Finding the conference room | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 회의실이 어디에 있는지 알려 주실 수 있나요?

   Could you tell me where the conference room is?

   회의실

   conference room

   어디에

   where

   있는지

   whether it is or exists

   알려

   tell; let someone know

   주실 수 있나요?

   could you do it for me?

   More detail

   회의실 means “conference room” here. It is a noun; 회의 means “meeting” and 실 means “room,” so this is a useful compound for a room used for meetings. Example: 회의실을 찾고 있어요. — “I’m looking for the conference room.” 어디에 means “where” with the location particle 에. The particle marks the place where something is or exists. Example: 화장실이 어디에 있어요? — “Where is the restroom?” 있는지 is based on 있다, “to be/exist,” followed by -는지, which embeds a question or uncertainty. In this sentence, 어디에 있는지 means “where it is,” not a separate direct question. The understood thing that is located is the conference room identified in the fixed translation. Example: 그 가게가 어디에 있는지 알아요? — “Do you know where that store is?” 알려 comes from the verb 알리다, “to inform” or “to let someone know.” It is the connective form used before 주다 in 알려 주다, a construction meaning “to tell someone” or “to let someone know.” This is not the verb 알다 (“to know”). Example: 주소를 알려 주세요. — “Please tell me the address.” 주실 수 있나요? combines 주시다 with -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 and a polite question ending. 주시다 is the honorific form of 주다 when describing the listener’s doing something as a favor; -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility. Thus 알려 주실 수 있나요? politely asks whether the listener can provide the information. Example: 잠시 기다려 주실 수 있나요? — “Could you wait for a moment?” Together, 회의실이 어디에 있는지 forms the embedded question “where the conference room is.” 알려 주실 수 있나요? politely asks the listener whether they can tell the speaker that information. The complete utterance means: “Could you tell me where the conference room is?”

2. 로비를 지나가세요. 엘리베이터 근처에 있어요.

   Go past the lobby. It's near the elevators.

   로비를

   lobby

   지나가세요

   please go past

   엘리베이터

   elevator

   근처에

   nearby

   있어요

   is located

   More detail

   로비를 means “the lobby” as the thing you pass. 로비 is the borrowed noun “lobby,” and 를 marks it as the object of the action. The object marker can follow a noun before an action verb: 문을 열어요 means “I open the door.” 지나가세요 means “please go past.” It is the polite request/command form of 지나가다, “to pass by or go past.” The ending -(으)세요 makes a polite request or instruction; it is not part of the verb’s basic meaning. For example, 여기서 기다리세요 means “Please wait here.” 엘리베이터 is the noun “elevator.” In this sentence it appears without a marker because it is part of the location expression that follows. The plural meaning “elevators” comes from the fixed translation and context; Korean nouns do not have to show plural marking when the context makes the number clear. 근처에 means “near.” 근처 is “vicinity” or “nearby area,” and 에 marks the location where something is situated. A reusable pattern is 명사 + 근처에, “near the noun,” as in 역 근처에 있어요, “It is near the station.” 있어요 means “is located” here. It is the polite present form of 있다, used for the existence or location of something. The omitted subject is the place being located in the ongoing exchange; the previous sentence identifies that place as the conference room. For example, 책이 책상 위에 있어요 means “The book is on the desk.” Together, 로비를 지나가세요 gives the instruction “Go past the lobby.” Then 엘리베이터 근처에 있어요 says that the understood place is located near the elevators. Thus the whole utterance means: “Go past the lobby. It’s near the elevators.”

3. 여기서 엘리베이터를 타야 하나요?

   Should I take the elevator from here?

   여기서

   from here

   엘리베이터

   elevator

   타야 하나요

   need to take?

   More detail

   여기서 means “from here” in this sentence. It combines 여기, “here,” with -서, which marks the place from which an action starts in this use. Example: 여기서 가세요, “Go from here.” 엘리베이터 means “elevator.” It is a noun used with 타다, “to ride, board, or take” a vehicle or means of transport. Example: 버스를 타요, “I take the bus.” 타야 하나요 asks whether taking or riding something is necessary. The base verb is 타다, “to ride or take”; its stem 타- combines with -아야 하다, giving 타야 하다, “must or need to ride/take.” In the polite question form, 하다 becomes 하나요: 타야 하나요? The fixed translation supplies the understood subject as “I,” while the preceding 엘리베이터를 supplies the thing being taken; 를 marks 엘리베이터 as the object of 타다. Together, 여기서 locates the action at the current starting place, 엘리베이터를 names what is to be taken, and 타야 하나요 asks whether this is necessary. The whole utterance means “Should I take the elevator from here?”

4. 엘리베이터를 타고 한 층 올라가세요.

   Take it up one floor.

