Talking about a sore back | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 허리가 아파요.

   My back feels sore.

   허리

   back, especially the waist or lower-back area

   아파요

   hurts; feels sore

   More detail

   허리 means “back,” often the waist or lower-back area. In 허리가, the particle 가 marks 허리 as the subject—the body part that hurts. A reusable Korean pattern is [body part]가 아파요, meaning “[body part] hurts” or “[body part] feels sore.” 아파요 is the polite present form of 아프다, “to hurt” or “to be painful.” Its formation follows the ㅡ-ending pattern: the ㅡ is dropped and the vowel contracts before -어요, producing 아파요. For example, 머리가 아파요 means “My head hurts,” and 배가 아파요 means “My stomach hurts.” Together, 허리가 아파요 presents the back as the painful body part and naturally means “My back feels sore.” The possessive “my” is supplied by the fixed translation and situation; it is not separately expressed in the Korean sentence.

2. 똑바로 앉아 보세요.

   Try to sit up straight.

   똑바로

   straight; upright

   앉아 보세요

   please try sitting

   More detail

   똑바로 means “straight” or “upright” here and modifies the way of sitting. It is an adverb, so it describes the action rather than naming a posture by itself. For example, 똑바로 서세요 means “Please stand up straight.” 앉아 보세요 combines 앉다, “to sit,” with -아/어 보다, “to try doing something,” and the polite request ending -세요. 앉아 is the form of 앉다 used before 보다; 보세요 is the polite request form of 보다 in this construction. Thus, the pattern 동사-아/어 보세요 politely asks someone to try an action. For example, 이 문장을 읽어 보세요 means “Please try reading this sentence.” Together, 똑바로 specifies how the person should sit, and 앉아 보세요 politely asks them to try it. The full utterance means “Try to sit up straight.”

3. 오늘 너무 오래 앉아 있었어요.

   I sat too long today.

   오늘

   today

   너무

   too; overly

   오래

   for a long time

   앉아 있었어요

   was sitting; sat

   More detail

   오늘 means “today” and locates the situation in the current day. It is a time noun/adverb that can appear at the beginning of a sentence, as here. Example: 오늘 운동해요. — “I exercise today.” 너무 means “too” or “overly” here. It marks an excessive degree: the amount of sitting was more than appropriate, not merely large. Example: 너무 늦었어요. — “It is too late.” 오래 means “for a long time.” It describes duration and commonly modifies an action or state. The phrase 너무 오래 therefore means “for too long.” Example: 오래 기다렸어요. — “I waited for a long time.” 앉아 있었어요 expresses the state of sitting having continued in the past. Its base verb is 앉다, “to sit.” In 앉아 있다, 앉아 is the connective form of 앉다, and 있다 presents the state as continuing; 있었어요 puts that state in the past with polite 해요-style speech. In this sentence, the whole form is naturally rendered “sat” or “was sitting,” with the duration supplied by 오래. Example: 한 시간 동안 앉아 있었어요. — “I was sitting for an hour.” Together, 오늘 sets the time, 너무 오래 says that the duration was excessive, and 앉아 있었어요 says that the speaker remained seated in the past. The complete meaning is “I sat for too long today.”

4. 가능하면 천천히 스트레칭하세요.

   Stretch slowly if you can.

   가능하면

   if possible

   천천히

   slowly

   스트레칭하세요

   please stretch

   More detail

   가능하면 means “if possible” here. It is built from 가능하다 (“to be possible”) plus -(으)면, a conditional ending meaning “if/when.” Because the stem ends in a vowel, this form is 가능하면. The phrase sets a condition for the request that follows. 천천히 is an adverb meaning “slowly” or “at an unhurried pace.” It describes how the stretching should be done. Compare 빨리 (“quickly”) as a useful contrast: 천천히 하세요 means “Do it slowly,” while 빨리 하세요 means “Do it quickly.” 스트레칭하세요 means “stretch.” 스트레칭하다 is the dictionary form, using the noun-like loanword 스트레칭 with 하다 (“do”) to form the verb “to stretch.” In 하세요, -시- adds honorific respect and -요 makes the utterance polite; in this context the complete ending gives a polite request or instruction. The verb form is not itself marked for a stated subject’s number or gender. For example, 운동하세요 means “Please exercise,” using the same polite request pattern with 운동하다. Together, 가능하면 (“if possible”) + 천천히 (“slowly”) + 스트레칭하세요 (“stretch”) produces: “Stretch slowly if you can.” The conditional phrase softens the instruction by making it apply when stretching is possible, while 천천히 specifies the manner of stretching.

5. 이 의자가 더 편해요.

   This chair feels better.

