Politely discussing a disappointing restaurant dish | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 실례합니다, 생선에 대해 여쭤봐도 될까요? 조금 퍽퍽해요.

   Excuse me, could I ask about the fish? It is a bit dry.

   실례합니다

   Excuse me

   생선

   fish

   에 대해

   about

   여쭤봐도 될까요?

   Could I ask?

   조금

   a little

   퍽퍽해요

   is dry

   More detail

   실례합니다 is a polite way to get someone's attention or begin a request, commonly translated as “Excuse me.” It comes from 실례하다, “to be impolite / to cause a discourtesy,” and this polite form is conventional rather than a literal claim that the speaker has already done something wrong. 생선 means “fish” as food. It is a noun; the sentence does not specify a more particular kind of fish. 에 대해 means “about” or “regarding.” 에 대해 follows a noun to mark the topic being discussed or asked about. For example, 영화에 대해 이야기해요 means “I talk about the movie.” 여쭤봐도 될까요? is a polite permission question meaning “Could I ask?” or, more literally, “Would it be all right if I asked?” 여쭤보다 is a humble form of “ask,” used when the speaker shows respect toward the person being asked; it is related to the regular verb 묻다/물어보다, “to ask,” but is not formed by simply changing the ending of 묻다. The ending -아/어도 되다 expresses permission, and 될까요? makes a polite, tentative question. The construction -아/어도 될까요? is reusable: 들어가도 될까요? means “May I come in?” 조금 means “a little” or “slightly.” Here it softens the degree of the following description: the fish is dry to a small degree, not necessarily completely dry. 퍽퍽해요 describes something as dry and somewhat mealy or lacking moisture in texture. Its base form is 퍽퍽하다, and -해요 is the polite present-style ending for this descriptive verb. A useful contrast is 촉촉해요, “It is moist.” Together, 생선에 대해 여쭤봐도 될까요? asks politely for permission to ask about the fish. 조금 퍽퍽해요 then states that the fish is a little dry in texture. The complete utterance is therefore: “Excuse me, could I ask about the fish? It is a bit dry.”

2. 죄송합니다. 주방에 확인해 보겠습니다.

   I'm sorry about that. I'll check with the kitchen.

   죄송합니다

   I'm sorry

   주방에

   with the kitchen

   확인해 보겠습니다

   I'll check

   More detail

   죄송합니다 means “I’m sorry” here. It is the formal-polite form of 죄송하다, “to be sorry.” The ending -ㅂ니다 presents the statement politely and formally; it is not a separate word meaning “about that.” Example: 죄송합니다. — “I’m sorry.” 주방에 refers to the kitchen in this sentence. 주방 means “kitchen,” and -에 marks the place or target associated with the action. With 확인하다, this naturally gives the intended sense “check with the kitchen,” rather than merely locating an object inside the kitchen. -에 is a particle attached to the noun, not part of the noun’s base form. Example: 식당에 문의합니다. — “I inquire with the restaurant.” 확인해 보겠습니다 means “I’ll check.” The lexical verb is 확인하다, “to check” or “to confirm.” In the observed form, 확인해 is its connective form before 보다; 보다 literally means “to see,” but in -해 보다 it adds the idea of trying or carrying out the action. 보겠습니다 contains 보- plus the formal-polite ending -겠습니다, which commonly expresses the speaker’s intention or willingness to do something. Thus 확인해 보겠습니다 presents checking as the speaker’s intended action, not as a completed check. Example: 다시 확인해 보겠습니다. — “I’ll check again.” As a whole, 죄송합니다 gives the apology, 주방에 identifies the kitchen as the target of the check, and 확인해 보겠습니다 states the speaker’s polite intention to check there. Together they mean: “I’m sorry about that. I’ll check with the kitchen.”

3. 맛은 좋은데, 식감이 제가 기대했던 것과 달라요.

   The flavor is nice, but the texture is not what I expected.

