Checking dietary needs before cooking | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 저녁을 요리하기 전에 모두의 식이 제한을 확인해야겠어요.

   Before I cook dinner, I should check everyone's dietary restrictions.

   저녁

   dinner

   요리하기

   cooking

   전에

   before

   모두의

   everyone’s

   식이 제한

   dietary restrictions

   확인해야겠어요

   I should check

   More detail

   저녁 means “dinner” here. It is a noun naming the meal; in other contexts it can also mean “evening.” The action 요리하기 makes the meal meaning clear here. Example: 저녁을 먹어요. — “I eat dinner.” 요리하기 means “cooking” in the form used before 전에. Its base verb is 요리하다, “to cook.” The ending -기 makes the action noun-like, so 요리하기 전에 means “before cooking.” Example: 운동하기 전에 물을 마셔요. — “I drink water before exercising.” 전에 means “before.” It follows a noun or a noun-like verb form to place one event before that noun or action. Example: 자기 전에 이를 닦아요. — “I brush my teeth before going to bed.” 모두의 means “everyone’s” here. 모두 refers collectively to all the people in the relevant group, and -의 marks possession or association. This form does not itself state how many people are in the group. Example: 모두의 의견을 들어요. — “I listen to everyone’s opinions.” 식이 제한 means “dietary restrictions.” 식이 modifies 제한, indicating that the restrictions concern eating or diet, while 제한 is the noun “restriction” or “limitation.” Example: 식이 제한을 알려 주세요. — “Please tell me your dietary restrictions.” 확인해야겠어요 means “I should check” here. Its base verb is 확인하다, “to check” or “to confirm.” The ending pattern -아/어야겠다 expresses the speaker’s realization or decision that an action should be done; the polite form here is -아/어야겠어요. Example: 주소를 확인해야겠어요. — “I should check the address.” Together, 저녁을 요리하기 전에 sets the time as before cooking dinner. 모두의 식이 제한을 marks everyone’s dietary restrictions as the object of checking, and 확인해야겠어요 expresses the speaker’s polite conclusion that this check should be made. The whole utterance means: “Before I cook dinner, I should check everyone’s dietary restrictions.”

2. 확인해 보는 게 좋겠어요. 손님 한 분은 유제품을 피하고 다른 한 분은 돼지고기를 먹지 않거든요.

   It is worth checking, because one guest avoids dairy and another does not eat pork.

   확인해 보는

   try checking

   게 좋겠어요

   it would be good to

   손님

   guest

   한 분

   one person

   유제품

   dairy products

   피하고

   avoids, and

   다른

   another; different

   돼지고기

   pork

   먹지 않거든요

   does not eat

   More detail

   확인해 보는 comes from 확인하다 “to check” plus -아/어 보다, which presents an action as trying or giving it a try. Here 확인해 보다 means “try checking” or “check to find out.” The form 보다 is not the main verb “to see” in this construction; it is the auxiliary element expressing an attempted experience. For example, 이 방법을 써 봐요. means “Try using this method.” 게 좋겠어요 is the shortened form of 것이 좋겠어요: literally, “it would be good if…” or “it would be good to…”. In this sentence, it gives a gentle recommendation rather than a forceful command. 좋겠어요 contains 좋다 “be good” and the ending -겠어요, which here presents the speaker’s considered suggestion. The preceding action and this expression combine as 확인해 보는 게 좋겠어요, “It would be good to check.” 손님 means “guest.” It is a noun that can be used for someone being hosted or served. In the sentence, it is followed by 한 분, so the expression refers to one guest respectfully. 한 분 means “one person,” with 한 being the form of the native numeral 하나 used before a counter. 분 is an honorific counter for a person; the non-honorific counter is 명. Thus 한 분 respectfully counts one person. Here the explicit 한 supplies the count “one,” while 분 marks respectful reference to the person. 유제품 means “dairy products,” such as milk, cheese, or butter. It is a noun referring to products made from milk. In 유제품을, the particle 을 marks it as the object of the following action. 피하고 comes from 피하다, “to avoid,” with the connective ending -고. The ending links this clause to the next one with “and.” 피하고 therefore means “avoids, and” in this sentence. For example, 저는 매운 음식을 피하고 있어요. means “I am avoiding spicy food.” 다른 is the attributive form of 다르다, “be different.” It appears before a noun and means “different” or “another” relative to something already established. In 다른 한 분, it distinguishes this one person from the first counted person; the full expression means “another person.” 돼지고기 means “pork,” the meat of a pig. In 돼지고기를, 를 marks it as the object of 먹다 “eat.” The compound noun is the food being avoided, not the person doing the avoiding. 먹지 않거든요 contains 먹다 “eat,” the negation pattern -지 않다, and the explanatory sentence ending -거든요. 먹지 않다 means “not eat,” so the observed clause means “does not eat.” Here 거든요 gives the reason for the preceding recommendation, yielding “because [that person] does not eat.” For example, 오늘은 가지 않거든요. means “I’m not going today, you see,” with the ending explaining the situation rather than simply stating a bare negative. Together, 확인해 보는 게 좋겠어요 recommends checking. 손님 한 분은 유제품을 피하고 identifies one guest as avoiding dairy, while 다른 한 분은 돼지고기를 먹지 않거든요 identifies another guest as not eating pork and presents that information as the reason to check. The complete meaning is: “It is worth checking, because one guest avoids dairy and another does not eat pork.”

