Taking a Break at Work | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 오늘 일이 많아요.

   I have a lot of work today.

   오늘

   today

   일이

   work

   많아요

   there is a lot

   More detail

   오늘 means “today.” It is a time word and can appear at the beginning of a sentence to set the time: 오늘 바빠요. — “I’m busy today.” 일이 means “work” here. The base noun is 일, and 이 is the subject marker used after a noun ending in a consonant. The marker presents 일 as what is being described; it does not itself mean “have.” 많아요 comes from the descriptive verb 많다, “to be many” or “to be much.” Its polite present form is 많아요. Use it for a large quantity: 사람이 많아요. — “There are many people.” The form 많아요 does not specify who owns or performs the work. Together, 오늘 일이 많아요 literally describes today’s work as plentiful: “As for today, work is a lot.” In the fixed translation, this is naturally expressed as “I have a lot of work today.” Korean can leave the speaker understood when the context supplies that perspective. The sentence itself states that there is a lot of work today.

2. 피곤해 보여요. 그러니 좀 쉬세요.

   You look tired, so take a break.

   피곤해

   tired

   보여요

   look; seem

   그러니

   so; therefore

   좀

   a little; just

   쉬세요

   take a break; rest

   More detail

   피곤해 comes from the descriptive verb 피곤하다, “to be tired.” Here it is the connective form used before 보여요: 피곤하다 → 피곤해. This form by itself describes being tired; with 보여요, it contributes the meaning “tired” to an appearance judgment. 보여요 is the polite present form of 보이다, “to appear” or “to look.” The pattern A-아/어 보여요 means “look/seem A,” as in 행복해 보여요 — “You look happy.” In this sentence, 피곤해 보여요 means “You look tired,” rather than simply “you see.” 그러니 is a connective expression meaning “so” or “therefore.” It links the appearance-based observation to the following suggestion: “You look tired, so …” 좀 literally relates to “a little,” but in this request it mainly softens the suggestion. It does not assert a precise amount of rest. For example, 좀 기다려 주세요 means “Please wait a moment,” with 좀 making the request gentler. 쉬세요 comes from the verb 쉬다, “to rest” or “to take a break.” The ending -세요 makes a polite request or directive addressed to the listener: 쉬다 → 쉬세요. The listener is the understood subject, and the form does not state how many people are being addressed. Together, 피곤해 보여요 (“You look tired”) gives the reason for 그러니 (“so”), and 좀 쉬세요 (“please take a break/rest”) gives the polite suggestion. The whole utterance is therefore: “You look tired, so take a break.”

3. 마감일이 다가와서 걱정돼요.

   I'm worried because the deadline is approaching.

   마감일

   deadline

   다가와서

   because it is approaching

   걱정돼요

   I’m worried

   More detail

   마감일 means “deadline.” It is a noun formed from 마감 (“closing” or “cutoff”) and 일 (“day”), but learn the complete noun 마감일 as the date by which something must be finished. Example: 마감일이 언제예요? — “When is the deadline?” 다가와서 comes from the verb 다가오다, “to approach” or “to draw near.” Here, 다가오- describes the deadline getting nearer, and -아서 connects that situation to the reason for what follows: “because it is approaching.” The verb is in the -아서/-어서 connective form: 다가오다 becomes 다가와서. Example: 시험이 다가와서 공부하고 있어요. — “I’m studying because the exam is approaching.” 걱정돼요 comes from 걱정되다, meaning “to be worried” or “to be of concern.” Its polite present form is 걱정돼요: 되다 combines with -어요 as 되어요, which contracts to 돼요. In this sentence, the speaker’s concern is understood from context, so Korean does not need an overt “I.” This form presents a worried state; 걱정하다 is a different verb meaning “to worry” or “to be concerned.” Example: 결과가 걱정돼요. — “I’m worried about the result.” Together, 마감일이 다가와서 gives the reason, “because the deadline is approaching,” and 걱정돼요 gives the speaker’s state, “I’m worried.” The whole utterance therefore means: “I’m worried because the deadline is approaching.”

4. 잠깐 쉬면 그다음에 일을 더 잘할 수 있어요.

   Stepping away can help you work better afterward.