   엘리베이터를

   elevator

   타고

   ride and then

   한

   one

   층

   floor

   올라가세요

   please go up

   More detail

   엘리베이터를 means “the elevator” as the thing being taken. 엘리베이터 is a loanword meaning elevator, and 를 marks it as the object of the verb 타다 (“to ride” or “to take” a vehicle). The object marker is attached directly to the noun. 타고 comes from 타다, “to ride” or “to take” a vehicle. Here, -고 links this action to the next one: “ride it and then …” The subject is omitted, as is common in Korean; the polite command makes the addressee the understood person who should carry out the actions. Example: 버스를 타고 학교에 가요. means “I go to school by bus.” 한 is the form of the native number 하나 used before a counter or noun. It means “one” here; it does not by itself mean “a” or introduce an indefinite article. With a counter, the pattern is 한 + counter, as in 한 번 (“one time”) or 한 명 (“one person”). 층 means “floor” or “storey.” It is also a counting unit for building levels, so 한 층 means “one floor.” The noun 층, not 한, supplies the floor-related meaning. 올라가세요 comes from 올라가다, “to go up” or “to head upward.” 올라가세요 is its polite command/request form: 올라가다 + -세요. In this sentence it tells the addressee to go up one floor. The same ending can make a respectful instruction, as in 들어가세요 (“Please go in”). Together, 엘리베이터를 타고 (“ride/take the elevator and then”), 한 층 (“one floor”), and 올라가세요 (“please go up”) produce: “Take the elevator up one floor.” The fixed translation’s “it” refers to the elevator identified in the sentence, while the omitted subject is the person being instructed.

5. 그다음 복도로 들어가서 왼쪽으로 도세요.

   Then turn left into the hallway.

   그다음

   then; next

   복도

   hallway

   들어가서

   go in, then

   왼쪽으로

   to the left

   도세요

   turn, please

   More detail

   그다음 means “then” or “next,” marking the next step in an order. It is a useful adverb for giving directions or instructions: 그다음 왼쪽으로 가세요. means “Then go to the left.” 복도 is the noun “hallway” or “corridor.” In 복도로, the particle -로 marks the direction or destination: 복도로 들어가다 means “to enter into the hallway.” The noun itself does not carry the directional meaning; -로 supplies it. 들어가서 comes from 들어가다, “to go in” or “to enter,” plus -아서. The -아서 ending links this action to the next one in sequence: “enter, and then …” Here, 복도로 들어가서 means “enter the hallway and then …” A reusable pattern is A-아서 B, where A happens before or leads into B. Example: 집에 가서 쉬어요. — “I go home and rest.” 왼쪽으로 means “to the left” or “toward the left.” 왼쪽 is “the left side,” and -으로 marks the direction. In this phrase, -으로 is attached as -으로 because 쪽 ends in a consonant. Compare 오른쪽으로 — “to the right.” 도세요 comes from the verb 돌다, “to turn,” with the polite request or instruction ending -(으)세요. The observed form is 도세요: the final ㄹ of 돌다 drops before this ending. Thus 왼쪽으로 도세요 is a polite instruction meaning “turn left.” Example: 여기서 오른쪽으로 도세요. — “Turn right here.” Together, 그다음 복도로 들어가서 왼쪽으로 도세요 gives the ordered instruction: “Then enter the hallway and turn left.” The fixed English translation expresses the same route compactly as “Then turn left into the hallway.”

6. 제가 사용할 수 있는 지도가 있나요?

   Is there a map I can use?

   제가

   I (subject)

   사용할 수 있는

   can use; usable

   지도

   map

   있나요?

   is there?

   More detail

   제가 means “I” as the subject here. It is the subject form of the humble first-person pronoun 저: 저 + 가 becomes 제가. The ending 가 marks the subject; it does not indicate gender or number beyond the pronoun’s own meaning. 사용할 수 있는 describes 지도: “that I can use.” The base verb is 사용하다, “to use.” Korean -을 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility: 사용할 수 있다 means “can use.” Before a noun, this becomes 사용할 수 있는, so the whole form modifies the noun that follows. Example: 읽을 수 있는 책 means “a book that I can read.” 지도 means “map.” In this sentence it is the noun being asked about, and the preceding clause identifies the relevant kind of map: one the speaker can use. 있나요? asks whether something exists or is available. The base verb is 있다, “to exist” or “to be present,” and -나요? makes a polite question. With an item such as 지도, it naturally gives “Is there a map?” This is an existence/availability question, not a question about the map’s location. Together, 제가 사용할 수 있는 지도 means “a map that I can use,” and 있나요? asks whether such a map is available. Thus the complete utterance means, “Is there a map I can use?”

7. 안내 데스크 옆에 하나 있어요.

