About This Lesson
Use Letting Someone Go First in Line to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
실례합니다, 저보다 먼저 가셔도 돼요.
shil-lyeh-ham-nee-DA, juh-BOH-dah muhn-juh gah-SHYUH-doh DWEH-yoh. Excuse me, you can go ahead of me.
B
정말 괜찮아요? 자리를 뺏고 싶지 않아요.
juhng-MAHL gwen-chan-AH-yoh? jah-REE-rul ppyett-kkoh ship-JJEE an-ah-YOH. Are you sure? I don't want to take your place.
A
괜찮아요. 가방이 무거워 보여요.
gwen-chan-AH-yoh. gah-BANG-ee moo-GUH-wuh BOH-yuh-YOH. It's all right, your bags look heavy.
B
고마워요.
goh-MAH-wuh-yoh. I appreciate it.
B
카운터에서 1분밖에 안 걸릴 거예요.
kah-oon-tuh-eh-suh eel-boon-BAK-keh an guh-LEEL GGUH-yeh-yoh. I'll only be a minute at the counter.
A
조금 더 기다릴 수 있어요.
joh-GOOM duh gee-DAH-leel SSOO ee-SSUH-yoh. I can wait a little longer.
B
오래 기다리게 하지 않을게요.
oh-REH gee-dah-REE-geh hah-JEE ah-NEUL-GGeh-yoh. I'll make sure I don't hold you up.Word by Word
실례합니다
실례합니다 means “excuse me” here and is a polite way to get someone’s attention before speaking. It is commonly used at the beginning of a polite request to a stranger or someone nearby. In this scene, the speaker uses it before offering the other person a place in line.
저보다
저보다 means “than me” and, in 저보다 먼저, indicates “ahead of me” or “before me.” 보다 marks the comparison with 저, meaning “me.” Use 저보다 when comparing another person’s position, amount, or action with your own.
먼저
먼저 means “first” or “ahead” in 저보다 먼저, describing the order in which someone goes. It is used to show that one action happens before another. You can use it when telling someone to act first or describing who acts first.
가셔도
가셔도 presents the other person’s going as the action being permitted in 가셔도 돼요. The 가시 part respectfully refers to the listener’s action, and 도 is part of the permission construction. Use the respectful pattern V-셔도 돼요 when allowing someone to do something.
돼요
돼요 means “is okay” or “is allowed” in 가셔도 돼요, completing the meaning “you may go.” It does not express the whole permission meaning by itself here; 가셔도 supplies the action that is permitted. Use V-아/어도 돼요 to ask or say whether an action is allowed.
정말
정말 means “really” in 정말 괜찮아요?, where it checks whether the offer is genuinely acceptable. It emphasizes the following question rather than naming a separate action. Use it when confirming that a situation or statement is truly as it seems.
괜찮아요
괜찮아요 means “is it okay?” in 정말 괜찮아요? and “it’s all right” in 괜찮아요. The exact meaning depends on whether it is being used to check with someone or to reassure them. Use it when asking about someone’s condition or saying that something is acceptable.
자리를
자리를 means “the place” or “the position” in 자리를 뺏고 싶지 않아요, referring here to the speaker’s place in line. 를 marks 자리를 as the object of 뺏고. Use 자리 when talking about someone’s seat, spot, or position, including a place in a line.
뺏고
뺏고 means “take away” as part of 자리를 뺏고 싶지 않아요, meaning that the speaker does not want to take the other person’s place. The 고 form links this action to 싶지 않아요, which expresses the speaker’s negative desire. Use 자리를 뺏다 when talking about taking someone’s place or position.
싶지
싶지 is the “want to” part of the negative expression 뺏고 싶지 않아요, meaning “do not want to take.” Its negative meaning is completed by 않아요, so 싶지 alone does not mean “do not want.” Use V-고 싶지 않아요 to say that you do not want to do something.
않아요
않아요 completes the negative expression 싶지 않아요, making it mean “do not want to.” In this dialogue, it denies the desire to take the other person’s place. Use V-지 않아요 to negate an action or description in a polite sentence.
가방이
가방이 refers to the other person’s bag or bags as the thing being described in 가방이 무거워 보여요. 이 marks 가방이 as the subject of the description. Use a noun followed by 이 or 가 when identifying what has a certain quality or appearance.
무거워
무거워 means “heavy” in 무거워 보여요, describing how the bags appear. It is the form of 무겁다 used before 보여요 in this expression. Use it when describing the weight of an object, especially in a pattern meaning that something looks heavy.
보여요
보여요 means “looks” or “seems” in 무거워 보여요, so the sentence says that the bags look heavy. It follows the description 무거워 and presents that description as an appearance. Use the pattern [description] 보여요 when something appears to have a certain quality.
고마워요
고마워요 means “thank you” or “I appreciate it” here. It is a polite everyday expression used after someone helps you or shows consideration. In this scene, the speaker uses it after being allowed to go ahead in line.
카운터에서
카운터에서 means “at the counter” in 카운터에서 1분밖에 안 걸릴 거예요. 에서 marks the counter as the place where the activity takes place. Use a place followed by 에서 when describing where an action or service occurs.