   잠깐

   briefly

   쉬면

   if you rest

   그다음에

   afterward

   일

   work

   더

   more

   잘

   well

   할 수 있어요

   can do

   More detail

   잠깐 means “briefly” or “for a short time.” It is an adverb, so it describes the short duration of the resting action here. Example: 잠깐 기다려요. — “Please wait a moment.” 쉬면 is 쉬다 (“to rest, take a break”) plus -면, a conditional ending meaning “if” or, in a routine situation, “when.” Thus 쉬면 presents resting as the condition for what follows. Example: 피곤하면 쉬어요. — “If you are tired, rest.” 그다음에 means “after that” or “afterward.” 그다음 refers to the next stage, and -에 marks the time at which it happens. It links the break to the later action without specifying exactly how much time passes. 일 is a noun meaning “work” or “a task.” In this utterance it is the activity that can be done better afterward. Example: 일이 많아요. — “There is a lot of work.” 더 means “more” or “to a greater degree.” Here it increases the degree of 잘: the work can be done better than before or than without the break. It is not itself the word meaning “well.” 잘 is an adverb meaning “well,” and in this context it describes performing work effectively. Together, 더 잘 means “better.” Example: 오늘은 더 잘했어요. — “I did better today.” 할 수 있어요 expresses ability or possibility: “can do.” The lexical verb is 하다 (“to do”), appearing here as 할 before 수; -ㄹ 수 있다 is the pattern “can / be able to,” and 있어요 is its polite present form. This construction does not simply mean that the action will happen; it says that it is possible or manageable. Example: 이 일을 할 수 있어요. — “I can do this work.” Putting the parts together, 잠깐 쉬면 sets a condition—taking a short break. 그다음에 places the next action afterward, and 일을 더 잘할 수 있어요 says that doing the work better becomes possible. The whole utterance therefore means: “Stepping away for a short time can help you work better afterward.”

5. 잠깐 눈을 쉬게 해야 할 것 같아요.

   Maybe I should rest my eyes for a minute.

   잠깐

   briefly; for a minute

   눈을

   the eyes

   쉬게 … 해야 할 것 같아요

   seems I should let … rest

   More detail

   잠깐 means for a short time, often “for a minute” in context. It can modify an action to show that the action lasts only briefly. Example: 잠깐 기다리세요. — “Please wait a moment.” 눈을 is 눈 (“eye/eyes”) with the object marker -을. In this sentence, the intended object is the speaker’s eyes, as shown by the translation. Korean commonly uses the plural meaning “eyes” without a separate plural ending when the context is clear. 쉬게 comes from 쉬다, “to rest,” and uses -게 in the causative pattern -게 하다: literally, “make/let [someone or something] do.” Here, 눈을 쉬게 하다 means “let the eyes rest” or “give the eyes a rest.” This is different from simply 눈을 쉬다, because 쉬게 하다 presents the eyes as the thing being allowed or caused to rest. Example: 아이를 쉬게 했어요. — “I let the child rest.” 해야 할 것 같아요 combines 해야 하다 (“have to / should do”) with 것 같다 (“seem to be / seem like”). 해야 is the form of 하다 used in the obligation pattern -아/어야 하다; 할 is the form of 하다 that modifies the following noun-like form 것; and 같아요 is the polite present form of 같다. Together, this ending presents the speaker’s judgment tentatively: “it seems I should” or “I think I need to.” Example: 이제 가야 할 것 같아요. — “I think I should go now.” Putting the parts together, 잠깐 limits the duration, 눈을 쉬게 하다 means “let the eyes rest,” and 해야 할 것 같아요 expresses the speaker’s tentative sense of obligation. The whole utterance therefore means: “Maybe I should rest my eyes for a minute.”

6. 물을 마시고 잠깐 천천히 숨을 쉬세요.

   Drink water and breathe slowly for a minute.

