Waiting for Your Turn | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 아직 제 차례를 기다리고 있어요.

   I am still waiting for my turn.

   아직

   still

   제

   my

   차례

   turn

   기다리고 있어요

   be waiting

   More detail

   아직 means “still” here: the situation has continued up to now. It can also mean “not yet” in a negative or question context, but that is not the meaning in this sentence. 제 is the possessive form meaning “my.” It is the shortened form of 저의: 저 is the humble first-person pronoun, and 의 marks possession. Thus 제 차례 means “my turn.” 차례 means a turn or an order-based opportunity to do something. A reusable pattern is N의 차례 (“N’s turn”), for example: 이제 네 차례예요. — “Now it’s your turn.” 기다리고 있어요 expresses “am waiting.” The verb’s base form is 기다리다 (“to wait”). The pattern -고 있다 presents an action as ongoing, and 있어요 is the polite present form used here. The ending -어요 gives the sentence a polite everyday style. For example, 친구를 기다리고 있어요. means “I am waiting for a friend.” Together, 아직 + 제 차례 + 기다리고 있어요 means “I am still waiting for my turn.” The ongoing-action pattern shows that the waiting is in progress now, while 아직 emphasizes that it has not ended.

2. 오늘은 사람마다 부르는 데 시간이 오래 걸려요.

   They are taking a long time to call each person today.

   오늘은

   today; as for today

   사람마다

   each person

   부르는 데

   in calling

   시간이

   time

   오래 걸려요

   takes a long time

   More detail

   오늘은 sets today as the topic: “as for today.” 오늘 means “today,” and -은 is a topic marker. The same marker can contrast today with another time, but this sentence only states the situation for today. 사람마다 means “for each person” or “with each person.” 마다 attaches to a noun and distributes the statement across individual members: 사람마다 = “each person,” 날마다 = “every day.” It does not itself state how many people there are. 부르는 데 uses 부르다, “to call,” in the form 부르는, followed by the dependent noun 데. The pattern 동사-는 데 can mean “in doing” or “when doing,” and here it presents calling each person as the activity that requires time. For example, 읽는 데 시간이 걸려요 means “It takes time to read.” The form 부르는 is the present attributive form of 부르다; it is not a separate verb meaning “calling.” 시간이 means “time” as the subject of the time-needed expression. Korean commonly uses 시간이 걸리다 for “time is taken” or naturally “it takes time.” The subject marker -이 appears because 시간 ends in a consonant. 오래 걸려요 means “takes a long time.” 오래 is the adverb “for a long time,” and 걸려요 is the polite present form of 걸리다, “to take (time)” in this use. This is different from 걸어요, the polite form of 걷다, “to walk.” A reusable pattern is 시간이 오래 걸려요 = “It takes a long time.” Together, 사람마다 부르는 데 시간이 오래 걸려요 says that calling each person takes a long time. With 오늘은 as the topic, the complete meaning is: “They are taking a long time to call each person today.” The polite ending -요 makes the statement suitable for ordinary respectful conversation.

3. 그럼 저는 근처에 있어야겠어요.

   So I should stay nearby.

   그럼

   then / so

   저는

   as for me / I

   근처에

   nearby

   있어야겠어요

   should be / need to be

   More detail

   그럼 connects this utterance to what was just said and means “then” or “so.” It introduces the speaker’s resulting conclusion. Example: 그럼 시작해요. — “Then let’s start.” 저는 means “as for me” or “I” as the topic. 저 is the humble first-person pronoun, and 는 marks the topic. The form 저는 does not by itself identify any additional participant; it marks the speaker as the person being discussed. In contrast, 제가 uses 가 to mark 저 as the subject, often when the speaker is presenting who performs an action. 근처에 means “nearby” or “in the vicinity.” 근처 is a noun meaning “nearby area,” and 에 marks the place where someone or something is located. The same location pattern appears in 집에 있어요 — “I am at home.” 있어야겠어요 expresses that the speaker concludes that they should be or remain somewhere. Its useful structure is 있다 “to be/stay” → 있어야 “must/should be” + 겠어요, a polite ending that here presents the speaker’s conclusion or decision. The 어야 part expresses a necessary condition, while 겠어요 makes it sound like the speaker is arriving at or stating that conclusion politely. Example: 지금 가야겠어요. — “I think I should go now.” Together, 그럼 (“then/so”) + 저는 (“as for me”) + 근처에 (“nearby”) + 있어야겠어요 (“should be/stay”) produces: “So I should stay nearby.” The sentence presents staying nearby as the speaker’s conclusion about what they should do.

