Giving clear taxi directions | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 병원 입구 근처에 저희를 내려 주시겠어요?

   Could you drop us near the clinic entrance, please?

   병원

   clinic; hospital

   입구

   entrance

   근처에

   near

   저희를

   us

   내려

   drop off

   주시겠어요?

   would you please do it?

   More detail

   병원 means “hospital” and, as the translation shows, is understood here as “clinic.” It is a noun; the noun itself does not mark whether the place is large or small. Example: 병원에 가요. — “I’m going to the hospital.” 입구 means “entrance.” In 병원 입구, the first noun modifies the second, so the phrase means “the hospital/clinic entrance.” Korean commonly places a modifying noun before the noun it specifies. 근처에 means “near” or “in the vicinity of.” The base noun is 근처 (“vicinity”); -에 marks the location toward or at which something is situated. Thus 병원 입구 근처에 means “near the clinic entrance.” Example: 학교 근처에 카페가 있어요. — “There is a café near the school.” 저희를 means “us” here. 저희 is the humble form used for “we/us,” and -를 marks it as the object of the action. The form 저희 itself does not identify the exact number of people. Example: 저희를 기다려 주세요. — “Please wait for us.” 내려 is the connective form of 내리다. In this sentence, 내리다 means “to let someone get off” or “to drop someone off,” and 내려 links it to the following helping expression. The object 저희를 makes the intended meaning “drop us off,” rather than “get off” oneself. Example: 여기에서 내려 주세요. — “Please let me/us get off here.” 주시겠어요? is a polite request pattern. It combines 주다 (“to give/do for someone”) with -시-, which honors the person being asked, and -겠어요?, a polite question form used here to ask whether the person would do the action. With the preceding 내려, the reusable pattern is -아/어 주시겠어요?, meaning “Would you please do ... for me/us?” The 주다 part presents the action as a favor; it does not mean that a physical object is being given in this sentence. Together, 병원 입구 근처에 sets the requested drop-off location, 저희를 identifies the people being dropped off, and 내려 주시겠어요? politely asks the listener to drop them off. The complete meaning is: “Could you drop us near the clinic entrance, please?”

2. 큰 교차로를 조금 지나서인가요?

   Is that just past the main intersection?

   큰

   main; major

   교차로

   intersection

   조금

   a little; just

   지나서

   past; after passing

   인가요?

   is it?

   More detail

   큰 describes the noun 교차로: it is the attributive form of 크다 (“to be big/large”), so 크다 becomes 큰 before a noun. Here, “main” is the translation’s context-appropriate sense of a large or significant intersection; it does not mean a definite grammatical “main” category. Compare 큰 교차로 (“a large/main intersection”) with 작은 교차로 (“a small intersection”). 교차로 means “intersection” or “crossroads.” It is a noun, so it can take location or movement expressions after it. Example: 교차로에서 오른쪽으로 가세요. — “Go right at the intersection.” 조금 means “a little” and can soften or limit the degree or distance of an expression. In this utterance, it indicates only a short distance past the intersection, giving the intended “just past.” Example: 조금 기다려 주세요. — “Please wait a little.” 지나서 comes from 지나다, “to pass” or “go past.” The form -아서/-어서 links this action to what follows; with 지나다, 지나서 can describe being or going past a reference point. Here it contributes “past the intersection,” not simply the standalone idea “after.” Example: 은행을 지나서 왼쪽으로 도세요. — “Turn left after passing the bank.” 인가요? is a polite question form built from the copula 이다 (“to be”) with the interrogative ending -ㄴ가요?. After a noun, it asks whether something is or can be identified as that noun or noun phrase. In this sentence, the question concerns the location described by the preceding phrase. The question form does not itself specify who the referent of “that” is; the fixed translation supplies that intended reference. Together, 큰 교차로 identifies the reference point, 조금 지나서 places the location a short distance beyond it, and 인가요? turns the description into a polite confirmation question. The whole utterance therefore means, “Is that just past the main intersection?”

3. 은행을 지나서 왼쪽으로 도세요.

   Turn left after the bank.

   은행을

   the bank

   지나서

   after passing; past

   왼쪽으로

   to the left

   도세요

   turn

   More detail

   은행을 means “the bank” here. 은행 is the noun “bank,” and -을 marks it as the object of the following verb 지나다, “to pass,” because 은행 ends in a consonant. After a vowel, the corresponding object marker is -를. Example: 학교를 지나가요. — “I pass the school.” 지나서 comes from 지나다, “to pass” or “to go past.” The ending -아서/-어서 links this action to the next one and can present it as happening first: A를 지나서 B means “after passing A, B.” Here, 은행을 지나서 means “after passing the bank” or “past the bank.” 왼쪽으로 means “to the left.” 왼쪽 is “the left side,” and -으로/-로 marks direction or movement toward a destination. -으로 follows a consonant, while -로 follows a vowel or final ㄹ. Example: 오른쪽으로 가세요. — “Go to the right.” 도세요 comes from 돌다, “to turn.” It is a polite instruction meaning “please turn.” Before the polite ending -세요, the final ㄹ of 돌다 is omitted, giving 도세요; this change belongs to the verb 돌다, not to 왼쪽. Example: 여기서 오른쪽으로 도세요. — “Please turn right here.” Together, 은행을 지나서 sets the point reached first, 왼쪽으로 gives the direction, and 도세요 gives the instruction: “Turn left after the bank.”