   물을

   water

   마시고

   drink and

   잠깐

   for a moment

   천천히

   slowly

   숨

   breath

   쉬세요

   please breathe

   More detail

   물을 is 물 (“water”) with the object marker -을. It marks water as what is acted on. The same marker follows a noun ending in a consonant; after a noun ending in a vowel, -를 is used instead. 마시고 comes from 마시다 (“to drink”). The ending -고 links this action to the next one, giving the reusable pattern A-고 B: “do A and B.” In this sentence, the linked actions are naturally understood in the order given, but -고 itself does not always mean “then.” The subject of the instruction is not stated in the Korean sentence. 잠깐 means “for a short time” or “for a moment.” Here it limits the breathing action. The fixed translation renders this brief duration as “for a minute,” but 잠깐 does not specify an exact measured minute in Korean. 천천히 is the adverb from 천천하다 (“to be slow”), meaning “slowly.” It describes how the breathing should be done. A useful contrast is 빨리 (“quickly”) in contexts where speed is being compared. 숨 means “breath” and is used in the expression 숨을 쉬다, which means “to breathe.” The following 쉬세요 supplies the verb in this expression; 숨 itself is the noun “breath.” 쉬세요 comes from 쉬다 and is a polite request or instruction. In 숨을 쉬세요, it means “breathe”; with a resting context, the same form can mean “please rest.” The ending -세요 is a common polite form for a request or instruction. Together, 물을 마시고 means “drink water and,” and 잠깐 천천히 숨을 쉬세요 means “breathe slowly for a short time.” The complete utterance is therefore: “Drink water and breathe slowly for a minute.”

7. 그러면 마지막 부분을 끝낼 수 있어요.

   Then I can finish the last section.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   마지막

   last; final

   부분

   part; section

   끝낼

   finish; bring to an end

   수 있어요

   can; be able to

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It links the utterance to a condition or situation just mentioned. Here it introduces the result: under that situation, the speaker can finish the section. It can also begin a response when the relevant situation is already understood. 마지막 means “last” or “final.” It comes before 부분 and describes which section is meant. It is useful for identifying the final item in an order; for example, 마지막 질문 means “the last question.” 부분 means “part” or “section.” In this sentence it refers to a section of the relevant work. It can combine with a modifier such as 마지막: 마지막 부분, “the last section.” 끝낼 is the form of 끝내다, “to finish” or “to bring to an end,” used before 수 in the ability pattern. 끝내다 is the dictionary form; 끝낼 is its prospective/attributive form here. For example, 오늘 일을 끝낼 수 있어요 means “I can finish today’s work.” The form 끝낼 itself does not mean “can”; that meaning comes from the construction 끝낼 수 있어요. 수 있어요 is the polite form of the construction -(으)ㄹ 수 있다, which expresses ability or possibility. With 끝낼, 끝낼 수 있어요 means “can finish.” The subject is understood from the fixed translation as “I”; the Korean construction does not require an overt subject here. Its negative counterpart is -(으)ㄹ 수 없어요, “cannot” or “it is not possible to.” Together, 마지막 부분 means “the last section,” and 끝낼 수 있어요 means “can finish.” 그러면 connects this ability to the relevant situation, producing: “Then I can finish the last section.”

8. 쉬는 동안 제가 초안을 검토할게요.

   I will review the draft while you rest.

   쉬는

   resting

   동안

   while; during

   제가

   I (subject)

   초안

   draft

   검토할게요

   will review

   More detail

   쉬는 is from 쉬다, “to rest.” Here it is the form used before 동안 to describe an ongoing action: 쉬는 동안 = “while [someone] is resting.” The form itself does not identify who is resting; in this fixed translation, that understood person is “you.” 동안 means a period or duration. With an action before it, the pattern V-는 동안 means “while V-ing” or “during the time that someone V-s.” Example: 기다리는 동안 책을 읽어요. — “I read a book while waiting.” 제가 is 저 (“I,” in the polite/humble form) plus the subject marker 가. It explicitly marks the speaker as the subject of the following action, 검토할게요. The -가 marker is also used with other first-person forms when they are the subject, for example 제가 할게요 — “I’ll do it.” 초안 means “draft,” such as an early version of a document. It is a noun and can be used with many action nouns or verbs, for example 초안을 수정하다 — “to revise a draft.” In this sentence, the object marker is omitted in the natural compact expression 초안 검토하다; the meaning is “review the draft.” 검토할게요 comes from 검토하다, “to review” or “to examine,” plus -(으)ㄹ게요. This ending presents the speaker’s intention or commitment to do something, often with the listener in mind; here it means “I will review it.” It is not the same as simply describing a schedule with a neutral future form. Example: 제가 확인할게요. — “I’ll check it.” Together, 쉬는 동안 sets the time condition, 제가 identifies the speaker as the reviewer, 초안 identifies what will be reviewed, and 검토할게요 expresses the speaker’s commitment. The whole utterance means: “I will review the draft while you rest.”