   맛은

   the flavor

   좋은데

   is good, but

   식감이

   the texture

   제가

   I

   기대했던

   expected

   것과

   with what; compared with what

   달라요

   is different

   More detail

   맛은 contains 맛 (“flavor” or “taste”) plus the topic marker -은. Here it frames the flavor as the aspect being commented on, with a contrastive feel. A consonant-final noun takes -은, while a vowel-final noun takes -는. Example: 가격은 좋아요. — “The price is good.” 좋은데 comes from the adjective 좋다 (“to be good”) with the connective ending -은데. Here it means “is good, but…” and connects the favorable comment about the flavor to the contrasting comment that follows. 좋다 becomes 좋은데 before this ending; the form is not an inflection of 맛. 식감이 contains 식감 (“texture” or “mouthfeel”) and the subject marker -이. It marks texture as the thing described by the following predicate. A consonant-final noun takes -이, while a vowel-final noun takes -가. Example: 색깔이 달라요. — “The color is different.” 제가 is the first-person pronoun 저 (“I”) with the subject marker -가. 저 is the humble/polite form used for “I”; its subject-marked form is 제가, not 저가. It identifies the speaker as the one whose expectation is described. 기대했던 comes from the verb 기대하다 (“to expect”) and means “that [I] expected” in this noun-modifying form. The visible form contains the past element in 기대했- and the recalling modifier ending -던; together here they refer to an expectation held before the present comparison. The dictionary form is 기대하다, and a finite past form is 기대했어요 (“I expected it”). Here, 기대했던 modifies the following noun-like expression rather than serving as the main predicate. 것과 is 것 (“thing” or “what”) plus the comparison particle -과. The dependent noun 것 turns the preceding description into the noun phrase 제가 기대했던 것, “what I expected”; -과 marks that phrase as the comparison standard in this construction. After a consonant-final noun, -과 is used; after a vowel-final noun, -와 is used. 달라요 is the polite present form of 다르다, “to be different.” The stem changes from 다르- to 달라- before -요 through the Korean 르 irregular pattern. The construction A와/과 달라요 means “is different from A.” This differs from 틀리다, which commonly means “to be wrong” or “incorrect”; 다르다 focuses on difference rather than error. Putting the chunks together, 맛은 좋은데 says “the flavor is good, but,” and 식감이 제가 기대했던 것과 달라요 says “the texture is different from what I expected.” The complete utterance is therefore: “The flavor is nice, but the texture is not what I expected.” A reusable pattern is A은/는 좋은데, B이/가 C와/과 달라요: “A is good, but B is different from C.”

4. 곁들일 소스가 조금 있으면 도움이 될 수도 있어요.

   A little sauce on the side might help.

   곁들일

   to serve alongside

   소스

   sauce

   조금

   a little

   있으면

   if there is/are

   도움

   help

   될 … 수도 있어요

   might be

   More detail

   곁들일 comes from 곁들이다, “to add or serve alongside.” Its -ㄹ form modifies a following noun and presents the action as intended or relevant: 곁들일 소스 means “sauce to serve alongside.” Example: 곁들일 반찬 — “a side dish to serve with it.” 소스 is a noun meaning “sauce.” It is a loanword and does not change form here for number or grammatical role; particles can be added separately when needed. Example: 소스를 더 주세요. — “Please give me more sauce.” 조금 means “a little” or “a small amount.” Here it indicates a small amount of sauce, without asserting an exact measurement. Example: 물이 조금 필요해요. — “I need a little water.” 있으면 is 있다 (“exist; be present; have”) plus the conditional ending -으면, giving “if there is” or, with an understood item, “if there is some.” Example: 시간이 있으면 연락해 주세요. — “If you have time, please contact me.” 도움 means “help.” In 도움이 되다, it is marked as the subject of 되다, and the whole expression means “to be helpful” or “to serve as help.” Example: 이 설명이 도움이 돼요. — “This explanation is helpful.” 될 수도 있어요 is the possibility pattern -(으)ㄹ 수도 있다: 될 is the attributive form of 되다 before 수, and 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다. Together here, 도움이 될 수도 있어요 means “might be helpful.” Example: 조금 늦을 수도 있어요. — “I might be a little late.” Together, 곁들일 소스 identifies sauce intended to accompany the food, 조금 있으면 sets the condition that a small amount is available, and 도움이 될 수도 있어요 says that this may help. The whole utterance therefore means: “A little sauce on the side might help.”

5. 제가 조금 가져다드릴까요?

   Would you like me to bring some?