4. 그다음 약국 쪽으로 길을 따라가세요.

   Then follow the road toward the pharmacy.

   그다음

   then

   약국

   pharmacy

   쪽으로

   toward

   길

   road

   따라가세요

   follow; go along

   More detail

   그다음 means “then” or “next” and places this instruction after the preceding step. It is useful for sequencing directions: 그다음 왼쪽으로 도세요. — “Then turn left.” 약국 is the noun “pharmacy.” A place noun can combine with a direction expression such as 약국 쪽으로 to indicate movement in the pharmacy’s direction. The sentence identifies the pharmacy as the direction point; it does not say that the destination has been reached. 쪽으로 means “toward” or “in the direction of.” 쪽 means a side or direction, and -으로 marks the direction or route toward it. The related particle form is -로 after a vowel or after a noun ending in ㄹ, while -으로 is used after other consonants: 학교로 가세요. — “Go to school.” 길 means “road,” “path,” or “way.” Here it is the route being followed. A useful related contrast is 길을 찾다, “to look for a road or way,” versus 길을 따라가다, “to follow the road or path.” 따라가세요 comes from 따라가다, “to follow” or “to go along.” The form uses the verb stem 따라가- with the polite -세요 ending, making a polite instruction or request: 이 길을 따라가세요. — “Follow this road.” 따라오세요 instead means “follow me” or “come along,” focusing on moving after the speaker; 따라가세요 here focuses on following the road or route. Together, 그다음 marks the next step, 약국 쪽으로 gives the direction, and 길을 따라가세요 says to follow the road. The whole utterance therefore means: “Then follow the road toward the pharmacy.”

5. 돌고 나서 계속 직진할까요?

   Should I keep going straight after the turn?

   돌고 나서

   after turning

   계속

   keep going

   직진

   straight ahead

   할까요?

   shall I?

   More detail

   돌고 나서 means “after turning.” 돌다 is the base form “to turn”; 돌고 joins that verb to the next event, and -고 나서 marks that the next event happens after the turning is completed. Example: 먹고 나서 쉬어요. — “I rest after eating.” 계속 means “continuously” or “still/keep.” Here it modifies the following action, so it indicates continuing rather than stopping. Example: 계속 걸어요. — “I keep walking.” 직진 means “going straight” or “straight ahead.” It is commonly used in directions, often with 하다: 직진하다 means “to go straight.” In this utterance, 직진 combines with 하다 in 할까요? rather than appearing as a separate finite verb. 할까요? contains 하다, “to do,” plus -(으)ㄹ까요?, a question ending used to ask whether the speaker should do something or to suggest doing it. The subject is omitted in Korean; here, the fixed translation identifies the speaker as the person asking whether they should continue. The form 할까요? itself does not state a number of people. Example: 여기서 기다릴까요? — “Shall I wait here?” Together, 돌고 나서 sets the time sequence: after the turn. 계속 직진 gives the direction and continuation: keep going straight. 할까요? turns the complete action into a question about whether the speaker should do it. The whole utterance therefore means, “Should I keep going straight after the turn?”

6. 약국이 오른쪽에 보일 때까지 계속 가세요.

   Keep going until the pharmacy is on your right.

   약국이

   pharmacy

   오른쪽에

   on the right

   보일 때까지

   until it is visible

   계속

   continuously; keep going

   가세요

   please go

   More detail

   약국이 means “the pharmacy” as the subject of the clause. 약국 is “pharmacy,” and 이 is the subject particle used after a noun ending in a consonant. In this sentence, the pharmacy is the thing that becomes visible. 오른쪽에 means “on the right.” 오른쪽 is “right-hand side,” and 에 marks the location. A reusable pattern is [place]에 있다 for “be at/on [place].” 보일 때까지 means “until it is visible.” 보이다 means “be visible” or “be seen”; here, 보일 is its form before 때 (“time/when”), giving the pattern V-(으)ㄹ 때까지 = “until [something] happens.” 까지 marks the endpoint. Example: 비가 그칠 때까지 기다리세요. — “Please wait until the rain stops.” 계속 is an adverb meaning “continuously” or “keep on.” It modifies the following action, so it tells the listener not to stop the movement. Example: 계속 직진하세요. — “Keep going straight.” 가세요 comes from 가다, “to go.” It is the polite request or instruction form, with the respectful element -시- in 가시어요 contracted to 가세요. Here it means “please go” or, with 계속, “keep going.” Together, 약국이 오른쪽에 보일 때까지 sets the endpoint: the listener should continue until the pharmacy can be seen on the right. 계속 가세요 gives the instruction to keep going. Thus the whole utterance means, “Keep going until the pharmacy is on your right.”

