Cleaning Up Spilled Coffee | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 이 서류에 커피를 쏟았어요.

   I spilled coffee on these documents.

   이

   these

   서류

   documents

   에

   on; in

   커피

   coffee

   쏟았어요

   spilled

   More detail

   이 is a demonstrative determiner meaning “this/these” before a noun. Here, with the fixed translation, it identifies the documents as “these,” but Korean 이 itself does not mark singular versus plural. Example: 이 책 = “this book”; 이 책들 = “these books,” with 들 making plurality explicit. 서류 means “documents” or “paperwork.” In this sentence it is the noun affected by the spilling. The form does not itself show a plural ending; the plural interpretation comes from the fixed translation and context. Example: 서류를 확인하세요. = “Please check the documents.” 에 is a location or destination marker. After 서류 here, it marks the surface or place onto which the coffee was spilled, giving the meaning “onto/on the documents.” Its meaning is determined by the verb and context; it is not part of the noun 서류. 커피 means “coffee.” It is the thing that was spilled. Example: 커피를 마셔요. = “I drink coffee.” 쏟았어요 is the polite past form of 쏟다, “to spill” or “to pour out.” The past meaning is carried by -았-, and -어요 gives a polite conversational ending: 쏟다 → 쏟았어요. In this sentence, the verb describes coffee being spilled onto the documents. Korean does not require the subject to be stated, so the Korean form alone does not specify who spilled it; the fixed translation supplies “I.” Example: 물을 쏟았어요. = “I spilled water.” Together, 이 서류에 identifies the destination surface as “onto these documents,” 커피를 identifies coffee as the object, and 쏟았어요 says that it was spilled in the past, politely. The complete meaning is “I spilled coffee on these documents.”

2. 얼룩이 번지기 전에 서류를 컵에서 멀리 옮기세요.

   Move them away from the cup before the stain spreads.

   얼룩이

   the stain

   번지기 전에

   before spreading

   서류를

   the documents

   컵에서

   from the cup

   멀리

   far away

   옮기세요

   move, please

   More detail

   얼룩이 means “the stain” here. 얼룩 is the noun “stain,” and -이 marks it as the subject of the following clause. In this sentence, the stain is the thing that may spread; the form does not identify who caused it. 번지기 전에 means “before spreading.” The base form is 번지다, “to spread,” used here for a stain or liquid spreading. The pattern verb stem + -기 전에 means “before doing …”: for example, 자기 전에 이를 닦으세요 means “Brush your teeth before sleeping.” The subject of 번지다 is understood from 얼룩이. 서류를 means “the documents.” 서류 is a noun for documents or paperwork, and -를 marks it as the object of 옮기세요. In this context, the documents are the things to move, consistent with the fixed translation and the preceding mention of documents. 컵에서 means “from the cup.” With a movement verb such as 옮기다, -에서 can mark the place or object from which something is moved away. It is different from 컵에, which would mark a destination or placement with many movement verbs. The phrase does not say that the documents are inside the cup; it indicates separation from the cup. 멀리 means “far away” or “at a distance.” It is the adverbial form of 멀다, “to be far,” and describes how far the documents should be moved. For example, 불에서 멀리 가세요 means “Go far away from the fire.” 옮기세요 means “move [it/them], please.” Its base form is 옮기다, “to move or transfer something,” and -세요 makes a polite request or command. The subject is generally understood as “you,” while the object is supplied by 서류를; Korean does not need to state that subject explicitly. This is different from 가세요, “go,” which describes the mover’s movement rather than moving an object. Together, 서류를 컵에서 멀리 옮기세요 tells the listener to move the documents away from the cup. 얼룩이 번지기 전에 sets the time limit: do this before the stain spreads. The complete meaning is: “Move the documents away from the cup before the stain spreads.”

3. 맨 위 페이지는 이미 흠뻑 젖었어요.

   The top page is already soaked.

   맨 위

   top; uppermost

   페이지

   page

   이미

   already

   흠뻑

   thoroughly; completely

   젖었어요

   is wet

   More detail

   맨 위 means “the very top” or “uppermost.” 맨 marks a position as the extreme one, so 맨 위 is more specific than simply “above.” Example: 맨 아래 means “the very bottom.” 페이지 is the noun “page.” It is a common loanword used for a page in a document, book, or digital material. Here, it is the thing described as wet. 이미 means “already.” It marks a state that has been reached by the relevant time. Example: 이미 끝났어요 means “It is already finished.” 흠뻑 is an adverb meaning “thoroughly” or “completely,” especially when something absorbs liquid. The reusable combination 흠뻑 젖다 means “to become thoroughly soaked.” 젖었어요 comes from the base form 젖다, “to be wet” or “to become wet.” The ending -었어요 marks past or completed aspect in polite conversational speech. With 젖다, the resulting form can describe a wet state reached by that time; here, 흠뻑 makes the degree “thoroughly soaked.” Example: 옷이 비에 젖었어요 means “The clothes got wet in the rain.” Together, 맨 위 페이지 identifies the uppermost page, 이미 says the state has already been reached, and 흠뻑 젖었어요 describes that page as thoroughly soaked. The whole utterance means: “The top page is already soaked.”

