Asking About the Estimated Wait | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 실례합니다. 예상 대기 시간이 어떻게 되나요?

   Excuse me, what is the estimated waiting time?

   실례합니다

   Excuse me

   예상

   estimated

   대기 시간

   waiting time

   어떻게 되나요?

   what is it?

   More detail

   실례합니다 is a polite way to get attention or apologize for a minor interruption: “Excuse me.” It comes from 실례하다, “to be impolite / to impose,” with the formal-polite ending -ㅂ니다. In this utterance it functions as a courteous opener, not as a claim that the speaker has committed a serious offense. 예상 means “expectation” or “estimate.” It is a noun and can modify another noun directly: 예상 시간 means “estimated time,” and 예상 비용 means “estimated cost.” The related verb 예상하다 means “to expect” or “to estimate”; do not treat 예상 itself as a verb. 대기 시간 means “waiting time.” 대기 is “waiting” in a service or queue context, and 시간 is “time.” The same pattern is reusable in compounds such as 대기 장소, “waiting area,” and 대기 인원, “number of people waiting.” Here, 예상 modifies the whole noun phrase 대기 시간, producing “estimated waiting time.” 어떻게 되나요? literally asks how something “becomes” or “is determined,” but in this kind of information question it is a polite, indirect way to ask what the relevant value is. 어떻게 means “how” or “in what way,” while 되다 is the base form behind 되나요. The ending -나요? makes a polite question; it is not a separate word meaning “what.” For example, 예약은 어떻게 되나요? means “What is the reservation status?” or “How does the reservation work?” depending on context. Together, 예상 대기 시간 identifies the value being requested, and 어떻게 되나요? asks politely what that value is. The complete utterance therefore means: “Excuse me, what is the estimated waiting time?” It is a polite, reusable question for asking service staff about an expected wait.

2. 십 분 정도예요. 조금 더 걸릴 수도 있어요.

   About ten minutes, maybe a little longer.

   십 분

   ten minutes

   정도예요

   about; approximately

   조금

   a little

   더

   more

   걸릴

   take (time)

   수도 있어요

   may; might

   More detail

   십 분 means ten minutes. 십 is the number ten, and 분 is the counter used for minutes. Korean commonly puts a space between the number and this counter: 십 분. For example, 오 분 means “five minutes.” 정도예요 adds an approximate limit or amount: “it is about...” or “approximately.” 정도 means “ 정도/extent,” and 예요 is the polite present form of the copula after a vowel-final noun. Together, 십 분 정도예요 means “It is about ten minutes.” This is an estimate, not an exact assertion. 조금 means “a little.” It can modify an amount or degree. For example, 조금 기다려 주세요 means “Please wait a little.” 더 means “more” or “longer” in this context. With a time expression, it indicates additional time: 조금 더 means “a little longer” or literally “a little more.” Its exact English rendering depends on what is being increased. 걸릴 is the form of 걸리다 used before 수 in this construction. Here, 걸리다 means “to take (a certain amount of time),” and 걸릴 presents that possibility as “take” or “be required to take.” For example, 한 시간이 걸려요 means “It takes an hour.” The time amount is the duration, not an object that someone actively carries. 수도 있어요 expresses possibility: “may” or “might.” 수 is used in the pattern -(으)ㄹ 수 있다, meaning that something is possible; 도 adds the sense “also/even” and in this common pattern contributes to “may/might.” In 걸릴 수도 있어요, the prospective form 걸릴 combines with 수도 있어요 to mean “it may take.” Putting the parts together, 십 분 정도예요 gives the estimate “It’s about ten minutes.” 조금 더 걸릴 수도 있어요 adds the possibility that the duration will be a little longer: “It might take a little longer.” The complete utterance therefore means, “About ten minutes, maybe a little longer.”

3. 이 일이 끝난 후에 다른 약속이 있어요.

   I have another appointment after this.