3. 크리미한 파스타를 만들려고 했으니 대체할 재료가 필요하겠어요.

   I was planning to make creamy pasta, so I need a substitute.

   크리미한

   creamy

   파스타

   pasta

   만들려고 했으니

   since [I] intended to make it

   대체할

   to substitute

   재료

   ingredient

   필요하겠어요

   will be needed

   More detail

   크리미한 describes 파스타 as creamy. It is the attributive form of 크리미하다 (“to be creamy”): 크리미하다 → 크리미한 before a noun. The ending -한 is part of the adjective’s noun-modifying form, not an inflection on 파스타. 파스타 is the noun “pasta,” a loanword used here as the food being made. Together, 크리미한 파스타 means “creamy pasta.” 만들려고 했으니 contains 만들다 (“to make”) and the intention pattern -(으)려고 하다. 만들려고 하다 expresses intending or planning to make something; in the observed form, 했으니 puts 하다 in the past form and adds -으니, which gives a reason such as “since [someone] intended to make it.” The subject is understood from the sentence and its translation as “I”; Korean does not require an overt subject here. Example: 주말에 요리하려고 해요. — “I’m planning to cook this weekend.” 대체할 comes from 대체하다 (“to substitute” or “to replace”). The ending -ㄹ makes a prospective noun-modifying form, so 대체할 재료 is an ingredient intended to serve as a substitute. This is different from 대체한, which would describe something already substituted. Example: 버터를 대체할 재료를 찾고 있어요. — “I’m looking for an ingredient to replace the butter.” 재료 means “ingredient.” In this sentence it is the thing that is needed as an alternative for the planned dish. Korean noun-modifying clauses come before the noun, so 대체할 comes directly before 재료. 필요하겠어요 means “will be needed” or, in this context, “I’ll need [one].” It is based on 필요하다 (“to be necessary” or “to be needed”) with -겠어요, which presents the need as the speaker’s assessment or expectation. 필요해요 is a more direct “is needed,” while 필요하겠어요 sounds like a conclusion from the situation. Example: 우산이 필요하겠어요. — “It looks like an umbrella will be needed.” The sentence assembles as 크리미한 파스타 (“creamy pasta”) + 만들려고 했으니 (“since I intended to make [it]”) + 대체할 재료 (“an ingredient to substitute”) + 필요하겠어요 (“will be needed”). Thus it means: “I was planning to make creamy pasta, so I need a substitute.”

4. 우유를 넣은 소스 대신 올리브유와 채소를 사용할 수 있어요.

   You could use olive oil and vegetables instead of a milk-based sauce.

