Choosing Which Task to Do First | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 나는 오늘 아침에 할 일이 너무 많아.

   I have too many tasks this morning.

   나는

   I (topic)

   오늘 아침에

   this morning

   할 일

   things to do

   너무

   too; excessively

   많아

   are many

   More detail

   나는 means “I” with the topic marker 는. It presents the speaker as the topic; 나 is the first-person singular pronoun. Because 나 ends in a vowel, it takes 는: 나 + 는 → 나는. A noun ending in a consonant takes 은 instead, as in 학생은 (“as for the student”). For example, 나는 학생이야 means “I am a student.” 오늘 아침에 means “this morning.” 오늘 is “today,” 아침 is “morning,” and 에 marks the time when something happens. Korean commonly places a time expression before the main statement: 오늘 아침에 운동했어 means “I exercised this morning.” 할 일 means “things to do” or “tasks.” It is the noun 일 (“work; task; thing to do”) modified by 할, the form of 하다 (“to do”) used before a noun. The pattern [verb-(으)ㄹ] + noun can describe an intended, expected, or still-relevant action: 읽을 책 means “a book to read.” Here, 할 일이 combines with the following predicate; 이 marks 할 일 as the subject. 너무 means “too” or “excessively” here. It strengthens 많아 and presents the amount as exceeding what is manageable or desired, matching “too many,” rather than merely stating a large amount. For example, 숙제가 너무 많아 means “There is too much homework.” 많아 comes from the descriptive verb 많다, “to be many; to be much.” Its ending is the informal plain present form used in a casual statement. The subject here is 할 일, so 할 일이 많아 literally describes the tasks as being numerous. 많다 can describe countable items or an amount, while 적다 is the contrasting form meaning “to be few; to be little.” Together, 나는 오늘 아침에 할 일이 너무 많아 means “I have too many tasks this morning.” Korean expresses this idea as “As for me, the things to do this morning are too many,” using 나는 to mark the speaker as the topic and 할 일이 너무 많아 to describe the excessive number of tasks. The ending -아 gives the sentence a casual, plain tone.

2. 먼저 우선순위대로 목록을 정리해.

   List them by priority first.

   먼저

   first

   우선순위대로

   in priority order

   목록

   list

   정리해

   organize

   More detail

   먼저 means “first” or “to begin with.” It commonly marks the first step in an instruction. For example, 먼저 읽어. means “Read it first.” It can also describe something that happened earlier, as in 먼저 나온 사람, “the person who came out first.” 우선순위대로 means “in priority order” or “according to priority.” 우선순위 means “priority,” and 대로 is a pattern meaning “according to” or “as arranged by.” The pattern 명사대로 can be reused: 계획대로 하세요. means “Please do it according to the plan.” Here, 우선순위대로 specifies the principle used to arrange the list. 목록 means “list,” a noun for an organized set of items. In 목록을, the particle 을 marks 목록 as the object of the following action. For example, 할 일 목록을 만들어요. means “I make a to-do list.” 정리해 is the 해체 form of 정리하다, “to organize,” “to arrange,” or “to sort out.” In this sentence it functions as a direct informal, non-honorific command or request to a familiar addressee. A more polite request is 정리하세요. For example, 책상을 정리해. means “Organize the desk.” Together, 먼저 우선순위대로 목록을 정리해 means “First, organize the list in priority order.” 먼저 sets this as the first step, 우선순위대로 gives the organizing principle, 목록을 identifies what is being organized, and 정리해 gives the informal command. The fixed translation expresses the intended result as “List them by priority first”; the Korean wording itself explicitly presents 목록, “the list,” as the object being organized.

3. 이 이메일은 급해.

   This email is urgent.

   이

   this

   이메일

   email

   급해

   is urgent

   More detail

   이 means “this” and is a demonstrative placed before a noun. Here it identifies the email as the item being referred to. Korean 이 does not itself mark number or gender, so it can also occur with a plural noun when the context supports that reading. Compare 그 (“that; the one previously mentioned”) and 저 (“that over there”). 이메일 means “email,” a noun for an electronic message. The full noun phrase is 이 이메일은: the topic marker 은 follows 이메일 because this noun ends in a consonant sound. 은/는 marks what the sentence is about; 은 is the consonant-final form. 급해 is the plain informal present form of the descriptive verb 급하다, meaning “to be urgent” here. The base form is 급하다, and its present plain form is 급해. In a more polite style, 급해요 can be used. The observed form is a casual/plain statement, not a question or command. Together, 이 + 이메일 gives “this email,” 은 marks it as the topic, and 급해 describes its status. The whole utterance means “This email is urgent.”

