Apologizing for Changing Plans | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: While adjusting plans with a friend, one person apologizes for an unexpected change and they choose another day..

EN → KO / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Apologizing for Changing Plans to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

미안해, 우리 계획을 바꿔야 해.

mee-AHN-heh, oo-REE gye-HWEG-eul ba-KKWO-ya hae. I'm sorry, I need to change our plan.
B

내가 나가기 전에 말해 줘서 다행이야.

naeh-GAH nah-GAH-gee juh-NEH mahl-HEH jwoh-suh dah-HAENG-ee-yah. I'm glad you told me before I left.
A

예상하지 못한 일이 생겼어.

yeh-SAHNG-ha-jee mo-TAHN ee-REE saeng-GYUH-suh. Something unexpected came up.
B

괜찮아. 다른 날을 정하면 돼.

gwen-CHAN-ah. DAH-reun NAH-reul JUNG-ha-myun dweh. That's all right. We can choose another day.
A

이번 주 후반은 괜찮아?

ee-BUM joo hoo-BAH-neun gwen-CHAN-ah? Would later this week work for you?
B

이번 주 후반이면 괜찮아.

ee-BUM joo hoo-BAH-nee-myun gwen-CHAN-ah. Later this week is fine for me.
A

새 계획을 보내 줄게.

seh gye-HWEG-eul boh-NEH jool-GEH. I can send you the new plan.
B

그러면 내 일정을 조정하는 데 도움이 돼.

guh-ruh-myun neh eel-JJUNG-eul joh-JUNG-ha-neun deh doh-OO-mee dweh. That helps me adjust my schedule.

Word by Word

미안해 미안해 means “I’m sorry” in this dialogue. It is the casual form of 미안하다, used with a friend when apologizing for changing a plan. You can use it at the beginning of a casual apology.
우리 우리 means “our” here and refers to the shared plan between the speakers. It comes before the noun it describes, as in 우리 계획. Use it when something belongs to or is shared by the speaker and the listener.
계획을 계획을 means “the plan” as the thing being changed. 계획 means “plan,” and 을 marks it as the object of the action. Use this object form after a verb that changes, sends, or makes a plan.
바꿔야 바꿔야 is the form of 바꾸다 used before 해 in 바꿔야 해. Together, 바꿔야 해 says that the plan needs to be changed. This form is useful before 해 when expressing something that must or needs to happen.
해 해 is the casual form of 하다 and completes 바꿔야 해. In this expression, it helps say that changing the plan is necessary, rather than simply meaning “do” by itself. Use it with a preceding -어야 form in casual speech when saying that something must be done.
내가 내가 means “I” as the subject of the action. It is made from 나, “I,” with the subject marker 가. Use it before a verb when you want to identify the person doing the action.
나가기 나가기 refers to the act of leaving or going out. It is the form of 나가다 used before 전에 to make “before leaving.” Use this -기 form when an action is treated as an activity or event.
전에 전에 means “before” and follows 나가기 in the phrase 나가기 전에, “before leaving.” It marks the earlier time relative to an action or event. Use it after a noun or an action expressed with -기 when setting a time boundary.
말해 말해 means “tell” or “say” here and is the form of 말하다 used in 말해 줘서. The full expression 말해 줘서 means “because you told me” or “thanks for telling me,” while 말해 supplies the act of telling. Use it before 줘 when describing telling or saying something as a favor for someone.
줘서 줘서 is the form of 주다 in 말해 줘서 and adds the idea that the action was done for the listener; -서 connects it to the reason for being glad. In the dialogue, 말해 줘서 means “because you told me” or “thanks for telling me.” Use -아/어 줘서 after an action when expressing appreciation for someone doing it for you.
다행이야 다행이야 means “it’s fortunate” or “I’m glad” here, because the speaker was told before leaving. It is the casual form of 다행이다. Use it with a friend when a situation has a favorable or relieving result.
예상하지 예상하지 is the form of 예상하다 used before 못한 in 예상하지 못한. It contributes the meaning “expect” or “anticipate,” and the full phrase 예상하지 못한 means “not expected.” Use it before 못하다 when saying that something could not be anticipated.
못한 못한 is the form of 못하다 used after 예상하지 to express that the anticipating did not happen. Together, 예상하지 못한 describes something unexpected. Use it after an action stem in a phrase that describes something the action was not successfully or possibly done to.
일이 일이 means “a thing” or “an event” as the subject of 생겼어. 일이 is made from 일, “thing” or “matter,” with the subject marker 이. Use it before a verb when an event or matter is what happened.
생겼어 생겼어 means “came up” or “happened” in this dialogue. It is the casual form of 생기다, and with 일이 it says that an unexpected event came up. Use it when a new problem, event, or situation appears.
괜찮아 괜찮아 means “it’s all right” or “that’s fine” here, reassuring the friend after the apology. It is the casual form of 괜찮다. Use it with a friend to accept an apology or say that a situation is not a problem.
다른 다른 means “another” or “different” and modifies 날 in 다른 날, “another day.” It is the form of 다르다 used before a noun. Use it before a noun when selecting an alternative item, person, or time.
날을 날을 means “the day” as the object of choosing or setting. 날 means “day,” and 을 marks it as the object in 다른 날을 정하면 돼. Use this object form after a verb that selects or sets a day.
정하면 정하면 means “if we choose or set” in 정하면 돼. It is the form of 정하다 with -면, which presents choosing a day as the condition for the result. Use -면 after an action when saying what will be acceptable or possible if that action happens.
돼 돼 is the casual form of 되다 and, in 정하면 돼, means “that will do” or “it’s okay.” The full expression says that choosing another day is sufficient. Use it after an action with -면 to say that doing that action is enough.
이번 이번 means “this” or “current” in the time expression 이번 주, “this week.” It comes before the time noun it specifies. Use it to refer to the current occurrence of a period, event, or opportunity.
주 주 means “week” in 이번 주, “this week.” It follows 이번 to form a time expression. Use it after a word specifying which week is meant.
후반은 후반은 means “the latter part” as the topic of the proposed time. In 이번 주 후반은, it refers to the latter part of this week, and 은 marks it as the topic. Use it after a time expression when presenting that period for consideration.
후반이면 후반이면 presents the latter part as a possible condition in 이번 주 후반이면 괜찮아, “if it’s the latter part of this week, is that okay?” It is 후반 followed by 이면, which gives the meaning “if it is.” Use this form when proposing a time or option conditionally.
새 새 means “new” and modifies 계획 in 새 계획, “the new plan.” It comes directly before the noun it describes. Use it before a noun when referring to a replacement or recently changed version.
보내 보내 is the form of 보내다 used before 줄게 in 보내 줄게. It means “send,” and the full expression means “I’ll send it to you.” Use it before 줄게 when promising to send something for the listener.
줄게 줄게 is the form of 주다 used to make a casual promise to do something for the listener. In 보내 줄게, it adds “for you” and the speaker’s commitment to send the plan. Use it after an action when offering or promising to do that action for someone.
그러면 그러면 means “then” or “in that case” and connects the accepted time with its helpful result. It refers back to the proposed plan or arrangement. Use it at the start of a response when drawing a consequence from what was just said.
내 내 means “my” and modifies 일정 in 내 일정, “my schedule.” It is the contracted possessive form of 나의. Use it before a noun when identifying something that belongs to the speaker.
일정을 일정을 means “the schedule” as the object being adjusted. 일정 means “schedule,” and 을 marks it as the object of 조정하는. Use this object form after a verb that changes or organizes a schedule.
조정하는 조정하는 means “adjusting” and describes the activity before 데 in 조정하는 데. It is the form of 조정하다 used before 데, and the full construction means “in adjusting my schedule” or “for adjusting my schedule.” Use it before 데 when referring to an activity as the purpose or context of help.
데 데 forms 조정하는 데, meaning “in doing” or “for the purpose of doing” the preceding action. Here it connects adjusting the schedule with the help that follows. Use -는 데 after an action when describing the activity for which something is useful or helpful.
도움이 도움이 means “help” as the subject of 도움이 돼, “is helpful.” 도움 means “help” or “assistance,” and 이 marks it as the subject. Use it with 돼 when saying that something helps with a task or situation.