7. 어디에서 세워 드릴까요?

   Where would you like me to stop?

   어디에서

   where; at what place

   세워 드릴까요?

   Shall I stop (for you)?

   More detail

   어디에서 asks for the place where an action will happen. 어디 means “where,” and 에서 marks the location of an action. This is a useful pattern: 어디에서 + action? means “Where will the action happen?” Example: 어디에서 만나요? — “Where shall we meet?” 세워 드릴까요? asks whether the speaker should stop something for the listener. In this context, 세우다 means “to stop a vehicle” and is the base form. Its form 세워 connects to the following auxiliary; 세우다 becomes 세워 before another verb in this pattern. Do not confuse this context-specific meaning with other uses of 세우다, such as making something stand upright. 드리다 is used after another verb to express doing the action as a service for someone, with a respectful tone toward that person. In 세워 드리다, the speaker offers to stop the vehicle for the listener. The question ending -ㄹ까요? turns the offer into “Shall I…?” or “Would you like me to…?” Here, 드리다 appears as 드릴까요 before this ending. Together, 어디에서 asks for the stopping place, and 세워 드릴까요? asks whether the speaker should stop the vehicle there for the listener. Thus the whole utterance means “Where would you like me to stop?” The surrounding context supports a situation in which the speaker is taking the listener somewhere and is offering to stop at the requested location.

8. 현관문 근처 어디든 괜찮아요.

   Anywhere near the front door is fine.

   현관문

   front door

   근처

   vicinity; near

   어디든

   anywhere

   괜찮아요

   is fine; is okay

   More detail

   현관문 means “front door” here. It is a compound noun: 현관 refers to an entrance or entryway, and 문 means “door.” The combined form is useful for naming the door at the entrance. Example: 현관문을 열어요. — “I open the front door.” 근처 means “vicinity” or “nearby area.” In 현관문 근처, it is a noun naming the area near the front door; Korean commonly uses this kind of noun phrase to express location. A reusable pattern is [place] 근처, meaning “near [place].” Example: 역 근처 — “near the station.” 어디든 means “anywhere.” It consists of the question word 어디 (“where”) plus -든, which gives an unrestricted choice: “any place” or “wherever.” This is different from 어디?, which simply asks “where?” Example: 어디든 앉으세요. — “Sit anywhere.” 괜찮아요 comes from the base form 괜찮다, “to be okay” or “to be fine.” The ending -아요 gives a polite present-style form. Here it evaluates the proposed location as acceptable. Example: 이 시간도 괜찮아요. — “This time is fine.” Together, 현관문 근처 identifies the relevant area, 어디든 makes the choice unrestricted within that area, and 괜찮아요 says that such a choice is acceptable. Thus the utterance means that any location near the front door is fine.

9. 입구를 조금 지나서 차를 세울 수 있어요.

   I can pull over just beyond the entrance.

   입구

   entrance

   조금

   a little; slightly

   지나서

   past; after passing

   차

   car

   세울

   stop; park

   수 있어요

   can; be able to

   More detail

   입구 means “entrance.” It is a noun, and 입구를 marks it as the object of the following verb: the action is understood as passing the entrance. A useful related noun is 출구, “exit.” 조금 means “a little” or “slightly.” Here it limits the distance: only a short way beyond the entrance. Example: 조금 기다려요. — “Please wait a little.” 지나서 comes from 지나다, “to pass” or “to go beyond.” The ending -아서/어서 connects this action to what follows, so 입구를 조금 지나서 means “after going a little past the entrance” or “just beyond the entrance.” This form describes the location or time reached after passing something; it is not the plain form 지나다. 차 means “car.” In 차를, the particle 를 marks the car as the object of 세우다. The preceding context supports a location near the front door, but this sentence specifically describes where the car can be stopped. 세울 comes from 세우다, “to stop, park, or make something stand.” It is the form used before 수 in the ability pattern -(으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다. Because 세우다 is transitive here, the car is the object being stopped or parked. This contrasts with 서다, “to stand” or “to stop,” which describes the subject itself stopping: 차가 서요. — “The car stops.” 수 있어요 completes -(으)ㄹ 수 있어요, “can” or “be able to.” In this sentence, 세울 수 있어요 means “can stop/park [the car].” The polite ending -어요 makes the statement polite in ordinary conversation. Example: 여기서 사진을 찍을 수 있어요. — “You can take pictures here.” Together, 입구를 조금 지나서 gives the location “just beyond the entrance,” and 차를 세울 수 있어요 says that the speaker can stop or pull over the car there. The whole utterance means: “I can pull over just beyond the entrance.”