   이

   this

   의자

   chair

   더

   more

   편해요

   is comfortable

   More detail

   이 means “this” and is a demonstrative determiner placed before the noun it specifies. Here it identifies 의자 as the chair being referred to. Korean demonstratives such as 이 concern distance or reference from the speaker’s perspective; the form itself does not mark the noun’s number. 의자 means “chair.” It is a noun and can be reused in patterns such as 이 의자 (“this chair”) or 의자가 편해요 (“the chair is comfortable”). 더 means “more” in this sentence. It marks a comparison with another chair or option understood from the situation: the subject is more comfortable, which matches “feels better.” It commonly appears before the adjective or descriptive expression being compared. Example: 이 의자가 더 좋아요. — “This chair is better.” 편해요 is the polite present-style form of the Korean descriptive word 편하다, “to be comfortable” or “to feel comfortable.” The -해요 ending gives a polite everyday style; 편하다 changes to 편해요 in this form. In this sentence, 더 makes the comfort comparative rather than simply stating 편해요 (“it is comfortable”). Together, 이 의자가 presents “this chair” as the subject, 더 adds the comparison “more,” and 편해요 says that it is comfortable. The complete meaning is “This chair feels better,” or more literally, “This chair is more comfortable.”

6. 몇 분 동안 거기 계세요.

   Stay there for a few minutes.

   몇 분

   a few minutes

   동안

   for; during

   거기

   there

   계세요

   stay

   More detail

   몇 분 means an unspecified small number of minutes here. 몇 asks or indicates an unspecified amount, while 분 is the time unit “minute” in this expression. It does not give an exact number. For example, 몇 분 기다려 주세요 means “Please wait a few minutes.” 동안 marks the length of time during which an action or state continues. The pattern 시간 표현 + 동안 corresponds to “for [that amount of time]” or “during [that period].” Here, 몇 분 동안 means “for a few minutes.” 거기 is a demonstrative place word meaning “there,” referring to a place understood from the situation. It is distinct from 여기 (“here”) and 저기 (“over there”). For example, 거기에 있어요 means “It is there” or “I am there,” depending on the context and subject. 계세요 is the polite form used here for “stay” or “remain.” Its base form is the honorific verb 계시다, used for the existence or presence of a person deserving honor; 계세요 is its polite present form. In this fixed utterance, the translation and context give it the force of a polite instruction, “stay,” rather than a question. A non-honorific form such as 있으세요 is not simply interchangeable in every situation, because 계시다 specifically marks honorific treatment of the person who remains. Together, 몇 분 동안 sets the duration, 거기 gives the location, and 계세요 supplies the polite instruction: “Stay there for a few minutes.”

7. 잠깐 쉬면 도움이 될 거예요.

   A short rest should help.

   잠깐

   briefly; for a moment

   쉬면

   if you rest

   도움

   help

   될 거예요

   will be; should become

   More detail

   잠깐 means “for a moment” or “briefly.” It is an adverb, so it describes a short duration or brief action. Example: 잠깐 기다리세요. — “Please wait a moment.” 쉬면 means “if you rest” in this sentence. Its base form is 쉬다, “to rest.” The ending -(으)면 makes a condition: 쉬다 becomes 쉬면 because the stem ends in a vowel. Example: 피곤하면 쉬세요. — “If you are tired, rest.” Here 쉬면 presents resting as the condition, not as a command by itself. 도움 is the noun “help” or “assistance.” In this sentence it refers to something being helpful, without specifying a separate kind of help. Example: 이것이 도움이 돼요. — “This helps.” The related expression 도움이 되다 literally combines “help” with “become,” and naturally means “to help” or “to be helpful.” 될 거예요 comes from 되다, “to become” or, in the construction 도움이 되다, “to be helpful.” 될 is the form used before 것, and 거예요 is the polite spoken form of 것이에요; together, -(으)ㄹ 거예요 commonly expresses an expected or predicted future result. The subject of 될 is understood from the sentence: the short rest is expected to be helpful. Example: 곧 좋아질 거예요. — “It will probably get better soon.” Together, 잠깐 쉬면 means “if you rest briefly,” and 도움이 될 거예요 means “it should help” or “it will probably be helpful.” The complete utterance means: “A short rest should help.” The polite ending makes this a gentle prediction or expectation.

8. 일어날 때 천천히 움직이세요.

   Move slowly when you stand up.

   일어날 때

   when standing up

   천천히

   slowly

   움직이세요

   move

   More detail

   일어날 때 means “when you stand up” here. Its base verb is 일어나다 (“to stand up” or “to get up”). Before 때 (“time; when”), the verb uses the attributive form 일어날: -ㄹ 때 marks the time when an action happens. Example: 집에 갈 때 전화하세요. — “Call me when you go home.” 천천히 is an adverb meaning “slowly.” It describes how the movement should be carried out. Example: 천천히 읽으세요. — “Read slowly.” 움직이세요 means “move” as a polite request or instruction. Its base verb is 움직이다 (“to move”), and -세요 gives a polite imperative/request form: 움직이다 → 움직이세요. This ending addresses the listener respectfully; it does not itself specify how many people are being addressed. Example: 조금 움직이세요. — “Please move a little.” Together, 일어날 때 sets the timing, 천천히 gives the manner, and 움직이세요 gives the polite instruction: “Move slowly when you stand up.”