   이

   this

   일

   matter; thing

   끝난

   finished

   후에

   after

   다른

   another; different

   약속

   appointment

   있어요

   have

   More detail

   이 comes before 일 and is a demonstrative determiner meaning “this.” It identifies the matter as near or salient to the speaker. Korean demonstratives include 이 “this,” 그 “that” (often already known), and 저 “that over there.” 일 is a noun meaning “matter,” “work,” or “thing”; here it means the matter being discussed. In 일이, the final 이 is the subject marker attached to the noun. Example: 일이 많아요. — “There is a lot of work.” 끝난 is the noun-modifying form of 끝나다, “to end.” It describes 일 as having ended or being finished: 끝난 일 means “a matter that has ended.” The related verb 끝내다 is transitive and means “to finish something”: 일이 끝났어요. — “The work ended.” / 일을 끝냈어요. — “I finished the work.” The observed form comes from 끝나다, not 끝내다. 후에 means “after.” 후 is a noun meaning “afterward” or “the time after,” and 에 marks the relevant time point. A useful pattern is V-(으)ㄴ 후에, “after doing V” or “after V has happened”: 수업이 끝난 후에 만나요. — “Let’s meet after class ends.” 다른 modifies the following noun and means “another” or “different.” In 다른 약속, it distinguishes this appointment from one already under discussion or otherwise known. Example: 다른 방법이 있어요. — “There is another way.” 약속 is a noun meaning “appointment,” “arrangement,” or “promise.” In this sentence, the intended meaning is “appointment.” With a different context it can mean a promise: 약속을 지켜요. — “I keep a promise.” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, which expresses existence, presence, or having/possessing something. Korean commonly expresses possession as N이/가 있어요, literally “N exists,” with the possessor understood from context. Thus 약속이 있어요 naturally means “I have an appointment” here; the subject “I” is omitted because it is supplied by the fixed translation and context. Example: 시간이 있어요. — “I have time.” Together, 이 일이 끝난 후에 means “after this matter ends,” and 다른 약속이 있어요 means “I have another appointment.” The whole utterance is therefore: “I have another appointment after this.”

4. 그 시간이 너무 늦으면 점심 식사 후에 다시 오셔도 돼요.

   If that is too late, you can come back after lunch.

   그

   that

   시간이

   time

   너무

   too; very

   늦으면

   if it is late

   점심

   lunch

   식사

   meal

   후에

   after

   다시

   again

   오셔도 돼요

   may come

   More detail

   그 points to a particular time already identifiable in the situation; here the fixed translation supports “that” time. Korean demonstratives distinguish distance or discourse status, but this form does not by itself identify the referent more specifically. 시간이 means “time” here. 시간 is a noun, and 이 marks it as the subject of the condition. The subject marker is 이 after a consonant-final noun; after a vowel-final noun, the corresponding form is 가. 너무 intensifies the following description. In this sentence it contributes “too,” so the condition is that the time is excessively late. It can also mean “very” when the context does not imply an undesirable excess. 늦으면 is the conditional form of 늦다, “to be late.” The ending -(으)면 makes a condition: 늦으면 = “if [it] is late.” With a consonant-final stem such as 늦-, -으면 is used; vowel-final stems generally take -면. The subject is understood from 시간이, so the sentence says that the time is late, not that an unspecified person is late. 점심 means “lunch.” It commonly combines with words such as 점심시간 (“lunchtime”) and 점심을 먹다 (“eat lunch”). 식사 means “meal.” The combination 점심 식사 means “lunch” or “the lunch meal”; 식사 itself is a more formal or neutral word for eating a meal than everyday 밥 in many contexts. 후에 means “after.” 후 is a noun meaning “after/later,” and -에 marks the time point or period relative to which something happens. Thus 점심 식사 후에 is “after lunch.” A reusable pattern is N 후에, “after N.” 다시 means “again” or “back” when an action is repeated or resumed. Here it modifies coming, giving the meaning “come back.” 오셔도 돼요 expresses permission for someone to come. 오시다 is the honorific form used for “come,” and 오셔도 combines that honorific form with -어도, “even if/although” or, in the pattern -어도 되다, permission. 돼요 is the polite form of 되다 in this permission construction. The pattern V-아/어도 돼요? asks “May someone do V?”; as a statement, V-아/어도 돼요 means “someone may do V.” The honorific marker is in 오시다, not in 돼요. Together, 그 시간이 너무 늦으면 sets the condition: “if that time is too late.” 점심 식사 후에 specifies the time of the permitted return, and 다시 오셔도 돼요 says that returning is allowed. The complete meaning is: “If that is too late, you can come back after lunch.” The polite ending and honorific 오시다 make the wording respectful toward the person who may return.