1분밖에
1분밖에 means “only one minute” in 1분밖에 안 걸릴 거예요. 밖에 expresses the limited amount, and its “only” meaning is completed by the negative 안. Use N밖에 with a negative expression when saying that there is only N or that something takes only N.
안
안 means “not” in 1분밖에 안 걸릴 거예요 and negates 걸릴. Together with 1분밖에, it helps express that the activity will take only one minute. Place 안 before the verb or description that it negates.
걸릴
걸릴 means “will take” in 1분밖에 안 걸릴 거예요, referring to the amount of time needed. It is the form used before 거예요 to describe the expected duration. Use 걸리다 with a time expression when saying how long an activity takes.
거예요
거예요 means “will be” or “is expected to be” in 걸릴 거예요, presenting the duration as an expectation. It follows 걸릴 to complete the prediction about how long the activity will take. Use V-(으)ㄹ 거예요 for a future plan or prediction.
조금
조금 means “a little” in 조금 더 기다릴 수 있어요, referring to a small additional amount of time. It softens the amount of waiting being discussed. Use 조금 before an amount, action, or description when you mean “a little” or “slightly.”
더
더 means “more” or “longer” in 조금 더 기다릴 수 있어요. Here it indicates additional waiting beyond the time already waited. Use 더 before an action or description when referring to an added amount or degree.
기다릴
기다릴 means “wait” in 기다릴 수 있어요, identifying the action that is possible. It is the form used before 수 in the possibility expression. Use V-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요 to say that someone can perform an action.
수
수 expresses possibility or ability in 기다릴 수 있어요, while the full phrase means “can wait.” It needs 있어요 here to complete the meaning that the action is possible. Use V-(으)ㄹ 수 있다 when saying that someone can do something.
있어요
있어요 completes 기다릴 수 있어요 and makes it mean “can wait,” showing that the possibility exists. In this expression, its meaning comes from the combination with 수 rather than from a simple location meaning. Use V-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요 to express ability or possibility politely.
오래
오래 means “for a long time” or “long” in 오래 기다리게 하지 않을게요. It describes the duration of the waiting that the speaker promises not to cause. Use 오래 before a verb when talking about an action continuing for a long time.
기다리게
기다리게 is part of 오래 기다리게 하지 않을게요, meaning “make someone wait for a long time.” It links 기다리다 to the following 하다 construction, which describes causing another person to wait. Use V-게 하다 when saying that someone makes or lets another person do something.
하지
하지 is the form of 하다 in 기다리게 하지 않을게요, where 하다 completes the construction meaning “make someone wait.” It is followed by 않을게요, so the speaker commits not to do this. Use V-게 하지 않다 to say that you do not make someone do something.
않을게요
않을게요 means “I won’t” or “I’ll make sure not to” in 오래 기다리게 하지 않을게요. It expresses a commitment made to the listener about the speaker’s future action. Use V-지 않을게요 when reassuring someone that you will not do something.
Grammar Points
V-아/어도 돼요
먼저 가셔도 돼요.
muhn-juh gah-SHYUH-doh DWEH-yoh.You may go ahead first.
This polite pattern asks for or gives permission: “it is okay to V.”
V-고 싶지 않아요
자리를 뺏고 싶지 않아요.
jah-REE-rul ppyett-kkoh ship-JJEE an-ah-YOH.I do not want to take the place.
싶지 않아요 expresses that the speaker does not want to do something.
Korean Vocabulary
가방
noun
gah-BANG
bag
가방이 무거워 보여요.
가셔도 돼요
phrase
gah-SHYUH-doh DWEH-yoh
you may go ahead
저보다 먼저 가셔도 돼요.
고마워요
phrase
goh-MAH-wuh-yoh
thank you; I appreciate it
고마워요.
괜찮아요
adj
gwen-chan-AH-yoh
it is all right; are you okay?
정말 괜찮아요?
먼저
adv
muhn-juh
first; ahead
저보다 먼저 가셔도 돼요.
무거워 보여요
phrase
moo-GUH-wuh BOH-yuh-YOH
look heavy
가방이 무거워 보여요.
뺏고 싶지 않아요
phrase
ppyett-kkoh ship-JJEE an-ah-YOH
do not want to take
자리를 뺏고 싶지 않아요.
실례합니다
intj
shil-lyeh-ham-nee-DA
Excuse me
실례합니다, 저보다 먼저 가셔도 돼요.
자리
noun
jah-REE
place; position
자리를 뺏고 싶지 않아요.
저보다
pron
juh-BOH-dah
than me
저보다 먼저 가셔도 돼요.
정말
adv
juhng-MAHL
really; surely
정말 괜찮아요?
카운터
noun
kah-OON-tuh
counter
카운터에서 1분밖에 안 걸릴 거예요.
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
Excuse me, you can go ahead of me.
Show Answer
실례합니다, 저보다 먼저 가셔도 돼요.Are you sure? I don't want to take your place.
Show Answer
정말 괜찮아요? 자리를 뺏고 싶지 않아요.It's all right, your bags look heavy.
Show Answer
괜찮아요. 가방이 무거워 보여요.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
it is all right; are you okay?
Show Answer
괜찮아요Excuse me
Show Answer
실례합니다thank you; I appreciate it
Show Answer
고마워요than me