 In 오늘 너무 오래 앉아 있었어요, 너무 means too or overly and shows that the length of sitting was excessive. It modifies 오래 here. A reusable pattern is 너무 before an adjective or adverb to show an excessive degree.
오래 In 너무 오래 앉아 있었어요, 오래 means for a long time and describes the duration of sitting. Together with 너무, it says that the person sat for too long. It can be used before an action to describe doing it for a long time.
있었어요 In 앉아 있었어요, 있었어요 shows that the seated state existed in the past. It is the polite past form of 있다 and completes the expression 앉아 있었어요, meaning was sitting or had been seated. The pattern verb plus 아 or 어 plus 있었어요 can describe a past state.
가능하면 가능하면 means if possible in 가능하면 천천히 스트레칭하세요. It sets a condition for the requested stretching. It comes before a request to say that the action should be done when it is possible.
천천히 In 천천히 스트레칭하세요, 천천히 means slowly and describes how the listener should stretch. It comes before the action verb to show the manner of the action. A reusable pattern is 천천히 followed by a verb.
스트레칭하세요 In 가능하면 천천히 스트레칭하세요, 스트레칭하세요 is a polite instruction to stretch. It is formed from 스트레칭하다, with 하세요 making the request polite. It can be used when advising someone to stretch, especially in a situation involving physical discomfort.
이 이 means this in 이 의자가 더 편해요. It points to the chair that is being referred to. It comes directly before a noun, as in 이 의자가.
의자가 In 이 의자가 더 편해요, 의자가 means the chair as the subject being described. 의자 means chair, and 가 marks it as the subject. A reusable pattern is a noun followed by 가 and an adjective describing it.
더 In 더 편해요, 더 means more and makes the chair more comfortable in comparison with another option or an earlier state. It comes before 편해요 to mark the higher degree. A reusable pattern is 더 followed by an adjective.
편해요 In 이 의자가 더 편해요, 편해요 means is comfortable or feels better. It is the polite present form of 편하다, and 더 makes it mean more comfortable. It can describe how a chair or another place feels to someone.
몇 In 몇 분 동안, 몇 means a few or several and comes before the time counter 분. It asks for or indicates an unspecified small number. A reusable pattern is 몇 followed by a counter or countable noun.
분 In 몇 분 동안, 분 means minutes and counts the length of time. It follows 몇 to form 몇 분, a few minutes. A reusable pattern is a number or quantity followed by 분 for a duration in minutes.
동안 In 몇 분 동안 거기 계세요, 동안 means for and marks the duration of staying. It follows the time expression 몇 분. A reusable pattern is a time expression followed by 동안 and then the action or state that continues during that time.
거기 In 거기 계세요, 거기 means there and identifies the place where the listener should remain. It comes before the polite expression 계세요. A reusable pattern is a location such as 거기 followed by an expression for being or staying.
계세요 In 거기 계세요, 계세요 politely tells the listener to stay or be there. It is the polite honorific form used for someone’s being or staying in a place. A place can come before 계세요 to give a respectful instruction about where someone should remain.
잠깐 In 잠깐 쉬면, 잠깐 means briefly or for a short while. It describes the short length of the rest. It can come before an action verb to indicate that the action lasts only a short time.
쉬면 In 잠깐 쉬면 도움이 될 거예요, 쉬면 means if you rest. It combines 쉬다, to rest, with the conditional ending 면. The pattern verb plus 면 introduces a condition, such as a rest that may lead to a helpful result.
도움이 In 도움이 될 거예요, 도움이 means help as the thing that will be useful. 도움 means help, and 이 marks it as the subject of the expression. The complete expression 도움이 될 거예요 means it will help or be helpful.
될 In 도움이 될 거예요, 될 comes from 되다 and means will become or will be in the expected result. It connects 도움이 to 거예요. The reusable pattern noun plus 될 거예요 can say that something will become or be useful in the expected situation.
거예요 In 도움이 될 거예요, 거예요 completes the expression that presents the result as expected: it should help or will be helpful. Its meaning here comes together with 될, not from 거예요 alone. A reusable pattern is an appropriate verb or adjective form followed by 거예요 when giving an expectation or prediction.
일어날 In 일어날 때, 일어날 means stand up or get up and comes before 때. It is the form of 일어나다 used to describe the action that takes place at a certain time. A reusable pattern is an action followed by 때 to say when that action happens.
때 In 일어날 때, 때 means when or the time at which something happens. It turns 일어날 into the time expression when you stand up. The reusable pattern verb plus ㄹ or 을 때 means when doing the action.
움직이세요 In 천천히 움직이세요, 움직이세요 is a polite instruction to move. It comes after 천천히, so the listener is told to move slowly. It can be used when giving someone a careful movement instruction, such as when standing up.

Grammar Points

가능하면 + 문장

가능하면 천천히 스트레칭하세요.

gah-NUNG-hah-myun chun-CHUN-hee suh-tuh-REH-ching-hah-SEH-yoh

If possible, stretch slowly.

가능하면 means “if possible” and introduces a condition or suggestion.

동사-(으)ㄹ 때

일어날 때 천천히 움직이세요.

ee-ruh-NAHL ttae chun-CHUN-hee oom-JEE-gee-SEH-yoh

When you stand up, move slowly.

-(으)ㄹ 때 means “when” and marks the time an action happens.

Korean Vocabulary

가능하면 phrase
gah-NUNG-hah-myun if possible

Stretch slowly if you can.

너무 adv
NUH-moo too; very

I sat too long today.

더 adv
tuh more; better

This chair feels better.

똑바로 adv
ttok-PPah-roh straight; upright

Try to sit up straight.

스트레칭하다 verb
suh-tuh-REH-ching-hah-dah to stretch 스트레칭하세요

Stretch slowly if you can.

아프다 adj
ah-PUH-dah to hurt; to be sore 아파요

My back feels sore.

앉다 verb
AHN-ttah to sit 앉아

Try to sit up straight.

오늘 adv
OH-nuhl today

I sat too long today.

오래 adv
OH-reh for a long time

I sat too long today.

의자 noun
ee-JAH chair 의자가

This chair feels better.

천천히 adv
chun-CHUN-hee slowly

Stretch slowly if you can.

허리 noun
huh-REE back; lower back 허리가

My back feels sore.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

My back feels sore.

Show Answer허리가 아파요.

Try to sit up straight.

Show Answer똑바로 앉아 보세요.

I sat too long today.

Show Answer오늘 너무 오래 앉아 있었어요.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

if possible

Show Answer가능하면

to stretch

Show Answer스트레칭하세요

to sit

Show Answer앉아

straight; upright

Show Answer똑바로