5. 나중에 다시 오면 제 순서를 유지할 수 있나요?

   Would I keep my place if I came back later?

   나중에

   later

   다시

   again; back

   오면

   if [someone] comes

   제

   my

   순서

   place; turn

   유지할

   keep; maintain

   수 있나요?

   is it possible?

   More detail

   나중에 means “later” and is a time adverb. It can be placed before the event it describes: 나중에 만나요 means “See you later.” 다시 means “again” or “back,” depending on the event. Here it combines with coming: 다시 오다 means “come back.” Example: 다시 전화해 주세요 means “Please call again.” 오면 is 오다 (“to come”) plus -면, the conditional ending “if/when.” 오다 is irregular in some polite forms, but before -면 it appears directly as 오면. The subject of this conditional is understood from context; the form itself does not identify a person or number. Example: 시간이 되면 연락하세요 means “If you have time, contact me.” 제 is the shortened form of 저의, meaning “my” in a humble or polite first-person expression. It modifies 순서 here. 내 is the less humble/informal counterpart of 제 in many contexts; the choice depends on politeness toward the listener, not on the thing owned. 순서 means “order,” and in this setting it means a person’s place or turn in a queue. It is a noun, so 제 순서 is “my place/turn.” Example: 제 순서가 언제예요? means “When is my turn?” 유지할 comes from the verb 유지하다, “to maintain” or “keep.” The ending -(으)ㄹ makes a form used before 수 있다; because 유지하다 ends in a vowel, it becomes 유지할. In this sentence, the maintained thing is 제 순서, so the phrase asks whether that place can be kept. Example: 이 상태를 유지할 수 있어요 means “You can maintain this state.” 수 있나요? asks whether something is possible or permitted under the relevant circumstances. In the pattern 동사-(으)ㄹ 수 있나요?, the verb describes the possible action: 기다릴 수 있나요? means “Can I wait?” Here 유지할 수 있나요? means “Can I keep it?” The question is about whether keeping the place is possible if the person comes back later. Together, 나중에 다시 오면 means “if I come back later,” 제 순서를 유지할 identifies “keep my place,” and 수 있나요? asks whether that is possible. The whole utterance therefore means: “Would I keep my place if I came back later?”

6. 점심 식사 후에 새 번호표를 뽑아야 해요.

   You would need to take a new ticket after lunch.