4. 그 페이지를 만지기 전에 평평하게 펴서 말리세요.

   Let it dry flat before you handle it.

   그

   that

   페이지

   page

   만지기

   touching or handling

   전에

   before

   평평하게

   flat

   펴서

   spread out, then

   말리세요

   dry it

   More detail

   그 is the demonstrative meaning “that” here. It modifies 페이지, and Korean demonstratives do not change for gender or number. The translation and context support the reading “that page.” 페이지 means “page.” In 페이지를, the particle 를 marks the page as the object of the actions in the instruction. 만지기 comes from 만지다, “to touch” or “to handle.” The ending -기 makes a noun-like form, so 만지기 전에 means “before touching/handling.” This pattern is reusable: 먹기 전에 means “before eating,” and 자기 전에 means “before sleeping.” 전에 means “before” in this construction. It can also follow a time expression, as in 한 시간 전에, “an hour ago”; the preceding expression determines the relationship. 평평하게 comes from 평평하다, “to be flat,” in an adverbial form. Here it describes how the page is to be spread: flat. The adverbial ending -하게 lets this descriptive word modify an action. 펴서 comes from 펴다, “to spread out,” “unfold,” or “open out,” followed by -어서. Here it connects spreading the page flat with the following drying instruction. Example: 문을 열어서 들어가세요. “Open the door and go in.” 말리세요 comes from 말리다, “to dry something,” with the polite request or command ending -세요. The object 페이지를 is stated earlier and is understood again with this verb. 말리다 is distinct from 마르다, “to become dry”: 수건을 말리세요 means “Dry the towel.” The fixed translation naturally expresses this instruction as “let it dry.” Together, 그 페이지를 identifies the page as the object. 만지기 전에 sets the time boundary, 평평하게 펴서 means to spread it out flat, and 말리세요 gives the polite instruction to dry it. The whole utterance means: “Let it dry flat before you handle it.”

5. 그 페이지를 새로 출력할까요?

   Should I print a clean copy of that page?

   그

   that

   페이지

   page

   새로

   anew; freshly

   출력할까요

   Shall I print it?

   More detail

   그 is a demonstrative modifier meaning “that.” It comes before the noun it identifies. Korean demonstratives include 이 “this” and 저 “that over there”; the choice depends on distance or discourse context, not simply on the noun’s grammatical role. 페이지 means “page.” It is a noun commonly used for a page in a book, document, or digital display. In this sentence, 그 페이지를 means “that page” as the object of the action; 를 is the object marker used after a noun ending in a vowel. 새로 is an adverb meaning “anew” or “freshly.” Here it describes printing again or producing a fresh copy, rather than describing the page itself. It is a separate adverb; do not treat it as the inflected adverbial form of 새롭다, which means “to be new.” Example: 문서를 새로 만들어요. — “I create the document anew.” 출력할까요 contains 출력하다, “to print” or “to output,” followed by -ㄹ까요?. The visible form asks whether the speaker should carry out the action: “Shall I print it?” With a verb stem ending in a vowel, this question pattern uses -ㄹ까요?; with a consonant-ending stem, it uses -을까요?. For example, 기다릴까요? means “Shall I wait?” Together, 그 페이지를 identifies the page to be acted on, 새로 adds the idea of making a fresh copy, and 출력할까요? asks whether the speaker should print it. Thus the utterance means, “Should I print a fresh copy of that page?” Here the question presents printing as a proposed action by the speaker, rather than stating that the printing has already happened.

6. 글자가 번질 수 있어서 그렇게 하는 게 더 안전해요.

   That would be safer because the text may blur.