   우유를

   milk (object-marked)

   넣은

   added; put in

   소스

   sauce

   대신

   instead of; in place of

   올리브유

   olive oil

   채소를

   vegetables (object-marked)

   사용할 수 있어요

   can use

   More detail

   우유를 marks 우유 (“milk”) as the object of 넣다 (“to put in/add”). The particle 를 is used after a noun ending in a vowel; after a consonant, the corresponding object particle is 을. 넣은 comes from 넣다, “to put in” or “to add.” Its -은 form places the completed action before the noun it describes, so 넣은 소스 means “sauce that has had something added to it.” Here, 우유를 넣은 소스 naturally means “a sauce made with milk” or “a milk-based sauce.” This is an attributive form: 넣다 is not the main verb of the sentence. 소스 means “sauce.” In 우유를 넣은 소스, it is the noun being described by the preceding clause. A reusable pattern is [ingredient]을/를 넣은 [food], for example: 치즈를 넣은 수프 — “soup made with cheese.” This is a new example, not a fact from the supplied conversation. 대신 means “instead of” or “in place of.” In this sentence, the noun phrase before it, 우유를 넣은 소스, is the thing being replaced. The pattern [A] 대신 [B]를 사용하다 means “use B instead of A.” 올리브유 means “olive oil.” It is the first item in the alternative being proposed. With 와, it forms 올리브유와 채소, “olive oil and vegetables”; 와 is the conjunction used after a noun ending in a vowel. After a consonant, 과 is used instead. 채소를 means “vegetables” with the object particle 를. Together with 올리브유와, it forms the coordinated object 올리브유와 채소를, “olive oil and vegetables.” The particle is attached only to the final noun of this coordinated object. 사용할 수 있어요 is a polite way to express ability or possibility. 사용하다 means “to use”; its future-oriented attributive form 사용할 combines with 수 있다 (“there is a way/possibility”) to give the pattern 동사-(으)ㄹ 수 있다, “can/may be able to do.” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다. Here, the fixed translation appropriately presents this as “could use,” a possible alternative rather than a claim that it is already being used. The Korean sentence does not state the subject explicitly; the fixed translation supplies the understood “you.” Putting the parts together: 우유를 넣은 소스 대신 identifies what is being replaced, 올리브유와 채소를 identifies the alternative ingredients, and 사용할 수 있어요 says that using them is possible. The whole utterance therefore means, “You could use olive oil and vegetables instead of a milk-based sauce.”

5. 그래도 손님들에게 제대로 된 식사처럼 느껴질까요?

   Would that still feel like a proper meal for guests?

   그래도

   still; even so

   손님들에게

   for guests

   제대로 된

   proper; well-formed

   식사

   meal

   처럼

   like; as

   느껴질까요

   would it feel

   More detail

   그래도 means “still” or “even so.” It marks that the question remains relevant despite a previous consideration or change. Example: 그래도 괜찮아요. — “It’s still okay.” 손님들에게 means “for the guests.” 손님들 is the plural form of 손님 (“guest”), with 들 marking plurality here; 에게 marks the person or people something is directed toward or evaluated for. Korean 들 is not required in every plural context, but it is present in this utterance. Example: 손님들에게 음식을 내요. — “I serve food to the guests.” 제대로 된 describes the following noun as proper, suitable, or adequately made. 된 is the noun-modifying form of 되다 (“become; be made/turn out”), and 제대로 means “properly” or “appropriately.” Together, 제대로 된 식사 is a reusable pattern meaning “a proper meal,” rather than merely some food. Example: 제대로 된 휴식이 필요해요. — “I need proper rest.” 식사 is the noun “meal,” often referring to eating as a meal or to a formal/complete meal. It is more meal-focused than the broader food word 음식. Example: 식사를 했어요. — “I had a meal.” 처럼 follows a noun or noun phrase and means “like” or “as.” In 식사처럼, it compares something with a meal; it does not mean that the thing literally is a meal. Example: 이 음식은 집밥처럼 느껴져요. — “This food feels like home cooking.” 느껴질까요 comes from 느껴지다, “to be felt” or “to seem/feel.” The form is 느껴지- plus the polite question ending -ㄹ까요, producing a tentative question about how something will be perceived: “would it feel/seem?” This is different from 느끼다, “to feel” in the sense of actively experiencing something. Example: 사람들에게 자연스럽게 느껴질까요? — “Would it feel natural to people?” Together, 그래도 sets up the continuing question, 손님들에게 identifies the people whose impression matters, 제대로 된 식사 means “a proper meal,” and 식사처럼 느껴질까요 asks whether it would seem like one. The complete meaning is: “Would that still feel like a proper meal for guests?”

6. 그럴 거예요. 특히 버섯과 상큼한 샐러드를 곁들이면요.

   It would, especially if you add mushrooms and a bright salad.

