Finding the Correct Platform After a Change | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 방금 안내 방송 들었어요?

   Did you hear the announcement just now?

   방금

   just now

   안내 방송

   announcement

   들었어요

   heard

   More detail

   방금 means “just now” and places the hearing very recently in time. It is a time adverb, so it does not change form. Example: 방금 도착했어요. — “I arrived just now.” 안내 방송 is an announcement or information broadcast. It is a useful noun phrase: 안내 relates to guidance or information, and 방송 means a broadcast, but together here they refer to the announcement being heard. Example: 안내 방송을 잘 들으세요. — “Please listen carefully to the announcement.” 들었어요 is the polite past form of 듣다, “to hear” or “to listen.” The stem changes from 듣- to 들- before this ending: 듣다 → 들었어요. The ending -었어요 marks a completed past event in polite speech. Example: 음악을 들었어요. — “I listened to music.” Together, 방금 안내 방송 들었어요? asks politely whether the listener heard the announcement just now. Korean often omits a subject when the context makes it clear; the question therefore does not need an explicit “you.” The question mark and rising question intonation turn the polite past form 들었어요 into a yes-or-no question: “Did you hear the announcement just now?”

2. 기차가 다른 승강장에서 출발해요.

   The train is leaving from a different platform.

   기차

   train

   다른

   different; other

   승강장

   platform

   출발해요

   leave; depart

   More detail

   기차 means “train.” It is a noun and can be used as the subject of an action: 기차가 출발해요 means “The train leaves/departs.” The form itself does not mark whether the train is singular or plural; context supplies that information. 다른 means “different” or “other” before a noun. It is the form of 다르다 used before a noun: 다르다 → 다른 + noun. For example, 다른 방법 means “a different method.” Here, 다른 describes 승강장, so it means that the platform is not the one previously being considered. 승강장 means “platform,” especially a station platform. It is a noun. In 다른 승강장, the adjective-like form 다른 comes before it, as is usual for Korean noun modification. 출발해요 means “leave” or “depart” here. Its base form is 출발하다; 출발해요 is the polite 해요-style form. Korean present-tense forms can describe an action happening now or a departure understood from the situation, so the fixed translation naturally uses “is leaving.” For example, 버스가 출발해요 means “The bus is leaving.” The particles connect the chunks: 기차가 marks 기차 as the subject, and 승강장에서 marks 승강장 as the place from which the departure occurs. Thus 기차가 다른 승강장에서 출발해요 assembles as “The train departs from a different platform.”

3. 전광판에 대신 다른 승강장을 이용해야 한다고 나와요.

   The board says we should use the other platform instead.

   전광판

   display board

   대신

   instead

   다른

   other; different

   승강장

   platform

   이용해야 한다고

   that [someone] must use

   나와요

   says; indicates

   More detail

   전광판 means an electronic display board or information screen. The noun is built into the location phrase 전광판에, where 에 marks the place on which the information appears. For example, 전광판에 안내가 나와요. means “Information appears on the display board.” 대신 marks replacement: one option is used in place of another. Here it means “instead,” and it modifies the choice of platform. It is different from 다시, which means “again.” 다른 means “other” or “different” and comes before the noun it describes. It is the form used to modify a noun in 다른 승강장. The related noun 차이 means “difference,” but it is not the base form of 다른; 다른 is the noun-modifying form of 다르다 (“to be different”). Example: 다른 길로 가요. — “I go by a different route.” 승강장 means “platform,” especially a train or subway platform. In 다른 승강장, 다른 identifies the platform as different from the one otherwise expected or previously mentioned. Example: 승강장을 찾아요. — “I look for the platform.” 이용해야 한다고 contains the useful pattern -아/어야 하다, meaning that someone must or should do something. The lexical verb is 이용하다, “to use,” and its form here is 이용해야, followed by 한다. The ending -다고 marks the preceding content as reported information: 이용해야 한다고 is “that [someone] must/should use.” The subject of this embedded clause is not stated in Korean; the fixed translation supplies “we.” Example: 이 표를 이용해야 해요. — “We have to use this ticket.” 나와요 is the polite present form of 나오다, “to come out” or “to appear.” With information on a board or screen, 나오다 naturally means that the information is displayed or says something. The polite ending -요 makes the sentence suitable for ordinary polite conversation. In this sentence, 나와요 reports what the board displays rather than describing a person speaking. Together, 전광판에 sets the display board as the place where the information appears. 대신 다른 승강장을 이용해야 한다고 gives the displayed message: the intended travelers should use a different platform instead. 나와요 presents that message as information shown on the board, producing “The board says we should use the other platform instead.”