Grammar Points

-기 전에

나가기 전에

nah-GAH-gee juh-NEH

before leaving

Attach -기 전에 to a verb to express that one action happens before another.

-아/어야 해

계획을 바꿔야 해

gye-HWEG-eul ba-KKWO-ya hae

I have to change the plan.

Use -아/어야 해 to say that something is necessary or must be done.

Korean Vocabulary

계획 noun
gye-HWEG plan
괜찮다 adj
gwen-CHAN-tah to be all right; to be fine 괜찮아
나가다 verb
nah-GAH-dah to leave; to go out 나가기 전에
다른 det
DAH-reun another; different
다행이다 adj
dah-HAENG-ee-dah to be fortunate; to be a relief 다행이야
말하다 verb
mahl-HAH-dah to say; to tell 말해 줘서
미안하다 adj
mee-ahn-HAH-dah to be sorry 미안해
바꾸다 verb
ba-KKOO-dah to change 바꿔야 해
생기다 verb
saeng-GEE-dah to happen; to arise 생겼어
예상하지 못하다 verb
yeh-SAHNG-ha-jee mo-TAH-dah to be unexpected; to fail to anticipate 예상하지 못한
우리 pron
oo-REE our; we
일 noun
eel thing; matter

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I'm sorry, I need to change our plan.

Show Answer미안해, 우리 계획을 바꿔야 해.

I'm glad you told me before I left.

Show Answer내가 나가기 전에 말해 줘서 다행이야.

Something unexpected came up.

Show Answer예상하지 못한 일이 생겼어.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to be fortunate; to be a relief

Show Answer다행이야

to be sorry

Show Answer미안해

plan

Show Answer계획

our; we

Show Answer우리