   그럴 거예요

   It would be so

   특히

   especially

   버섯

   mushrooms

   상큼한

   fresh, tangy

   샐러드

   salad

   곁들이면요

   if [you] add something alongside

   More detail

   그럴 거예요 means “it would be so” here, referring to the preceding question about whether it would feel like a proper meal. 그렇다 is the base form meaning “to be so” or “to be that way”; 그럴 is its form before 거예요, a construction used for a likely or expected situation. 거예요 comes from 것이에요 and presents the situation as an expectation or prediction. Together, the phrase avoids repeating the situation already being discussed. 특히 means “especially” and highlights the condition that follows. It is an adverb and can be placed before the emphasized phrase or clause. 버섯 means “mushroom.” The form is unchanged here; Korean nouns generally do not change form for singular versus plural, so the translation “mushrooms” is supplied by context rather than by a plural ending. 상큼한 means “fresh and tangy” here. It is the attributive form of 상큼하다, used directly before a noun: 상큼한 샐러드 means “a fresh, tangy salad.” The ending -한 allows this descriptive word to modify the following noun. 샐러드 means “salad.” It is a noun borrowed into Korean and has no separate plural marking in this sentence. 곁들이면요 means “if [you] add something alongside.” The useful base verb is 곁들이다, “to serve together with” or “to add as an accompaniment.” Its conditional form is 곁들이면, formed with -(으)면, “if/when.” The final 요 adds a polite conversational tone; it does not itself mean “if.” The implicit subject is understood from the context and the fixed translation as the person adding the foods. Because 곁들이면요 comes after the foods, the preceding food phrase supplies the object of this condition: the mushrooms and salad are what are added or served alongside the meal. As a whole, 버섯과 상큼한 샐러드를 means “mushrooms and a fresh, tangy salad,” with 과 joining the two items. 특히 emphasizes this condition, and 곁들이면요 says “especially if you add them alongside the meal.” The complete utterance therefore means: “It would, especially if you add mushrooms and a bright salad.” The first sentence supplies the expected result, while the second identifies the condition that would make that result likely.

7. 다른 선호 사항이 있는지 물어보는 짧은 메시지를 보낼게요.

   I will send a quick message asking about any other preferences.

   다른

   other

   선호 사항

   preference(s)

   있는지

   whether there is/are

   물어보는

   asking about

   짧은

   short

   메시지

   message

   보낼게요

   will send

   More detail

   다른 means “other” here and comes before the noun it describes. It means additional preferences relative to the relevant context. A reusable pattern is 다른 + noun: 다른 방법 means “another method.” 선호 사항 is a noun phrase meaning “preference(s)” or “preferred items.” 선호 means preference, and 사항 refers to an item or matter being considered. Together, 다른 선호 사항 means “other preferences”; the plural-like meaning comes from context, not from a special plural ending in this phrase. 있는지 is the form of 있다 used to embed a yes/no question: 있다 + -는지 → 있는지, “whether there is/are.” In this sentence it asks whether any other preferences exist. Compare 없는지 (“whether there is/are not”), formed from 없다 + -는지. The question is embedded inside the larger message rather than asked directly as a standalone question. 물어보는 comes from the compound verb 물어보다, “to ask” or “to inquire.” Its present noun-modifying form, 물어보는, describes an action associated with the message: a message “asking about” something. The form 묻는 from 묻다 can also mean “asking,” but 물어보다 is the observed verb here and should not be treated as the same form. 짧은 is the noun-modifying form of the adjective 짧다, “to be short.” The final -은 marks this adjective as modifying the following noun: 짧은 메시지, “a short message.” This is an adjective form, not an inflection of 메시지. 메시지 is the noun “message.” In the sentence it is followed by the object marker 를, visible in 메시지를; the full noun phrase 짧은 메시지를 is the thing that will be sent. 를 marks the object of 보낼게요. 보낼게요 comes from 보내다, “to send,” plus -(으)ㄹ게요. The stem 보내- takes -ㄹ게요, giving 보낼게요; this form presents the speaker’s intention or commitment to do something, politely. The subject is omitted in the Korean sentence; the fixed translation identifies that intended subject as “I.” The object is supplied by the preceding noun phrase, 짧은 메시지를. A reusable example is 확인해서 알려 드릴게요. — “I’ll check and let you know.” Together, 다른 선호 사항이 있는지 물어보는 identifies the content and purpose of the message: it asks whether there are any other preferences. 짧은 메시지를 supplies the object, “a short message,” and 보낼게요 states the speaker’s polite intention to send it. The whole utterance therefore means, “I will send a quick message asking about any other preferences.”

