Building Small Healthy Habits | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: At home, two adults discuss small daily health changes, including drinking more water and taking a short walk..

EN → KO / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Building Small Healthy Habits to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

더 건강한 일상 습관을 만들고 싶어요.

duh gun-GAHNG-hahn il-SSAHNG suh-KKWAH-nuhl MAN-duhl-goh shi-PUH-yoh I want a healthier daily routine.
B

계속 지킬 수 있는 작은 변화부터 시작하세요.

gyeh-SOHK jee-KEEL soo IN-nuhn JAH-guhn byuhn-HWA-boo-tuh shi-JAH-ka-SEH-yoh Start with small changes you can stick with.
A

직장에 있는 동안 물을 더 마실 수 있어요.

jik-JJAHNG-eh IN-nuhn DOHNG-ahn MOO-ruhl duh mah-SHEEL soo ee-SSUH-yoh I can drink more water while I'm at work.
B

그러면 오후에 더 힘이 날 수도 있어요.

guh-ruh-MYUN oh-HOO-eh duh HEE-mee nahl SSOO-doh ee-SSUH-yoh That may help your energy in the afternoon.
A

저녁 식사 후에도 운동을 해야 할까요?

juh-NYUHK shik-ssa HOO-eh-doh oon-DONG-uhl HAE-ya hal-KKAH-yoh Should I also exercise after dinner?
B

짧게 걷는 것부터 시작하면 무리 없이 할 수 있어요.

JJAHL-kkeh GUHN-nuhn guht-BBOO-tuh shi-JAH-ka-myun MOO-ree uhp-SSHEE hahl SSOO ee-SSUH-yoh A short walk would be a manageable start.
A

잊지 않고 나갈 수 있도록 신발을 문 옆에 놓아 둘 수 있어요.

it-JJEE ahn-KOH nah-GAHL soo it-TOH-rohk shin-BAH-ruhl moon-NYUH-peh noh-ah DOOL soo ee-SSUH-yoh I can put my shoes by the door so I remember to go.
B

현실적이고 계속하기 쉬워 보여요.

hyuhn-SHEEL juh-gee-goh gyeh-SOH-ka-gee SHWEE-wuh BO-yuh-yoh That sounds realistic and easy to keep up.

