Saving Leftovers for Tomorrow | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 저녁 식사가 많이 남았어요.

   There are a lot of leftovers from dinner.

   저녁 식사

   dinner

   많이

   a lot

   남았어요

   is left

   More detail

   저녁 식사 means “dinner” or “the dinner meal.” 저녁 can mean “evening” or “dinner,” and 식사 means “meal.” The following subject marker 가 marks the dinner meal as the subject of 남았어요. 많이 means “a lot” here and describes the amount that remains. It is the adverbial form related to 많다 (“to be many” or “to be much”): 많다 describes a large amount, while 많이 modifies an action or state, as in 많이 먹어요 (“eat a lot”). 남았어요 comes from 남다, “to remain” or “to be left.” The ending -았어요 is a polite past-tense ending; here, the result is naturally translated as “is left” because the remaining food is relevant now. This differs from 남기다, “to leave something behind” or “to leave something unused,” which describes an agent causing something to remain. For example, 음식이 남았어요 means “Some food is left,” whereas 음식을 남겼어요 means “Someone left food uneaten.” Together, 저녁 식사가 (“the dinner meal,” marked as the subject) + 많이 (“a lot”) + 남았어요 (“is left/remains”) gives: “There are a lot of leftovers from dinner.” The sentence says that a large amount of the dinner remains, without stating who caused it to remain or exactly what the leftovers are.

2. 깨끗한 용기에 넣어요.

   Let's put them in a clean container.

   깨끗한

   clean

   용기

   container

   넣어요

   put in

   More detail

   깨끗한 means “clean” here and describes the following noun. It is the noun-modifying form of the descriptive verb 깨끗하다 (“to be clean”): 깨끗하다 → 깨끗한 before a noun. Korean descriptive verbs use this attributive form rather than an English-style adjective ending. 용기 means “container.” It is a noun for a vessel used to hold something, such as food. The pattern 깨끗한 용기 means “a clean container”; the adjective comes before the noun. 넣어요 means “put in” here. Its base form is 넣다, and 넣어요 is the polite present-style form. 넣다 is used for moving something into a place or container; for example, 책을 가방에 넣어요 means “I put the book in my bag.” The subject and the object are not stated in this Korean sentence. The fixed translation and the preceding context identify the intended object as the dinner leftovers and present the action as “let’s put them in.” Together, 깨끗한 용기에 means “in a clean container.” The particle -에 marks the destination or place into which something is put, and 넣어요 supplies the action. Thus the whole utterance means “Let’s put them in a clean container.”

3. 내일 점심으로 데워 먹어도 돼요?

   Can I reheat them for lunch tomorrow?

   내일

   tomorrow

   점심으로

   for lunch

   데워

   reheat; warm up

   먹어도 돼요?

   Is it okay to eat?

   More detail

   내일 means “tomorrow.” It is a time word and can be placed before the activity: 내일 가요 means “I’m going tomorrow.” The sentence does not itself state a clock time. 점심으로 presents lunch as the intended meal or occasion. 점심 means “lunch,” and -으로 can mark what something is used for or intended as. Here, 점심으로 means “for lunch.” Compare the example 이것을 아침으로 먹어요 — “I eat this for breakfast.” 데워 comes from the verb 데우다, “to warm something up.” The ending -어 connects this verb to the following verb, so 데워 먹다 means “warm it up and eat it,” naturally “reheat and eat it.” The subject and object are omitted in the Korean sentence; the fixed translation and surrounding context support the intended meaning involving the food already being put in a container. 데워 is not the full dictionary form; it is the connected form used before 먹다. 먹어도 돼요? is a polite permission pattern: 먹다 (“to eat”) becomes 먹어, then -도 되다 asks whether doing that is allowed or acceptable. Thus 먹어도 돼요? means “Is it okay to eat it/them?” In this sentence, the earlier 데워 supplies the preceding action, giving 데워 먹어도 돼요? — “Is it okay to warm them up and eat them?” The polite ending -요 makes the question courteous; it does not itself specify who will eat. Together, 내일 sets the time, 점심으로 gives the intended meal, 데워 links warming to eating, and 먹어도 돼요? asks for permission. The whole utterance therefore means, “Can I reheat them for lunch tomorrow?”

