Jogging as a hobby | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 퇴근 후에 조깅을 시작했어요.

   I started jogging after work.

   퇴근 후에

   after work

   조깅

   jogging

   시작했어요

   started

   More detail

   퇴근 후에 means “after work.” 퇴근 is the noun for leaving work or finishing one’s workday, and 후에 is the time pattern “after [a noun].” The same pattern is N 후에: 수업 후에 means “after class.” With an action before it, Korean can also use 동사-(으)ㄴ 후에, meaning “after doing [the action].” 조깅 is a noun meaning “jogging,” used here as the activity being started. In 조깅을, 을 marks 조깅 as the object of 시작하다 (“to start”). A similar pattern is 공부를 시작해요, “I start studying.” 시작했어요 is the polite past form of 시작하다, “to start.” The -했어요 ending here expresses a completed past event; 시작해요 is present or context-dependent nonpast, while 시작했어요 means “started.” Korean often omits the subject when it is understood. In this fixed translation, that omitted subject is understood as “I.” Putting the parts together, 퇴근 후에 sets the time, 조깅을 names the activity as the object, and 시작했어요 says that the starting happened in the past: “I started jogging after work.”

2. 지금까지 어때요?

   How is it going so far?

   지금까지

   so far; up to now

   어때요?

   how is it?; how is it going?

   More detail

   지금까지 combines 지금 (“now”) with 까지, which marks an endpoint or limit: “until/up to now.” Together, it means “so far” and frames the question as asking about the situation from its beginning up to the present. The same pattern is reusable with other time expressions, for example: 오늘까지 — “until today.” 어때요? is the polite present form of 어떻다, meaning “to be how” or “to be like what.” The form 어때요 reflects the irregular change from 어떻다; it is not formed by treating 때 as a separate word. This expression asks about a condition, quality, or progress. For example, 오늘 기분이 어때요? means “How do you feel today?” Korean often leaves the subject unspoken when it is understood from the situation. Here, 어때요? asks how the relevant activity or situation is going, while 지금까지 limits the time being considered. The polite ending -요 makes the question suitable for a courteous everyday exchange. Together, 지금까지 어때요? means “How is it going so far?” In the supplied context, the activity is the jogging that was started after work, and the question asks about its progress up to now without asserting a particular result.

3. 제 속도는 느리지만 점점 나아지고 있어요.

   My pace is slow, but I am improving.

   제

   my

   속도

   pace; speed

   느리지만

   slow, but

   점점

   gradually

   나아지고 있어요

   is improving

   More detail

   제 means “my” here. It is the possessive form of the humble first-person pronoun 저 (“I/me”): 저의 is commonly shortened to 제. For example, 제 이름은 민수예요 means “My name is Minsu.” 속도 means “pace” or “speed.” In this utterance it refers to the speaker’s pace. It is a noun, so it can be used in patterns such as 속도가 빠르다 (“the pace is fast”) and 속도가 느리다 (“the pace is slow”). 느리지만 is based on the adjective 느리다, “to be slow.” The ending -지만 adds a contrast, meaning “but” or “although”: 느리다 → 느리지만 (“is slow, but…”). For example, 작지만 편해요 means “It is small, but comfortable.” 점점 means “gradually” or “more and more.” It describes a change that develops over time, as in 날씨가 점점 따뜻해져요, “The weather is gradually getting warmer.” 나아지고 있어요 comes from 나아지다, “to improve” or “to get better.” The form 나아지고 combines this verb with -고, and 있어요 completes the -고 있다 construction, which presents the improvement as ongoing. Thus 나아지고 있어요 means “is improving” or “is getting better.” Korean can omit the subject when it is understood. In the fixed translation, the understood subject here is the speaker: “I am improving.” Together, 제 속도는 sets “my pace” as the topic, 느리지만 says that it is slow while opening a contrast, and 점점 나아지고 있어요 expresses ongoing improvement. The complete meaning is: “My pace is slow, but I am improving.”

4. 정해진 달리기 코스가 있어요?

   Do you have a regular route?

   정해진

   set; designated

   달리기

   running

   코스

   course; route

   있어요?

   is there?; do you have?

   More detail

   정해진 means “set” or “designated” here. It comes from 정하다 (“to decide, set”) and uses the modifier form 정해진 before a noun: 정해진 코스 = “a set route.” This form presents the route as already decided or established. Compare 정하는 코스, which would mean “a route that someone is deciding/setting” in an appropriate context. 달리기 means “running.” It is formed from 달리다 (“to run”) plus -기, which turns a verb into a noun referring to the activity: 달리기 = “running.” For example, 달리기를 좋아해요. means “I like running.” 코스 means “course” or “route.” In this utterance, it refers to a route for running. It is a noun and can be used in patterns such as 달리기 코스 (“running route”) or 산책 코스 (“walking route”). 있어요? is the polite present question form of 있다, meaning “is there?” or, with a person as the possessor, “do you have?” Korean commonly uses 있다 for both existence and possession. Here, the intended meaning is “Do you have a regular route?” rather than a literal question about a route merely existing. Together, 정해진 modifies 달리기 코스: 정해진 달리기 코스 means “a set running route” or “a regular route.” Adding 있어요? asks whether such a route is available to the listener: “Do you have a regular route?”

5. 저는 보통 공원 주위를 달려요.

   I usually run around the park.