   There's one by the reception desk.

   안내 데스크

   reception desk

   옆에

   beside; next to

   하나

   one

   있어요

   there is; is located

   More detail

   안내 데스크 means “reception desk.” It is a noun phrase: 안내 relates to guidance or information, and 데스크 is a desk or service counter. Together, the phrase identifies the reception desk. 옆에 means “beside” or “next to.” 옆 means the side of something, and -에 marks the location where something exists. A reusable pattern is [place] 옆에, meaning “beside [place].” 하나 means “one.” It is the native Korean form for one when counting or referring to an item. Here, the context supports understanding it as one map, but 하나 itself does not state the noun again. For example, 사과 하나 means “one apple.” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다. 있다 expresses existence or location; with a place phrase, it can mean that something is located there. For example, 책이 책상 위에 있어요 means “The book is on the desk.” This is different from 이에요/예요, which identifies something as something else rather than locating it. Together, 안내 데스크 옆에 gives the location “beside the reception desk,” 하나 identifies one item, and 있어요 says that the item exists there. The whole utterance therefore means that there is one by the reception desk. In the supplied context, that is the map being sought.

8. 도움이 되네요. 이 건물은 처음이에요.

   That helps. It's my first time in this building.

   도움이 되네요

   That helps.

   이

   this

   건물

   building

   처음이에요

   it is the first time

   More detail

   도움이 되네요 uses the reusable pattern 도움이 되다, literally “to become/be helpful.” 도움 means “help,” and 이 marks it as the subject of 되다; together, the expression means that something is helpful. The ending -네요 presents the speaker’s current realization or reaction, so 도움이 되네요 naturally means “That helps” here. Example: 정말 도움이 되네요. — “This is really helpful.” 이 is the demonstrative meaning “this.” It is placed before a noun: 이 책 means “this book.” In the fixed sentence, it modifies 건물, so it identifies the building being discussed as “this building.” 건물 means “building.” With the topic marker 은, 이 건물은 sets “this building” as the topic. The form 은 is used after a consonant-final noun such as 건물; after a vowel-final noun, the corresponding topic form is 는. Example: 이 건물은 커요. — “This building is big.” 처음이에요 combines 처음, “first time” or “the beginning,” with 이에요, the polite present form of the copula after a consonant-final noun. Here it says that the situation is the speaker’s first time in the building, as fixed by the translation. Korean leaves the possessor and some context implicit; 처음이에요 itself does not contain a separate word meaning “my.” After a vowel-final noun, the copula form is 예요, as in 처음 versus a noun such as 학교예요 (“it is a school”). Example: 여기는 처음이에요. — “This is my first time here.” Together, 이 건물은 처음이에요 makes “this building” the topic and states that being in it is a first-time experience for the speaker. The complete utterance is therefore “That helps. It’s my first time in this building.”

9. 그 방은 복도 끝 가까이에 표시되어 있어요.

   The room is marked near the end of the hall.

   그

   that

   방

   room

   복도

   hall

   끝

   end

   가까이에

   near

   표시되어 있어요

   is marked

   More detail

   그 comes before 방 and identifies it as “that/the room.” In Korean, 그 is an attributive demonstrative: it modifies a following noun. Its use does not by itself assert a particular physical distance; here the fixed translation supports the definite reading “the.” 방 means “room.” The topic marker 은 is attached to it, making the room the topic of the sentence. A reusable pattern is 그 + noun: 그 건물 means “that building.” 복도 means “hall” or “corridor.” 끝 means “end.” Together, 복도 끝 means “the end of the hall,” with 끝 specifying the relevant part of the hall. For example, 복도 끝에 화장실이 있어요 means “There is a restroom at the end of the hall.” 가까이에 means “near” or “nearby” and locates something close to the place just mentioned. A useful contrast is 멀리 (“far away”): 복도 끝 가까이에 means “near the end of the hall,” whereas 복도 끝에서 멀리 would describe something far from that point. Here 가까이에 does not mean that the room is at the exact endpoint; it places it close to that endpoint. 표시되어 있어요 means “is marked” or “is indicated.” The base verb is 표시되다, “to be marked/indicated.” 표시되어 combines that verb with -어 있다, which presents the resulting state as continuing: something has been marked and is now in a marked state. 있어요 is the polite present-style form of 있다 in this construction. This is different from simply describing an action such as 표시해요, “mark/indicate,” which does not by itself present the continuing marked state. The sentence builds as 그 방은 (“as for the room”) + 복도 끝 가까이에 (“near the end of the hall”) + 표시되어 있어요 (“is marked”). Altogether, it means: “The room is marked near the end of the hall.” This is a useful sentence pattern for describing where a room or other place is indicated, for example on a sign or plan.