4. 그때까지 냉장고에 보관하면 돼요.

   You can if we keep them in the fridge until then.

   그때까지

   until then

   냉장고

   fridge

   보관하면

   if/when someone stores

   돼요

   it is okay; that will do

   More detail

   그때까지 means “until then.” 그때 means “that time” or “then,” and 까지 marks an endpoint or limit. Here, “then” refers to the time previously mentioned: tomorrow’s lunch. You can reuse the same pattern with another time expression, such as 금요일까지 (“until Friday”). 냉장고 means “refrigerator” or “fridge.” In the full sentence, 냉장고에 uses 에 to mark the place where something is kept. The noun itself is 냉장고; 에 adds the location meaning. 보관하면 comes from the verb 보관하다, “to store” or “to keep.” The ending -면 presents storing as a condition, giving “if/when someone stores.” The subject and object are omitted in the Korean sentence. In the fixed translation and context, the understood subject is “we” and the stored objects are “them.” 돼요 is the polite present form of 되다. In the pattern 동사-면 돼요, it means that the condition or action is acceptable or sufficient. For example, 여기에 두면 돼요 means “It is enough to put it here” or “You can leave it here.” Together, 그때까지 냉장고에 보관하면 돼요 means “You can [do the previously mentioned action] if we keep them in the fridge until then.” 그때까지 sets the time endpoint, 냉장고에 gives the storage location, and 보관하면 돼요 says that keeping them there is an acceptable condition. In this context, the previously mentioned action is reheating them for tomorrow’s lunch.

5. 용기에 라벨을 붙일까요?

   Should I put a label on the container?

   용기에

   on the container

   라벨을

   a label

   붙일까요?

   shall I attach it?

   More detail

   용기에 combines 용기 (“container”) with -에, a particle marking a place or target. Here, with attaching, it marks the container as the surface/target: “on the container.” The form 용기 itself does not show number or gender. Example: 상자에 이름을 써요. — “I write a name on the box.” 라벨을 contains the noun 라벨 (“label”) and the object particle -을. The particle marks the thing directly affected by the action. -을 is used after a noun ending in a consonant; after a vowel, the corresponding object form is -를. Example: 이름을 적어요. — “I write a name.” 붙일까요? comes from the verb 붙이다, “to attach” or “to stick.” The form 붙일까요? uses -ㄹ까요? to ask whether the speaker should do something, so the omitted subject is understood here as “I,” matching the fixed translation. It is a proposal or offer about the speaker’s action, not a statement that the action has happened. Useful forms are 붙여요 (“attach/stick” in polite present style) and 붙였어요 (“attached/stuck,” completed past). Example: 여기에 스티커를 붙일까요? — “Shall I attach a sticker here?” Together, 용기에 identifies the container as the target surface, 라벨을 identifies the label as the object being attached, and 붙일까요? asks whether the speaker should carry out that action. The complete meaning is “Should I put a label on the container?”

6. 그러면 내일 용기 안에 무엇이 들어 있는지 알 수 있어요.

   That way, tomorrow we will know what is inside.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   내일

   tomorrow

   용기

   container

   안에

   inside; in

   무엇이

   what

   들어 있는지

   is inside; is contained

   알 수 있어요

   can know; can find out

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It links this sentence to a condition or plan just mentioned. Example: 그러면 시작해요. — “Then let’s start.” 내일 means “tomorrow,” a time expression. Here it places the knowing in tomorrow; Korean does not need a separate future ending for this reading because the time expression supplies the time reference. 용기 means “container.” It is a noun and can refer to a receptacle whose contents are being discussed. In the preceding context, this is the container receiving a label. 안에 means “inside” or “in.” 안 is “inside,” and -에 marks the location or destination associated with it. Example: 가방 안에 책이 있어요. — “There is a book inside the bag.” 무엇이 means “what” as the subject of the embedded question. 무엇 is the question word “what,” and -이 marks it as the subject. The exact thing it refers to is not named in the sentence. 들어 있는지 expresses “is inside” within an embedded question. 들어 있다 is a common expression meaning that something is in or contained in a place. Here, -는지 attaches to this verb expression to form an embedded question about whether or what is inside. Together with 무엇이, 무엇이 용기 안에 들어 있는지 means “what is inside the container,” rather than a direct standalone question. 알 수 있어요 means “can know” or “can find out.” It is built from 알다 (“to know”) plus -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 (“can; be able to”), followed by the polite ending -어요. The subject is omitted in Korean; the fixed translation supplies “we.” Example: 내일 결과를 알 수 있어요. — “We can find out the result tomorrow.” Together, 그러면 (“then/in that case”) introduces the consequence, 내일 sets the time, and 무엇이 용기 안에 들어 있는지 identifies the information to be learned. 알 수 있어요 says that this information can be known. The whole utterance therefore means: “That way, tomorrow we will know what is inside.”