8. 질문은 간단하게 하세요. 그렇지 않으면 사람들이 폐를 끼친다고 느낄 수도 있어요.

   Keep the question simple, or people may feel they are causing trouble.

   질문은

   the question

   간단하게

   simply; in a simple way

   하세요

   please do

   그렇지 않으면

   otherwise

   사람들이

   people

   폐를 끼친다고

   that [someone] causes trouble

   느낄

   feel

   수도 있어요

   may; might

   More detail

   질문은 sets 질문 (“question”) as the topic with 은. The form does not itself mark a question as grammatically definite; here the fixed translation identifies it as the question being discussed. Example: 질문은 무엇인가요? — “What is the question?” 간단하게 comes from the adjective 간단하다 (“to be simple”) plus -게, which makes an adverb: “in a simple way.” With 하다, the pattern A-게 하다 means “make something A” or “do something so that it is A.” Thus 질문을 간단하게 하다 means “make the question simple.” Example: 설명을 간단하게 해 주세요. — “Please make the explanation simple.” 하세요 is the polite request or command form of 하다 (“do; make”). It is formed with the subject-honorific marker -시- and the polite ending -어요, contracted here to -세요. In this sentence, 간단하게 하세요 politely tells the listener to make it simple. 그렇지 않으면 is a conditional connector meaning “otherwise” or “if that is not so.” 그렇다 refers back to the preceding instruction or situation, and -지 않으면 gives the “if not” condition. It links the recommendation to its possible consequence rather than introducing a separate topic. 사람들이 is 사람 (“person; people”) with the plural marker 들 and the subject marker 이. Here it is the subject of 느낄, so the people are the ones who may have the feeling described next. Example: 사람들이 기다려요. — “People are waiting.” 폐를 끼친다고 contains the idiomatic expression 폐를 끼치다, meaning “cause inconvenience or trouble,” followed by -다고. This ending presents the preceding proposition as the content of a thought, feeling, or statement. The expression itself does not show its subject here; in this sentence, 사람들이 supplies the subject, so the content is that they are causing trouble. Example: 제가 폐를 끼쳤어요. — “I caused trouble.” 느낄 is the -ㄹ form of 느끼다 (“feel”), used before 수도 있어요. The combination 느낄 수 있다 expresses that someone can feel something; with 도, the whole form can express a possibility such as “may” or “might” in this context. Example: 그 말을 듣고 불편하게 느낄 수 있어요. — “You may feel uncomfortable after hearing that.” 수도 있어요 completes the possibility construction. -ㄹ/을 수 있다 can express possibility or ability, and -도 adds the sense that this is one possible outcome. The polite ending -어요 makes the statement conversationally polite. Here it does not assert that people definitely feel this way; it presents it as a possible consequence. Together, 질문은 간단하게 하세요 means “Keep the question simple.” 그렇지 않으면 adds “otherwise,” and 사람들이 폐를 끼친다고 느낄 수도 있어요 says that people may feel they are causing trouble. The complete meaning is: “Keep the question simple, or people may feel they are causing trouble.”

9. 모두에게 맞는 음식을 만들고 싶다고 메시지에 간단히 쓰면 돼요.

   The message can simply say I want to make something suitable for everyone.