4. 곧 부를 수도 있어요.

   They may call you soon.

   곧

   soon

   부를

   call

   수도 있어요

   possibility exists

   More detail

   곧 means “soon” here. It is a time adverb, so it places the possible calling in the near future. Example: 곧 시작해요. — “It starts soon.” 부를 comes from 부르다, “to call.” Before 수, it is the -(으)ㄹ form used in the possibility pattern -(으)ㄹ 수도 있다; here it presents calling as a possible event, not a certain one. 부르다 also appears as 불러요 (“call(s)” or “is calling”) and 불렀어요 (“called”). The change to 불러요 is the 르-related change used before -아/어요; 부를 is a different form used before the possibility construction. 수도 있어요 completes -(으)ㄹ 수도 있어요, a common pattern meaning “may/might do.” In this construction, 수 is a noun used in the expression of a possible way or state, 도 adds the sense of “also/even,” and 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, “to exist/be.” The fragment 수도 있어요 therefore needs the preceding verb form to specify what is possible. Example: 오늘 비가 올 수도 있어요. — “It might rain today.” As a whole, 곧 부를 수도 있어요. combines the time adverb 곧 with 부를 수도 있어요: “They may call you soon.” The Korean sentence leaves the caller and the person called unspoken; the fixed translation supplies the intended reading of “they” as the caller and “you” as the person called. The polite ending -어요 makes the statement suitable for ordinary polite conversation.

5. 어느 창구를 보고 있어야 해요?

   Which counter should I watch?

   어느

   which

   창구

   counter

   보고 있어야 해요

   should keep watching

   More detail

   어느 means “which” when selecting one item from a set. It comes before the noun it determines: 어느 창구 = “which counter.” Unlike a form that identifies a specific item, it asks the listener to choose or identify one. 창구 means a counter or service window where a person can receive service. In this sentence, 창구를 is the object phrase: 를 marks the counter as what the speaker should watch. For example, 어느 창구로 가요? means “Which counter should I go to?” 보고 있어야 해요 means “should keep watching.” 보다 is the base form meaning “to see” or “to look at/watch.” Here it appears as 보고 있다, a form describing an action in progress or continued attention. Adding -어야 하다 gives an obligation or requirement: 보고 있어야 하다 = “have to keep watching.” 해요 is the polite present-style ending of 하다 in this construction. For example, 여기서 기다리고 있어야 해요. means “I have to keep waiting here.” Together, 어느 창구를 identifies the counter that is being watched, and 보고 있어야 해요? asks which counter the speaker should continue watching. The complete utterance therefore means, “Which counter should I watch?” The polite question asks for guidance about the counter to monitor.

6. 화면에 맞는 창구가 나올 거예요.

   The screen will show the right counter.

   화면에

   on the screen

   맞는

   right; suitable

   창구

   counter

   나올 거예요

   will appear

   More detail

   화면에 means “on the screen.” 화면 is “screen,” and -에 marks a place where something exists or appears. For example, 화면에 이름이 나와요 means “A name appears on the screen.” 맞는 means “right” or “suitable” here. It is the attributive form of 맞다 (“to be right/suitable”), so 맞는 창구 means “the counter that is right/suitable.” The form 맞는 directly modifies the noun after it. For example, 맞는 답을 고르세요 means “Choose the correct answer.” 창구 means “counter,” such as a service counter. In this utterance it is the counter that is appropriate for the person’s situation; the sentence does not specify a particular counter by number or name. 나올 거예요 means “will appear” here. 나오다 means “to come out” or, for information displayed somewhere, “to appear.” 나올 is its form before 거예요: 나오다 → 나올 거예요. This pattern commonly expresses a future event or a prediction. For example, 곧 답이 나올 거예요 means “The answer will appear soon.” Together, 화면에 sets the location, 맞는 describes 창구, and 나올 거예요 says that this counter will appear there in the future. Thus the whole utterance means, “The right counter will appear on the screen,” matching the fixed translation “The screen will show the right counter.”