   점심

   lunch

   식사

   meal

   후에

   after

   새

   new

   번호표

   ticket

   뽑아야 해요

   need to take out

   More detail

   점심 means “lunch.” It can stand alone or modify another noun, as in 점심 식사 (“lunch meal”). 식사 means “meal” or “having a meal.” In this sentence, 점심 식사 is a noun phrase meaning “lunch,” with 식사 making the meal sense explicit rather than referring only to the time of day. 후에 means “after.” 후 is the noun “after/later part,” and -에 marks the relevant time. The pattern N 후에 means “after N”; here, 점심 식사 후에 means “after lunch.” 새 means “new” before a noun. It is a prenominal determiner-like form used directly in 새 번호표 (“a new ticket”); unlike an inflected adjective form, it does not change here to agree with the noun. 번호표 means “number ticket” or “numbered ticket.” It is a compound involving 번호 (“number”) and 표 (“ticket”), and here it refers to the ticket used to establish or identify a place in the queue. Example: 번호표를 받았어요. — “I received a ticket.” 뽑아야 해요 expresses “need to take out” or “have to draw.” The lexical verb is 뽑다, “to pull out, draw, or take out”; in this context, it means taking a ticket. The pattern -아/어야 하다 expresses necessity: 뽑아야 하다 means “need to take out/draw.” 해요 is the polite present-style form of 하다 in this construction. The ending -요 makes the statement polite; it does not by itself create the past meaning of “would.” Putting the parts together, 점심 식사 후에 sets the time as “after lunch,” 새 번호표 identifies what must be taken, and 뽑아야 해요 states the necessity. The complete utterance means: “You would need to take a new ticket after lunch.” In the supplied context, this concerns obtaining a new queue ticket after returning later.

7. 그럼 지금은 기다릴게요. 이미 여기 와 있으니까요.

   Then I'll wait for now since I'm already here.

   그럼

   then

   지금은

   for now

   기다릴게요

   I’ll wait

   이미

   already

   여기

   here

   와 있으니까요

   since I’ve come and am here

   More detail

   그럼 means “then” or “in that case.” It connects the decision here with what was just said. A reusable pattern is 그럼 + decision: 그럼 시작할게요. — “Then I’ll start.” 지금은 is 지금 (“now”) plus topic marker 은. The marker sets “now” as the time being contrasted or focused on, so 지금은 means “for now” in this sentence. 지금 by itself simply means “now.” 기다릴게요 is based on 기다리다, “to wait.” The ending -ㄹ게요 presents the speaker’s willing decision or intention, often in response to the situation: 기다릴게요. — “I’ll wait.” This is different from a neutral prediction; it sounds like the speaker is undertaking the action. The polite ending is 요. 이미 means “already.” It places the situation before the relevant reference point: 이미 도착했어요. — “I’ve already arrived.” 여기 means “here,” referring to the place relevant to the conversation. It contrasts with 거기 (“there,” near the listener or a previously indicated place) and 저기 (“over there,” away from both sides). 와 있으니까요 contains the verb 오다, “to come,” in the form 와, followed by 있다, “to be/stay,” and the reason ending -(으)니까요. 와 있다 describes having come to a place and still being there; it is not just the moment of coming. The ending -(으)니까요 gives the reason politely: “because/since …” For example, 여기 와 있으니까요. — “Because I’m here.” The subject is understood from the fixed translation as the speaker. Together, 그럼 지금은 기다릴게요 means “Then I’ll wait for now.” 이미 여기 와 있으니까요 gives the reason: “since I’m already here.” The complete utterance therefore means, “Then I’ll wait for now since I’m already here.”

8. 화면을 잘 확인해 주세요.

   Please keep an eye on the screen.

   화면

   screen

   잘

   well; carefully

   확인해 주세요

   please check

   More detail

   화면 means “screen.” In 화면을, the particle -을 marks the screen as the object of the action. Example: 화면을 보세요. — “Please look at the screen.” 잘 means “well” or, with this action, “carefully.” It modifies the following action, so 잘 확인하다 means “to check carefully.” Its exact English rendering depends on what action it modifies. 확인해 주세요 means “please check.” The base verb is 확인하다, “to check” or “to confirm.” Here, 확인해 is the -아/어 form used before 주세요; the pattern -아/어 주세요 is a polite request to do something. Example: 이 내용을 확인해 주세요. — “Please check this information.” Together, 화면을 잘 확인해 주세요 means “Please check the screen carefully.” In the fixed translation, this is naturally expressed as “Please keep an eye on the screen.” 화면을 identifies what should be checked, 잘 describes how, and 확인해 주세요 makes the request politely.