Word by Word

더 In 더 건강한, 더 means “more,” making 건강한 mean “healthier” in this sentence. It can be placed before an adjective or adverb when describing a greater degree.
건강한 건강한 means “healthy” here and describes 일상 습관 as a healthier routine. It is the form of 건강하다 used before a noun.
일상 일상 means “daily life” or “daily routine” in 일상 습관. It combines naturally with a noun to describe something connected with everyday life.
습관을 습관을 means “habit” as the object being created in 더 건강한 일상 습관을 만들고 싶어요. The 을 ending marks 습관 as the object of 만들고.
만들고 In 만들고 싶어요, 만들고 contributes the meaning “make” or “create,” referring to creating a healthy routine. The 고 form connects this action to 싶어요, which expresses the speaker’s desire.
싶어요 In 만들고 싶어요, 싶어요 completes the expression “want to make.” It is used after an action connected with 고 to express the speaker’s wish to do that action.
계속 계속 means “continuously” or “consistently” in 계속 지킬 수 있는 작은 변화. It emphasizes that the changes should be maintained over time and commonly comes before the action it describes.
지킬 In 지킬 수 있는, 지킬 means “keep” or “follow,” referring to maintaining the small changes. It is the form of 지키다 used before the ability expression with 수 있는.
수 In 지킬 수 있는, 수 is part of the expression for ability or possibility. Together with 지킬 and 있는, it means “that one can keep or follow.”
있는 In 지킬 수 있는, 있는 completes the ability expression and allows it to describe 작은 변화: changes that one can keep. This form commonly follows 수 when an ability phrase comes before a noun.
작은 작은 means “small” and describes 변화 in 작은 변화부터. It is the form of 작다 used before a noun.
변화부터 변화부터 means “starting with changes” in 변화부터 시작하세요. 변화 means “change,” and 부터 marks it as the starting point.
시작하세요 시작하세요 means “please start” in the polite instruction 변화부터 시작하세요. It is used to tell someone to begin with the specified starting point.
직장에 직장에 means “at work” in 직장에 있는 동안. The 에 ending marks 직장 as the place where the speaker is.
동안 동안 means “during” or “while” in 직장에 있는 동안, referring to the time spent at work. It follows a time expression or clause to indicate that period.
물을 물을 means “water” as the object of drinking in 물을 더 마실 수 있어요. The 을 ending marks 물 as the thing being drunk.
마실 In 마실 수 있어요, 마실 means “drink” and is part of the expression “can drink.” It is the form of 마시다 used before 수 있어요 to express ability.
있어요 In 마실 수 있어요, 있어요 completes the expression for being able to drink. Together with 마실 수, it means “can drink” in this polite sentence.
그러면 그러면 means “then” or “in that case,” linking drinking more water with the possible result mentioned next. It is useful when responding to a situation and introducing its consequence.
오후에 오후에 means “in the afternoon” and identifies when more energy may be felt. The 에 ending marks the time period.
힘이 힘이 means “energy” or “strength” as the thing that may arise in 힘이 날 수도 있어요. The 이 ending marks 힘 as the subject of 날.
날 In 힘이 날 수도 있어요, 날 means “arise” or “come,” describing energy coming back or being felt. It is the form of 나다 used before 수도 있어요.
수도 In 날 수도 있어요, 수도 is part of the expression meaning “may” or “might.” The possibility meaning comes from the whole expression 날 수도 있어요, while 수도 contributes the possibility component before 있어요.
저녁 저녁 means “evening” or “dinner” in 저녁 식사. Here it specifies the meal as the one eaten in the evening.
식사 식사 means “meal” in 저녁 식사 후에도. It identifies what comes before 후에도 and can be used when referring to eating a meal in a polite or neutral way.
후에도 후에도 means “even after” in 저녁 식사 후에도. 후 marks the time after the meal, and 도 adds the meaning of “also” or “even.”
운동을 운동을 means “exercise” as the activity being considered in 운동을 해야 할까요? The 을 ending marks 운동 as the object of 하다.
해야 In 해야 할까요, 해야 contributes the meaning “need to do” or “should do,” referring to exercise. It is part of the larger expression 해야 하다, which is turned into a question by 할까요.
할까요 할까요 means “should I?” or “shall I?” in 운동을 해야 할까요? It politely asks for advice or confirmation about the speaker’s action.
짧게 짧게 means “briefly” or “for a short time” in 짧게 걷는 것. It describes the walking as short in duration or extent and modifies the following action.
걷는 걷는 means “walking” in 걷는 것부터, referring to the activity of walking. It is the form used before 것 to turn the action into the thing being discussed.
것부터 In 걷는 것부터, 것 refers to the act of walking and 부터 means “starting with.” Together, 걷는 것부터 means “starting with walking.”
시작하면 시작하면 means “if” or “when one starts” in 걷는 것부터 시작하면. It introduces the condition that leads to the result 무리 없이 할 수 있어요.
무리 무리 means “strain” or “excessive difficulty” in 무리 없이 할 수 있어요. With 없이, it describes doing something without putting excessive strain on oneself.
없이 없이 means “without” in 무리 없이. It follows 무리 and shows that the action can be done without undue strain.
잊지 In 잊지 않고, 잊지 contributes the meaning “not forget,” referring to remembering to go out. It is the not-forget part of the expression that continues with 않고.
않고 In 잊지 않고 나갈 수 있도록, 않고 connects the meaning “not forgetting” to the following action. Together with 잊지, it means “without forgetting” or “while not forgetting.”
나갈 In 나갈 수 있도록, 나갈 means “go out” or “leave,” referring to going out for the walk. It is the form of 나가다 used before 수 있도록 to express being able to go out.
있도록 In 나갈 수 있도록, 있도록 expresses the purpose or desired result “so that one can.” Together with 나갈 수, it means “so that I can go out.”
신발을 신발을 means “shoes” as the object being placed in 신발을 문 옆에 놓아 둘 수 있어요. The 을 ending marks 신발 as the object of 놓아 두다.
문 문 means “door” in 문 옆에, identifying the reference point for the shoes’ location. It combines with 옆에 to describe a place beside the door.
옆에 옆에 means “beside” or “next to” in 문 옆에. It marks the location where the shoes are placed and commonly follows the noun that names the reference point.
놓아 In 놓아 둘 수 있어요, 놓아 means “put” or “place,” referring to putting the shoes beside the door. It connects the placing action to 둘, which adds the idea of leaving them there.
둘 In 놓아 둘 수 있어요, 둘 contributes the meaning of keeping something in the place where it was put. Together with 놓아, 놓아 둘 means “put and leave there,” which helps the speaker remember to go out.
현실적이고 현실적이고 means “realistic and” in 현실적이고 계속하기 쉬워 보여요. The 고 ending connects this positive description with the next one, “seems easy to keep up.”
계속하기 계속하기 means “continuing” or “keeping up” in 계속하기 쉬워 보여요. It presents the action of continuing the routine as something that can be easy or difficult.
쉬워 In 쉬워 보여요, 쉬워 means “easy” and describes continuing the routine. It connects to 보여요 to express that the routine seems easy to maintain.
보여요 보여요 means “seems” or “looks” in 쉬워 보여요. With 쉬워, it expresses the impression that continuing the routine is easy.

Grammar Points

V-(으)ㄹ 수 있도록

나갈 수 있도록

nah-GAHL soo it-TOH-rohk

so that one can go out

This expresses a purpose or desired condition: “so that someone can V.”

V-지 않고

잊지 않고

it-JJEE ahn-KOH

without forgetting

This means doing something without performing the action in the -지 clause.

Korean Vocabulary

건강한 adj
gun-GAHNG-hahn healthy
계속 지킬 수 있는 phrase
gyeh-SOHK jee-KEEL soo IN-nuhn that can be consistently maintained
그러면 conj
guh-ruh-MYUN then; in that case
더 adv
duh more
동안 noun
DOHNG-ahn during; while
만들고 싶어요 phrase
MAN-duhl-goh shi-PUH-yoh want to make
물을 더 마실 수 있어요 phrase
MOO-ruhl duh mah-SHEEL soo ee-SSUH-yoh can drink more water
시작하세요 verb
shi-JAH-ka-SEH-yoh please start
오후 noun
oh-HOO afternoon
일상 습관 phrase
il-SSAHNG suh-KKWAH-nuhl daily routine
작은 변화 phrase
JAH-guhn byuhn-HWA small change
직장 noun
jik-JJAHNG workplace

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I want a healthier daily routine.

Show Answer더 건강한 일상 습관을 만들고 싶어요.

Should I also exercise after dinner?

Show Answer저녁 식사 후에도 운동을 해야 할까요?

That sounds realistic and easy to keep up.

Show Answer현실적이고 계속하기 쉬워 보여요.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

please start

Show Answer시작하세요

during; while

Show Answer동안

then; in that case

Show Answer그러면

healthy

Show Answer건강한