   저는

   as for me; I

   보통

   usually

   공원

   park

   주위를

   around; surrounding area

   달려요

   run

   More detail

   저는 means “as for me” or simply “I” in this sentence. 저 is the humble first-person pronoun used when referring to oneself to someone who is not being addressed casually; 는 marks the topic. A useful contrast is 나는, which also means “I” but is the less formal/casual topic form. 보통 means “usually” here. It commonly describes an action that happens as a normal or regular habit, and it can appear before the verb: 보통 아침에 운동해요. — “I usually exercise in the morning.” 공원 is the noun “park.” It can be used directly before another noun to form a compound or noun phrase, as in 공원 입구 — “the park entrance.” 주위를 means “around” in the sense of the surrounding area or perimeter. The noun 주위 means “surroundings” or “around,” and 를 is the object marker; the observed form is 주위 + 를. In this sentence, 공원 주위를 forms the phrase “around the park.” 주변 is a related word meaning “the vicinity” or “nearby area,” but it is not the base form of 주위. 달려요 means “run.” Its base form is 달리다; 달려요 is the polite present-style form used for a current action or a habitual action. The change is 달리다 → 달려요, with the verb stem combining with the polite ending -어요. For example, 매일 달려요. means “I run every day.” Together, 저는 sets the speaker as the topic, 보통 indicates a usual habit, 공원 주위를 gives the route or area, and 달려요 expresses the action. The complete meaning is “I usually run around the park.”

6. 어떤 목표를 이루려고 노력하고 있어요?

   What goal are you working toward?

   어떤

   what kind of; which

   목표

   goal

   이루려고

   to achieve

   노력하고 있어요

   are making an effort

   More detail

   어떤 comes before a noun and asks which kind or which specific one among possible choices. In this sentence it modifies 목표, so 어떤 목표 means “what goal” or “which goal.” A reusable pattern is 어떤 + noun: 어떤 책을 읽어요? means “What kind of book are you reading?” 목표 means “goal” and is a noun. It can be used for an aim someone plans or works toward. For example, 제 목표는 한국어를 배우는 거예요. means “My goal is to learn Korean.” 이루려고 is the form 이루다 (“to achieve; to accomplish”) plus -(으)려고, which expresses purpose or an intended action. Thus, 목표를 이루려고 means “in order to achieve the goal.” The object marker 를 shows that 목표 is what is achieved. The same purpose pattern can be used in 건강해지려고 운동해요, “I exercise to become healthier.” 노력하고 있어요 comes from 노력하다 (“to make an effort; to work hard”) with -고 있다, followed by the polite present form 있어요. This presents the effort as ongoing: “are making an effort” or, naturally here, “are working toward it.” The subject is not stated in the Korean sentence; English “you” is supplied by the question context. A reusable example is 매일 연습하고 있어요, “I am practicing every day.” Together, 어떤 목표를 이루려고 gives the purpose “to achieve what goal,” and 노력하고 있어요? asks about the ongoing effort. The full utterance is therefore “What goal are you working toward?” It is a polite question about the goal behind someone’s current efforts.

7. 멈추지 않고 조깅하고 싶어요.

   I want to jog without stopping.

   멈추지 않고

   without stopping

   조깅하고 싶어요

   want to jog

   More detail

   멈추지 않고 means “without stopping.” 멈추다 is the base verb “to stop.” Its negative form 멈추지 않다 means “not stop,” and -지 않고 connects that negative action to the next action with the meaning “without doing it.” For example, 쉬지 않고 공부해요 means “I study without resting.” 조깅하고 싶어요 means “want to jog.” 조깅하다 is the verb “to jog”; the form in the sentence is 조깅하고, which uses -고 to connect the verb to 싶어요. -고 싶어요 expresses the speaker’s desire to do the action, so 조깅하고 싶어요 is “I want to jog.” 싶어요 is the polite present form used in this expression. For example, 물을 마시고 싶어요 means “I want to drink water.” Together, 멈추지 않고 + 조깅하고 싶어요 gives “I want to jog without stopping.” The sentence expresses the speaker’s desired activity and specifies that stopping should not occur during it.

8. 천천히 조금씩 늘려 가면 현실적인 목표예요.

   That is realistic if you build up slowly.

   천천히

   slowly

   조금씩

   little by little

   늘려 가면

   if you gradually build up

   현실적인

   realistic

   목표

   goal

   예요

   is

   More detail

   천천히 means “slowly.” It is an adverb, so it describes how the gradual increase is carried out. The related adjective is 느리다 (“to be slow”), but 천천히 is the form used to modify an action. 조금씩 means “little by little” or “in small amounts at a time.” The ending -씩 distributes something into repeated portions. For example, 매일 조금씩 연습해요. means “I practice a little every day.” 늘려 가면 expresses “if you gradually increase or build up.” It comes from 늘리다, “to increase something,” not the intransitive 늘다, “to increase or grow.” -아/어 가다 adds the idea that the change progresses onward, and -면 makes the condition “if/when.” Korean leaves the subject and object unspoken here; with the fixed translation, the subject is understood as “you,” while the thing being built up is not specified. Example: 시간을 조금씩 늘려 가면 돼요. — “You can gradually increase the amount of time.” 현실적인 means “realistic” and modifies the noun that follows it. It is the attributive form of 현실적이다 (“to be realistic”): 현실적이다 → 현실적인 목표 (“a realistic goal”). The adjective form is not based on 목표; 목표 is the noun being described. 목표 means “goal” or “target.” It is a noun and can combine with other modifiers, for example 장기 목표 (“long-term goal”). 예요 is the polite present form of the copula after a noun ending in a vowel sound. 목표예요 therefore means “is a goal” or, with the preceding modifier, “is a realistic goal.” After a consonant-ending noun, the corresponding form is 이에요, as in 학생이에요 (“am/is a student”). Together, 천천히 조금씩 늘려 가면 means “if you build up gradually, little by little,” and 현실적인 목표예요 identifies the result as “a realistic goal.” With the fixed translation, the complete meaning is: “That is realistic if you build up slowly.”