Choosing a Light Snack | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: At home, two adults choose a light snack with yogurt and nuts..

EN → KO / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Choosing a Light Snack to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

간식이 먹고 싶어요.

gan-shi-GEE muhk-koh SHEE-puh-yo. I want a snack.
A

배가 별로 고프지 않아요.

beh-GAH byuhl-loh goh-puh-JEE ah-NAH-yo. I am not very hungry.
B

그럼 요거트처럼 가벼운 걸 골라요.

guh-RUHM yoh-guh-teu-chuh-RUHM ga-BYU-un guhL GOHL-la-yo. Then choose something light, like yogurt.
A

견과류도 있어요?

GYUN-gwah-RYOO-doh ee-ssuh-YO? Do we have nuts too?
B

찬장에 조금 있어요.

chan-JANG-eh JOH-guhm ee-ssuh-YO. There are some in the cupboard.
A

요거트에 견과류를 넣으면 좋겠어요.

yoh-guh-TEH GYUN-gwah-RYOO-rul nuh-uh-MYUN joh-kehss-uh-YO. Yogurt with nuts sounds good.
B

작은 그릇을 가져와요.

JAH-geun guh-ruh-seul ga-juh-WAH-yo. Take a small bowl.
B

그렇게 많지 않아요.

guh-ruh-KEH MAN-chee ah-NAH-yo. It is not too much.
A

지금 하나 만들게요.

jee-GUHM ha-NAH man-deul-GEH-yo. I will make one now.
B

제 것도 견과류를 조금 남겨 주세요.

jeh guh-ttoh-DOH GYUN-gwah-RYOO-rul JOH-guhm nam-gyuh JOO-seh-yo. Leave some nuts for me, please.