   글자가

   the text

   번질

   blur or spread

   수 있어서

   because it may be possible

   그렇게

   that way

   하는 게

   doing so

   더

   more

   안전해요

   is safe

   More detail

   글자가 means “the text/letters” here. 글자 is a noun, and -가 marks it as the grammatical subject. In this context, the text is the thing that may become blurred. Example: 글자가 작아요. — “The text is small.” 번질 comes from 번지다, “to spread or become blurred.” The form 번질 is the form used before 수 in 번질 수 있다, expressing possibility: “can/may blur.” In this sentence, it describes a possible effect on the text, not someone’s ability to blur it. Example: 잉크가 번질 수 있어요. — “The ink may spread.” 수 있어서 is the possibility pattern -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 followed by -아서, which gives a reason. Thus 번질 수 있어서 means “because it may blur.” The -아서 ending connects this reason to the main statement that follows. 그렇게 is an adverb meaning “that way” or “like that.” It refers to carrying out an action in that manner, without the sentence itself specifying the exact action in this word. Example: 그렇게 하지 마세요. — “Please don’t do it that way.” 하는 게 is based on 하다, “to do.” 하는 is the form of 하다 that modifies a noun, and 게 is a contracted form of 것이; together, 하는 게 means “doing it” or “the act of doing so.” With 그렇게, the chunk means “doing it that way.” Example: 천천히 하는 게 좋아요. — “It is good to do it slowly.” 더 means “more” and marks a comparison with another option or state. It does not itself specify what the comparison point is; here, the implied comparison is with the alternative under discussion. 안전해요 comes from the descriptive word 안전하다, “to be safe.” 안전해요 is its polite present form. The phrase 더 안전해요 therefore means “is safer,” with 더 supplying the comparison. Together, 글자가 번질 수 있어서 gives the reason: “because the text may blur.” 그렇게 하는 게 identifies the option being evaluated as “doing it that way,” and 더 안전해요 evaluates that option as safer. The whole utterance means: “That would be safer because the text may blur.”

7. 이 페이지가 마르는 동안 마른 페이지들은 따로 둘게요.

   I will separate the dry pages while this one dries.

   이

   this

   페이지

   page

   마르는

   dries / is drying

   동안

   while / during

   마른

   dry

   따로

   separately / apart

   둘게요

   I’ll put them aside

   More detail

   이 is the proximal demonstrative meaning “this.” It modifies 페이지 in 이 페이지 to mean “this page.” Korean 이 does not itself mark singularity; the fixed translation supports the reading “this one” here. 페이지 means “page.” In the later form 페이지들은, 들 marks plurality and 는 marks the topic. Korean can omit 들 when plurality is clear, but this form explicitly presents the pages as a plural topic. 마르는 comes from 마르다, “to dry.” It is the present attributive form, describing the drying page in 이 페이지가 마르는 동안. For example, 옷이 마르는 동안 means “while the clothes are drying.” 동안 marks a period during which another event happens. The reusable pattern A-는 동안 B means “while A happens or is happening, B.” 마른 also comes from 마르다 and is its past attributive form in this verb use. It describes pages that have become dry: 마른 페이지 means “dry pages.” The contrast is 마르는 페이지 (“pages that are drying”) versus 마른 페이지 (“pages that have dried / are dry”). 따로 means “separately” or “apart.” It indicates that the pages will be kept apart rather than together. For example, 이것들은 따로 두세요 means “Please put these separately.” 둘게요 comes from 두다, “to put” or “to keep,” plus -ㄹ게요. This ending presents the speaker’s intention or commitment to carry out the action: 둘게요 means “I’ll put them” or “I’ll keep them.” The object is understood from the surrounding phrase as the dry pages. Together, 이 페이지가 마르는 동안 sets the time: “while this page dries.” 마른 페이지들은 따로 identifies the dry pages and specifies that they are apart, while 둘게요 expresses the speaker’s commitment to put or keep them that way. The whole utterance means: “I will separate the dry pages while this one dries.”

8. 다음에는 음료를 다른 테이블에 두세요.

   Keep the drinks on another table next time.

   다음에는

   next time

   음료

   drinks

   다른

   another; different

   테이블

   table

   두세요

   please put; keep

   More detail

   다음에는 sets the time as “next time.” 다음 means “next” in a sequence, and -에 marks a time point. The added -는 highlights or contrasts that time, so the pattern 다음에는 ... is reusable for a reminder about what should happen next time. 음료 means “drink” or “beverage.” Korean nouns generally do not show singular versus plural by changing their form, so 음료 can refer to one or more drinks; the fixed translation presents it as plural. With the object marker, the phrase is 음료를, meaning “the drinks” as the thing affected by the action. 다른 means “another” or “different” when it comes before a noun. It is the attributive form of 다르다 (“to be different”): 다르다 → 다른 + noun. For example, 다른 의자 means “another/different chair.” Here it modifies 테이블, rather than expressing a comparison by itself. 테이블 is “table.” It is a loanword used as a noun in Korean. 다른 테이블 therefore means “another table” or “a different table”; the context and translation support the “another” reading here. 두세요 comes from 두다, “to put” or “to leave/keep,” plus the polite deferential ending -세요. In this sentence, 두다 describes putting or keeping the drinks in a place, and 두세요 makes it a polite request or instruction. The same ending can make other requests, such as 기다리세요 (“Please wait”), but the lexical meaning comes from the verb. The object and destination combine as 음료를 다른 테이블에 두세요: the drinks are put or kept on another table, with -에 marking the destination or place. Putting the parts together, 다음에는 gives the time, 음료를 identifies what is to be moved or kept, 다른 테이블에 identifies the destination, and 두세요 politely instructs the listener to put or keep them there. The whole utterance means: “Keep the drinks on another table next time.”