   모두에게

   for everyone

   맞는

   suitable

   음식

   food

   만들고

   make and

   싶다고

   that one wants to

   메시지에

   in the message

   간단히

   simply

   쓰면 돼요

   it is enough to write

   More detail

   모두에게 means “for everyone” here. 모두 means everyone as a group, and -에게 marks the people something is intended or suitable for. A reusable pattern is 사람에게 맞다, “be suitable for a person.” 맞는 modifies the noun that follows it: 맞는 음식 means “food that is suitable.” It is the present attributive form of 맞다, “be suitable” or “fit.” The predicate form is 맞다; before a noun, it appears here as 맞는. The phrase 모두에게 맞는 음식 therefore describes food suitable for everyone. 음식 means “food.” It is the noun described by 맞는 and is followed in the sentence by the object marker 을 within 음식을. Example: 아이들에게 맞는 음식 means “food suitable for children.” This is a new example, not a claim about the supplied situation. 만들고 comes from 만들다, “to make,” and uses the connective ending -고 to link with the following expression. In 음식을 만들고 싶다, -고 싶다 means “want to make food”; 만들고 itself means “make and” in this connection. 싶다고 is 싶다 followed by -다고, which marks the content of a statement or report. With the preceding 만들고, 만들고 싶다고 means “that [someone] wants to make.” In the fixed translation, that desire is expressed as “I want to make something suitable for everyone.” The subject of the desire is not separately stated in the Korean form; 싶다고 expresses the reported desire, not the subject’s identity. 메시지에 means “in the message.” The particle -에 marks the message as the place or medium in which the writing is put. It is attached to 메시지, “message.” 간단히 means “simply” or “briefly.” It is an adverb related to 간단하다, “be simple,” and describes how the writing is done. 쓰면 돼요 is a reusable pattern meaning “it is enough to write” or “one only needs to write.” 쓰면 is 쓰다, “write,” plus conditional -면, “if/when.” 돼요 is the polite form of 되다 in the pattern -면 되다, which presents the condition as sufficient. The subject of 쓰면 is unspoken; this sentence does not require identifying a particular writer. Putting the parts together, 모두에게 맞는 음식을 만들고 싶다고 reports the content “that I want to make something suitable for everyone,” while 메시지에 간단히 쓰면 돼요 says that writing this simply in the message is sufficient. The whole utterance means: “The message can simply say I want to make something suitable for everyone.”

10. 배려심 있게 들리고, 그들이 분명하게 대답할 기회도 줄 수 있겠어요.

    That sounds considerate and gives them a chance to answer clearly.

    배려심 있게

    considerately

    들리고

    sounds, and

    그들이

    they

    분명하게

    clearly

    대답할

    to answer

    기회

    chance

    줄

    give

    수 있겠어요

    could

    More detail

    배려심 있게 means “considerately.” It is based on 배려심 있다, “to be considerate,” with -게, which makes the expression describe how something is done or perceived. For example, 자연스럽게 means “naturally.” 들리고 comes from 들리다, “to sound” or “to be heard.” Here it means “sound,” describing the impression the idea gives. The ending -고 connects this clause to the next one as “and.” Example: 좋게 들리고 이해하기도 쉬워요. — “It sounds good and is also easy to understand.” 그들이 is 그들 (“they/them”) plus the subject particle 이. Here, they are the people who may answer. The particle marks them as the subject of 대답할; it does not itself identify those people further. 분명하게 means “clearly.” It is the adverbial form of 분명하다, “to be clear.” It describes how the answering is done. 분명히 is another common form with the same core meaning, while 분명하게 uses the productive -게 pattern. 대답할 comes from 대답하다, “to answer” or “to respond.” Its -(으)ㄹ form appears before a noun: 대답할 기회 means “an opportunity to answer.” Before a noun, this form identifies the action associated with that noun; it does not necessarily assert that the action will definitely happen. Example: 질문할 시간이 있어요. — “There is time to ask a question.” 기회 means “chance” or “opportunity.” In 대답할 기회, it is the opportunity connected with answering. Korean commonly places a clause describing a noun before that noun. 줄 comes from 주다, “to give.” It is the -(으)ㄹ form used before 수 있다, so 기회를 줄 수 있다 means “can give an opportunity.” In the supplied sentence, 기회도 contains the particle 도, not an omitted object marker: 도 adds an “also/as well” meaning and occupies the particle position here. The noun is understood as the thing being given. 수 있겠어요 expresses possibility politely and tentatively. 수 있다 means “can” or “be able to,” while -겠어요 adds a prospective or tentative sense such as “could” or “would be possible.” Thus 줄 수 있겠어요 is naturally understood here as “could give.” It is not a past-tense form. Putting the parts together: 배려심 있게 들리고 says that the idea “sounds considerate”; 그들이 분명하게 대답할 기회도 refers to “also a chance for them to answer clearly”; and 줄 수 있겠어요 presents giving that chance as possible. The whole utterance means: “That sounds considerate and gives them a chance to answer clearly.”