7. 그럼 번호표를 손에 들고 있을게요.

   Then I'll keep the ticket in my hand.

   그럼

   then

   번호표

   ticket

   손에

   in the hand

   들고 있을게요

   I’ll keep holding it

   More detail

   그럼 means “then” or “in that case.” It links this utterance to what has just been said and presents the speaker’s next action. A reusable pattern is 그럼 + sentence = “Then/In that case, …” 번호표 means “numbered ticket” or “number ticket.” It is a noun formed from 번호 (“number”) and 표 (“ticket/slip”). The whole word refers to the ticket used to identify a place in a queue; it is not just any ticket. 손에 means “in the hand.” 손 is “hand,” and the particle 에 marks the place where something is held or put. Here the fixed translation identifies it as the speaker’s hand. For example, 열쇠를 손에 들고 있어요 means “I am holding the key in my hand.” 들고 있을게요 expresses “I’ll keep holding it.” 들다 is the base verb meaning “to hold” in this use; its connective form is 들고. -고 있다 describes an action or state continuing over a period, so 들고 있다 means “be holding.” In this sentence, -ㄹ게요 is attached to 있다: 있을게요. This ending presents the speaker’s intention or undertaking concerning their own action, often naturally translated as “I’ll …” or “I’ll make sure to ….” Together, 번호표를 손에 들고 있을게요 means “I’ll keep the numbered ticket in my hand.” 번호표를 marks the numbered ticket as the object, and 손에 states where it is held. With 그럼 at the beginning, the complete utterance is: “Then I’ll keep the ticket in my hand.”

8. 그렇게 하면 차례가 왔을 때 더 편해요.

   That makes it easier when your turn comes.

   그렇게

   that way; like that

   하면

   if you do

   차례가

   your turn

   왔을 때

   when it comes

   더

   more

   편해요

   is easier

   More detail

   그렇게 means “in that way” or “like that.” It refers to the manner already being discussed, rather than naming a new action. The related form 그렇다 means “to be so/to be like that,” while 그렇게 is its adverbial form. 하면 is 하다 (“to do”) plus -면, a conditional form meaning “if/when someone does.” Here, 그렇게 하면 means “if you do it that way” or, naturally, “that makes it…”. The subject of 하다 is understood from the situation; the form itself does not identify a person. 차례가 contains 차례 (“turn” or “order”) plus the subject marker -가. In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies it as “your turn.” 차례 can also refer to an order or sequence in other contexts, so the translation supplies the intended reading here. 왔을 때 is built from 오다 (“to come”), its form 왔-, and -을 때 (“when…”). Literally, it is “when [it] came/has come,” but in this context it means “when your turn comes.” Korean commonly uses this past-looking form with -을 때 for a point reached in the future or for a completed event viewed as the reference point. The subject is understood as 차례, “turn.” 더 means “more” or “even more.” It marks a comparison with the alternative or with the situation without the suggested method; it does not specify exactly what the comparison point is. 편해요 comes from the adjective 편하다, meaning “to be comfortable,” “convenient,” or “easy.” 편해요 is its polite present form. With 더, 더 편해요 means “is easier” or “is more convenient.” The adjective 편하다 describes the situation as easier or more comfortable; it is not the verb “to make” by itself. Together, 그렇게 하면 sets up the condition or method: “if you do it that way.” 차례가 왔을 때 identifies the relevant time: “when your turn comes.” 더 편해요 gives the result: “it is easier.” The whole utterance therefore means, “That makes it easier when your turn comes.”