4. 이 보고서는 중요해.

   The report is important.

   이

   this

   보고서

   report

   중요해

   is important

   More detail

   이 appears before 보고서 and means “this,” identifying the report as relatively close to the speaker or otherwise salient in the situation. As a determiner, it comes directly before the noun it modifies. For example, 이 책 means “this book.” 보고서 means “report.” It is a noun, so it can take particles or function as the subject of a sentence. For example, 보고서가 길어요 means “The report is long.” 중요해 comes from the descriptive verb 중요하다, “to be important.” The ending -해 is the present informal-casual declarative form here; it is suitable in relaxed speech with someone familiar. A more polite form is 중요해요. The adjective itself is 중요하다, not 보고서. Together, 이 보고서는 means “as for this report,” with 는 marking the topic. 중요해 states that it is important. Thus the whole utterance means “This report is important.”

5. 보고서 마감일이 언제야?

   When is the report deadline?

   보고서

   report

   마감일

   deadline

   언제야?

   when is it?

   More detail

   보고서 means “report.” It is a noun and can come before another noun to specify what kind of thing it is, as in 보고서 마감일 (“report deadline”). Example: 보고서를 읽어요. — “I read the report.” Here 보고서를 marks 보고서 as the object of 읽어요. 마감일 means “deadline” or “due date,” specifically the date by which something must be completed or submitted. It is the noun receiving the subject marker 이 in this utterance. 마감 is a related noun meaning a closing point or deadline, while 마감일 presents the deadline specifically as a date. 언제야? means “when is it?” 언제 is the question word “when,” and -야 is the informal form of the copula used in this sentence. Together, they ask for the relevant date or time in a familiar, informal style. Example: 회의가 언제야? — “When is the meeting?” Together, 보고서 마감일 identifies the deadline being asked about, 이 marks 마감일 as the subject, and 언제야? asks when that subject is. The whole utterance means “When is the report deadline?”

6. 내일 오후까지야.

   It is due tomorrow afternoon.

   내일

   tomorrow

   오후

   afternoon

   까지

   by; until

   야

   casual sentence ending

   More detail

   내일 means “tomorrow,” the day after today. It is a time expression; it does not itself mark a deadline, so 까지 is needed for that relation. Example: 내일 만나요. — “Let’s meet tomorrow.” 오후 means “afternoon,” the part of the day after noon. Korean places time expressions before the action or state they modify. 내일 오후 therefore means “tomorrow afternoon.” Example: 오후 세 시에 만나요. — “Let’s meet at 3 p.m.” 까지 marks an endpoint. For a deadline, A까지 means “by A”; in other time expressions it can mean “until A.” Example: 금요일까지 보내 주세요. — “Please send it by Friday.” Here, the deadline context and fixed translation select the “by” meaning, so 내일 오후까지 means “by tomorrow afternoon.” 야 gives the utterance a casual sentence-ending form, presenting the preceding time expression as the answer. In nominal predicates, 야 is also the informal form of the copula after a vowel-final noun, while 이야 is used after a consonant-final noun; for example, 오늘이야 means “It’s today.” In this fixed expression, do not treat 야 as an independent English word that must always be translated separately. A polite version is 내일 오후까지예요. Together, 내일 오후 gives “tomorrow afternoon,” 까지 turns it into the deadline endpoint “by tomorrow afternoon,” and 야 makes the statement casual. Thus 내일 오후까지야. means “It is due tomorrow afternoon.” The subject is omitted; the utterance does not state a separate subject.

7. 그럼 급한 이메일에 먼저 답해.

   Then answer the urgent email first.