4. 그럼 지금 표지판을 따라가야 해요.

   Then we should follow the signs now.

   그럼

   then; in that case

   지금

   now

   표지판

   sign; signpost

   따라가야 해요

   have to follow; need to go along

   More detail

   그럼 is the shortened spoken form of 그러면, meaning “then” or “in that case.” It links a situation or conclusion to what follows. Example: 그럼 시작해요. — “Then let’s start.” 지금 means “now” and places the action at the present time. It is an adverb, so it does not change form. Example: 지금 가요. — “I’m going now.” 표지판 means “sign” or “signpost.” It is a noun; the Korean form itself does not mark singular versus plural. Thus, the translation’s “signs” comes from the intended situation, not from a visible plural ending in this word. Example: 표지판을 봐요. — “I look at the sign.” 따라가야 해요 combines the verb 따라가다 (“to follow; to go along after something”) with -아/어야 하다, which expresses necessity, plus the polite present form 해요. The verb 따라가다 is the form used for moving along after or in the direction of something; 따라오다 instead means “to follow or come along toward the speaker.” In this sentence, 따라가야 해요 means “have to follow” or “need to go along.” Example: 이 길을 따라가야 해요. — “We have to follow this road.” The object marker 을 in 표지판을 marks 표지판 as what is followed. The pattern 명사을/를 따라가다 can therefore be reused for “follow/go along [a noun].” The subject is omitted in Korean. The fixed translation supplies “we,” but no separate Korean subject appears in this utterance. Together, 그럼 (“then, in that case”) + 지금 (“now”) + 표지판을 따라가야 해요 (“have to follow the signs”) gives: “Then we should follow the signs now.” Here, -아/어야 해요 presents the action as necessary; the English wording “should” expresses that intended recommendation or necessity in context.

5. 거기까지 갈 시간이 충분할까요?

   Do we have enough time to get there?

   거기까지

   there / that far

   갈

   to go

   시간

   time

   충분할까요?

   will it be enough?

   More detail

   거기까지 means “there” or “that far” here. 거기 refers to the destination already understood from the situation, while 까지 marks an endpoint or limit. The same pattern is reusable with places or distances: 역까지 means “as far as the station / to the station.” 갈 comes from 가다, “to go.” It is the form used before a noun to describe an intended or future action: 갈 시간 is “time to go” or, in this context, “time to get there.” The form changes to match the noun-modifying pattern, not because 시간 is a person or actor. Example: 내일 갈 곳 means “the place to go tomorrow.” 시간 means “time.” In 갈 시간, it is the available time needed for the going or journey. Korean can place a verb in a noun-modifying form before 시간 to express “time to do something,” as in 쉴 시간 (“time to rest”). 충분할까요? is based on 충분하다, “to be enough” or “to be sufficient.” The ending -ㄹ까요? makes a polite question about a possibility or expected situation. Here, 충분할까요? asks whether it will be enough; the surrounding noun phrase identifies what is being judged as sufficient. Example: 시간이 충분할까요? means “Will there be enough time?” Together, 거기까지 갈 시간 means “the time to get there,” and 충분할까요? asks whether that time will be sufficient. The whole utterance therefore means, “Do we have enough time to get there?” It is a polite way to check whether the available time is adequate for reaching the destination.

6. 지금 출발하면 충분해요.

   We do if we leave now.

   지금

   now

   출발하면

   if we leave

   충분해요

   is enough

   More detail

   지금 means “now.” It is a time adverb and can be reused before an action: 지금 가요 means “I’m going now” or “We’re going now,” depending on the understood subject. Korean does not require the subject when the context makes it clear. 출발하면 comes from 출발하다, “to depart” or “to leave.” The ending -면 makes a condition: 출발하면 means “if [someone] leaves/departs.” The form itself does not mark who leaves; here, the fixed translation identifies the understood subject as “we.” Example: 지금 출발하면 늦지 않아요. — “If we leave now, we won’t be late.” 충분해요 comes from the descriptive verb 충분하다, “to be sufficient” or “to be enough.” -해요 is its polite, conversational form. 충분해요 does not itself mark number or gender. In this sentence, it says that the unstated relevant amount of time or opportunity will be sufficient, rather than directly naming that thing. Example: 시간이 충분해요. — “There is enough time.” Together, 출발하면 sets the condition and 충분해요 gives the result: leaving now will be sufficient for the intended goal. Thus the utterance conveys that we can do it if we leave now. The sentence is polite and conversational.