Word by Word

간식이 간식이 means “a snack” as the thing the speaker wants to eat. In 간식이 먹고 싶어요, it comes before the expression 먹고 싶어요 and marks the snack as the subject.
먹고 먹고 means “eat” in the expression 먹고 싶어요, meaning “want to eat.” This form connects 먹다 with 싶어요; 먹고 싶어요 is a reusable pattern for saying that someone wants to do something.
싶어요 싶어요 expresses wanting to do something here, so 먹고 싶어요 means “want to eat.” It follows 먹고 in this construction and can be reused after another action form to express a desire.
배가 배가 refers to the stomach or feeling of hunger as the subject in 배가 별로 고프지 않아요. It comes before the expression that describes how hungry the speaker is.
별로 별로 means “not particularly” or “not very” here. It is used with the negative expression 별로 고프지 않아요 to soften the statement about hunger.
고프지 고프지 means “hungry” inside the negative expression 고프지 않아요. The 지 form connects this description to 않아요, which makes the expression negative.
않아요 않아요 completes the negation in 고프지 않아요, meaning “am not hungry.” The reusable pattern 고프지 않아요 shows that the speaker is saying the condition does not apply.
그럼 그럼 means “then” or “in that case” and responds to the statement that the speaker is not very hungry. It introduces the suggestion that follows in 그럼 요거트처럼 가벼운 걸 골라요.
요거트처럼 요거트처럼 means “like yogurt,” giving yogurt as an example of something light. 처럼 follows 요거트 to make a comparison, as in 요거트처럼 가벼운 걸.
가벼운 가벼운 means “light” here in the sense of light food. It comes before 걸 and describes the kind of thing to choose; an adjective in this form can be placed before a noun or noun-like expression.
걸 걸 means “something” in 가벼운 걸 골라요 and functions as what is chosen. It follows the description 가벼운, forming the pattern “choose something described as …”.
골라요 골라요 means “choose” in the suggestion 가벼운 걸 골라요. It follows the thing being chosen, as in 가벼운 걸 골라요, meaning “choose something light.”
견과류도 견과류도 means “nuts too” or “nuts as well.” 도 adds the meaning “too,” so the speaker asks whether nuts are available in addition to the other food being discussed.
있어요 있어요 means “there is,” “there are,” or “we have” here, depending on context. In 견과류도 있어요? it asks whether nuts are available, while 찬장에 조금 있어요 says that some are in the cupboard.
찬장에 찬장에 means “in the cupboard.” 에 marks the location where the nuts exist, as in 찬장에 조금 있어요, “There are some in the cupboard.”
조금 조금 means “some” or “a little” and describes the small amount of nuts available. It appears before 있어요 in 찬장에 조금 있어요 to say that only a small amount exists.
요거트에 요거트에 means “into the yogurt” in 요거트에 견과류를 넣으면 좋겠어요. 에 marks yogurt as the place or container into which the nuts are put.
견과류를 견과류를 means “nuts” as the object being put into the yogurt. 를 marks 견과류 as the object in 견과류를 넣으면.
넣으면 넣으면 means “if” or “when” something is put in, and here it refers to putting nuts into yogurt. It creates the condition in 넣으면 좋겠어요; a reusable pattern is an object followed by 넣으면 when describing what happens if it is added.
좋겠어요 좋겠어요 means “would be good” here and expresses the speaker’s favorable suggestion about the result. The pattern 넣으면 좋겠어요 can be reused to say that it would be good if something were put in or added.
작은 작은 means “small” and describes the bowl in 작은 그릇을 가져와요. It is placed directly before the noun it describes.
그릇을 그릇을 means “bowl” as the object to bring. 을 marks 그릇 as the object in 작은 그릇을 가져와요.
가져와요 가져와요 means “bring” in the instruction 작은 그릇을 가져와요. It follows the object being brought, as in 작은 그릇을 가져와요, “Bring a small bowl.”
그렇게 그렇게 means “that way” or “so much” here and describes the degree of 많지 않아요. In 그렇게 많지 않아요, it means “not that much” or “not so many.”
많지 많지 means “much” or “many” inside the negative expression 많지 않아요. It connects to 않아요, so 그렇게 많지 않아요 says that the amount is not so large.
지금 지금 means “now” and places the action in the present moment. It comes before 하나 만들게요 in 지금 하나 만들게요, “I will make one now.”
하나 하나 means “one” and refers here to one snack or serving that the speaker will make. It appears before 만들게요 in 하나 만들게요.
만들게요 만들게요 means “I will make it” or “I’ll make one” as the speaker undertakes to do the action. In 지금 하나 만들게요, it follows the object 하나 and expresses the speaker’s intention to make it now.
제 제 means “my” in 제 것도 and refers to the speaker’s possession or share. It comes before 것 to identify whose share is being discussed.
것도 것도 means “mine too” or “my share too” in 제 것도 견과류를 조금 남겨 주세요. It points to the speaker’s portion and 도 adds that this portion should also be included.
남겨 남겨 means “leave” or “save” in 남겨 주세요, referring to keeping some nuts for the speaker. It comes before 주세요 to form a polite request.
주세요 주세요 means “please do” here and makes 남겨 주세요 a polite request to leave or save something. The reusable pattern verb + 주세요 asks someone politely to perform that action.

Grammar Points

-고 싶어요

간식을 먹고 싶어요.

gan-shi-GEUL muhk-koh SHEE-puh-yo.

I want to eat a snack.

Attach -고 싶어요 to a verb stem to express what you want to do.

-(으)면

견과류를 넣으면 좋겠어요.

GYUN-gwah-RYOO-rul nuh-uh-MYUN joh-kehss-uh-YO.

It would be good if we added nuts.

Attach -(으)면 to express a condition: “if” or “when.”

Korean Vocabulary

가볍다 adj
ga-BYUP-ttah to be light 가벼운
간식 noun
gan-SHIK snack
견과류 noun
GYUN-gwah-RYOO nuts
고르다 verb
goh-RUH-dah to choose 골라요
고프다 adj
goh-PUH-dah to be hungry 고프지 않아요
그럼 adv
guh-RUHM then
먹고 싶다 phrase
muhk-koh SHEEP-ttah to want to eat 먹고 싶어요
배 noun
beh stomach
별로 adv
byuhl-loh not particularly; not very
요거트 noun
yoh-guh-TEU yogurt
조금 adv
JOH-guhm a little; some
찬장 noun
chan-JANG cupboard

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I want a snack.

Show Answer간식이 먹고 싶어요.

I am not very hungry.

Show Answer배가 별로 고프지 않아요.

Then choose something light, like yogurt.

Show Answer그럼 요거트처럼 가벼운 걸 골라요.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

nuts

Show Answer견과류

then

Show Answer그럼

to be light

Show Answer가벼운

not particularly; not very

Show Answer별로