   그럼

   then

   급한

   urgent

   이메일

   email

   먼저

   first

   답해

   answer; reply

   More detail

   그럼 means “then” or “in that case.” Here it links the instruction to the preceding situation and introduces the next step. It is a useful conversational connector, as in 그럼 시작해. — “Then let’s start.” 급한 means “urgent” here. Its base form is 급하다, “to be urgent.” 급한 is the attributive form used before a noun: 급한 이메일, “an urgent email.” The adjective form changes from 급하다 to 급한 before a noun; it is not a form of 이메일. Example: 급한 일이 있어. — “I have an urgent matter.” 이메일 is the noun “email.” In this sentence it is the object of the action: the email is what should be answered. Example: 이메일을 확인해. — “Check the email.” 먼저 means “first” or “before the other tasks.” It marks the order of the requested actions. Together with the following action, it gives the pattern 먼저 A하고, 그다음 B, “do A first, and then B.” Example: 먼저 문을 닫아. — “Close the door first.” 답해 means “answer” or “reply” here. Its base form is 답하다, and 답해 is the casual 해-style command form. The form 답하다 becomes 답해 in this ending pattern. Example: 질문에 답해. — “Answer the question.” The ending is appropriate in casual speech to someone with whom the speaker uses this style; it is not the formal polite command form. The chunks combine as 그럼 + 급한 이메일 + 먼저 + 답해: “Then, answer the urgent email first.” The object is the urgent email, 먼저 places that action before the next task, and 답해 gives the direct instruction. In the supplied sequence, the report is handled after this first task.

8. 그다음에는 보고서를 작성할 거야.

   After that I will work on the report.

   그다음에는

   after that

   보고서

   report

   작성할

   write; prepare

   거야

   will

   More detail

   그다음에는 sets the time as “after that.” 그다음 means “what comes next” or “the next step,” and -에 marks the time point. The added -는 makes this time a topic or gives it a mild contrastive focus: “as for after that.” A reusable pattern is 그다음에는 + event, meaning “after that, …” 보고서 means “report.” It is a noun for a report or written document, and it can combine with verbs such as 작성하다 (“to write or prepare”) and 제출하다 (“to submit”). 작성할 comes from 작성하다, “to write, prepare, or compile” a document. The ending -ㄹ changes the verb into a form that can modify a following noun or occur before 것; here it is the future/prospective form of 작성하다: 작성하다 → 작성할. In 작성할 거야, it presents the report preparation as something planned or expected to happen. Example: 계획을 작성할 거야. — “I’m going to prepare a plan.” 거야 is the conversational form of 것이야 in this construction. After a future/prospective verb form, -(으)ㄹ 거야 commonly expresses a speaker’s plan, intention, or expectation: 할 거야 means “will do” or “am going to do.” It is informal speech, suitable when speaking casually to someone with whom the speaker uses informal style. This construction is different from the plain present-style command 작성해, “write/prepare it.” Together, 그다음에는 establishes the later time, 보고서 names the document, and 작성할 거야 says that the speaker will prepare or work on it. The whole utterance means: “After that, I will work on the report.”

9. 그러면 네가 스트레스를 덜 받을 거야.

   That should help you feel less stressed.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   네가

   you

   스트레스를

   stress

   덜

   less

   받을 거야

   will feel; will experience

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It presents what follows as a consequence of a preceding situation or condition. Here it connects that situation with the expected effect; it does not by itself specify exactly what the preceding situation is. 네가 is the subject form of the informal second-person pronoun 너 (“you”). The ending -가 marks the subject, so 네가 identifies “you” as the person who will experience the result. 너 is the base pronoun, while 네가 is its subject-marked form. 스트레스를 means “stress” as the object of the verb. The noun is 스트레스, and -를 marks it as the object. Korean commonly uses 스트레스를 받다 literally “receive stress” for “experience or feel stress.” 덜 means “less” and modifies the following experience of stress. It expresses a smaller degree, not the complete absence of stress. A reusable pattern is A를 덜 받다, “experience less A.” 받을 거야 is the informal future/prediction form of 받다 (“receive; experience”). 받을 combines the verb stem 받- with the prospective form -(으)ㄹ; 거야 is a colloquial form of 것이야 used in this construction to express an expected or intended future situation. With 스트레스를, 받을 거야 means “will experience,” rather than simply “will receive.” Together, 네가 스트레스를 덜 받을 거야 means “you will experience less stress.” The opening 그러면 adds the consequence relation: “Then/in that case, you will experience less stress.” This yields the fixed natural meaning, “That should help you feel less stressed.” The informal ending -거야 suits casual speech; a more formal setting would use a different sentence ending while keeping the same core pattern.