7. 표를 꺼내기 쉽게 준비해 둘게요.

   I'll keep my ticket ready.

   표

   ticket

   꺼내기 쉽게

   so it is easy to take out

   준비해 둘게요

   I’ll keep it ready

   More detail

   표 means “ticket” here. It is a noun; in this utterance, the fixed translation and context identify it as the ticket that will be kept ready. Example: 표를 샀어요. — “I bought a ticket.” 꺼내기 쉽게 expresses “so it is easy to take out.” 꺼내기 is the verb 꺼내다 (“to take out”) with -기, a form that turns the action into a noun-like unit. 쉽게 is the adverbial form of 쉽다 (“to be easy”), so it describes how the taking-out can be done. Example: 책을 꺼내기 쉽게 가방 위에 두세요. — “Put the book on top of the bag so it is easy to take out.” 준비해 둘게요 means “I’ll prepare it and keep it ready.” 준비해 is the connective form of 준비하다 (“to prepare”). -아/어 두다 adds the idea of doing something in advance and leaving the result in place; here, 준비해 두다 is “prepare and leave ready.” -ㄹ게요 marks the speaker’s commitment or intention, so 둘게요 presents this as what the speaker will do. Example: 자료를 준비해 둘게요. — “I’ll prepare the materials in advance.” Together, 표를 marks the ticket as the object, 꺼내기 쉽게 gives the purpose or resulting convenience, and 준비해 둘게요 says that the speaker will prepare it and leave it that way. The whole utterance means: “I’ll keep my ticket ready so it is easy to take out.” The polite ending makes this suitable for a polite conversation.

8. 표를 바로 꺼낼 수 있게 준비해 두세요. 타기 전에 직원이 확인할 수도 있어요.

   Keep it handy; staff may check it before we board.

   표

   ticket

   바로

   right away

   꺼낼

   take out

   수 있게

   so that … can

   준비해 두세요

   keep it prepared

   타기 전에

   before boarding

   직원

   staff member

   확인할

   check

   수도 있어요

   may

   More detail

   표 means “ticket” here. It is the object understood with the later actions; the fixed translation identifies it as the item to keep handy. In other contexts, 표 can refer to another kind of ticket or a chart, so its exact meaning comes from context. 바로 commonly means “immediately” or “directly.” Here it emphasizes that the ticket can be taken out readily, without delay. For example, 바로 시작하세요 means “Start right away.” 꺼낼 is the form of 꺼내다, “to take out.” The ending -ㄹ makes it an attributive form before 수, as in 꺼낼 수 있다, “can take out.” This is not a separate verb; the base form is 꺼내다. 수 있게 expresses purpose or a resulting arrangement: “so that [someone] can.” The pattern 동사-(으)ㄹ 수 있게 is useful when preparing conditions for an action to be possible. Here, 꺼낼 수 있게 means “so that it can be taken out” or “so that [the person] can take it out.” 준비해 두세요 combines 준비하다, “to prepare,” with -아/어 두다, which presents an action as completed and left in that state, followed by the polite request ending -세요. Thus it asks the listener to prepare the ticket and leave it ready. The omitted object is understood as the ticket from 표. For example, 문을 열어 두세요 means “Please leave the door open.” 타기 전에 means “before boarding.” It comes from 타다, “to ride or board,” plus -기 전에, “before doing.” The action is nominalized with -기 so that it can be followed by 전에. For example, 먹기 전에 손을 씻으세요 means “Wash your hands before eating.” 직원 means “staff member” or “staff.” In this sentence it is the actor of the later checking action. The form itself does not specify the staff member’s number or gender. 확인할 is the attributive form of 확인하다, “to check” or “to verify.” It appears before 수도 있어요 in the possibility pattern 동사-(으)ㄹ 수도 있다, meaning that an action may happen. The base form is 확인하다; 확인할 is not a different verb. 수도 있어요 completes that possibility pattern. 수 represents possibility or ability, 도 adds the sense of “also/even” within this construction, and 있어요 is the polite form of 있다, “to exist/be.” Together with 확인할, it gives “may check,” not a certainty: 확인할 수도 있어요 means “may check.” Together, 표를 바로 꺼낼 수 있게 준비해 두세요 asks the listener to keep the ticket prepared so it can be taken out readily. 타기 전에 직원이 확인할 수도 있어요 adds that, before boarding, a staff member may check it. The whole utterance therefore means: “Keep it handy; staff may check it before we board.”