7. 잘 보이는 라벨을 붙일게요.

   I'll put a clear label on it.

   잘 보이는

   clearly visible

   라벨

   label

   붙일게요

   I’ll put it on

   More detail

   잘 보이는 combines 잘 (“well”) with 보이는, the attributive form of 보이다 (“to be visible” or “to be seen”). Together here, it describes a label that is easy to see: “clearly visible.” The ending -는 lets the verb phrase modify the following noun. For example, 잘 보이는 표시 means “a clearly visible sign.” 라벨 is the noun “label.” The following object marker 을 marks the label as what will be attached. Korean often uses 을/를 for the object of an action; the choice depends on the final sound of the noun, not on the noun’s meaning. Here, 라벨 ends in a consonant sound, so 라벨을 is used. 붙일게요 comes from 붙이다 (“to attach,” “to stick,” or “to put on”) and has the form 붙이- + -ㄹ게요. -ㄹ게요 is a polite first-person commitment or intention: the speaker undertakes to do something, often meaning “I’ll …” in this context. Compare 붙여요, which simply presents the action politely as a present or general action, with 붙일게요, which presents it as the speaker’s intended action. The form 붙일 is the future/attributive-looking stem form used before 게요; it is not the base form itself. The verb’s base form is 붙이다. In the whole utterance, 잘 보이는 라벨을 means “a clearly visible label” as the object, and 붙일게요 means “I’ll attach/put it on.” Thus the sentence means, “I’ll put a clear label on it.” The destination of the attachment is not stated as a separate noun in this Korean sentence; the fixed translation supplies the intended “on it” reading.

8. 그러면 점심을 준비하기 더 쉬울 거예요.

   That will make lunch easier.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   점심

   lunch

   준비하기

   preparing; to prepare

   더

   more

   쉬울 거예요

   will be easy

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It connects the preceding situation to a consequence. Here, the preceding action of putting on a clear label provides the condition for what follows. A reusable pattern is 그러면 + result, meaning “Then/In that case, …” 점심 is the noun “lunch.” It can stand alone or combine with actions such as 점심을 먹다 (“eat lunch”) and 점심을 준비하다 (“prepare lunch”). 준비하기 comes from the verb 준비하다, “to prepare.” The ending -기 turns the verb into a noun-like form: 준비하기 means “preparing” or “to prepare” as an activity. With the object marker, 점심을 준비하기 means “preparing lunch.” Example: 여행을 준비하기가 재미있어요. — “Preparing for the trip is fun.” 더 is the adverb “more.” It marks a comparison, so 더 쉽다 means “be easier,” not simply “be easy.” It modifies 쉽다 in this sentence: preparing lunch will be easier than it otherwise would be. 쉬울 거예요 is based on the adjective 쉽다, “to be easy.” The stem 쉽- changes to 쉬우- in this form, producing 쉬울 before 거예요; this is the ㅂ-irregular pattern seen in this adjective. The construction -(으)ㄹ 거예요 presents a future expectation or prediction, so 쉬울 거예요 means “will be easy” or “is expected to be easy.” Example: 이 방법이 더 쉬울 거예요. — “This method will be easier.” Together, 그러면 sets up the consequence, 점심을 준비하기 names the activity, and 더 쉬울 거예요 says that the activity will be easier. The whole utterance therefore means, “Then it will be easier to prepare lunch,” naturally rendered by the fixed translation as “That will make lunch easier.”