   제가

   I (humble/polite)

   조금

   some; a little

   가져다드릴까요?

   shall I bring it for you?

   More detail

   제가 means “I” as the person who would perform the action. 저 is the humble first-person pronoun, and 제가 is its subject form: 저 + the subject marker 가. The humble form is appropriate when referring to oneself politely to the listener; it does not identify the listener or any other participant. 조금 indicates a small amount or degree. Here it modifies the unspoken thing being brought, so the sentence means “some” or “a little,” without stating an exact quantity. The preceding context supports understanding that thing as sauce, but the Korean utterance itself leaves the object unspoken. 가져다드릴까요? is a polite offer meaning “shall I bring it for you?” It contains the idea of bringing something to the listener and 드리다, a humble form used for giving or doing something for another person. The ending -ㄹ까요? turns the verb into a question offering the speaker’s action: “shall I …?” It is not the same as simply asking whether the listener will bring something. The observed form is built from 가져다드리다 in the polite-question form; 가져오다 (“bring, bring here”) is a different verb and should not be substituted automatically. Together, 제가 identifies the speaker as the person offering, 조금 limits the amount, and 가져다드릴까요? asks whether bringing it for the listener would be helpful or wanted. Thus the whole utterance is naturally, “Would you like me to bring some?” In the supplied context, “some” can be understood as some sauce, while the sentence remains usable with another understood item as well.

6. 그렇게 해 주시면 도움이 될 것 같아요. 너무 느끼하지만 않으면요.

   That would help, as long as it is not too heavy.

   그렇게

   that way; like that

   해 주시면

   if you would do it for me

   도움

   help

   될 것 같아요

   I think it will be; it seems likely to be

   너무

   too; very

   느끼하지만 않으면요

   if it is not rich or heavy

   More detail

   그렇게 means “that way” or “like that.” It points to the manner of the action rather than naming the action again. A reusable pattern is 이렇게 “this way” versus 그렇게 “that way.” 해 주시면 combines 하다 “to do” with the auxiliary 주다 “to do something as a favor,” followed by -시면, a deferential conditional form. 해 주다 therefore means “do it for someone,” and 해 주시면 means “if you would do it for me/us.” The form 주시다 is the honorific form used in this auxiliary construction when speaking deferentially to the person who would perform the action. The lexical verb is 하다; 해 is its connected form. 도움 is “help” or “assistance.” With 이 되다, it forms the useful expression 도움이 되다, “to be helpful” or literally “to become help.” The particle 이 marks 도움 as the subject of 되다. Example: 이 조언이 도움이 돼요. — “This advice is helpful.” 될 것 같아요 is built from 되다 “to become; to be” and 것 같다, “to seem” or “to think that.” Here 될 is the future or prospective form of 되다, so 도움이 될 것 같아요 presents the speaker’s tentative judgment that it would be helpful: “I think it will help” or “It seems like it would help.” 것 같아요 is softer and less definite than a direct assertion. Example: 괜찮을 것 같아요. — “I think it will be okay.” 너무 means “too” in this sentence because it marks an excessive degree. It can also mean “very” in some contexts, but here the following condition makes the excessive sense relevant: the food should not be excessively rich or heavy. 느끼하지만 않으면요 uses the adjective 느끼하다, “to be rich, greasy, or heavy in taste,” with -지만 않으면, “if only it is not …” or “as long as it is not …,” and the polite sentence-ending 요. The form is based on 느끼하다, not on the separate verb 느끼다 “to feel.” Together with the preceding 너무, 너무 느끼하지만 않으면요 means “as long as it is not too rich/heavy.” The pattern V/A-지만 않으면 sets one condition by excluding an unwanted state. Example: 늦지만 않으면 괜찮아요. — “As long as you are not late, it is fine.” The sentence first uses 그렇게 해 주시면 to set the requested action as a condition. 도움이 될 것 같아요 gives the speaker’s tentative assessment of its result. The second sentence adds the condition 너무 느끼하지만 않으면요: the help is welcome provided that the food is not excessively rich or heavy. Altogether, the utterance means, “That would help, as long as it is not too heavy.”

7. 소스를 작은 접시에 담아 가져다드리고 주방에도 말씀드리겠습니다.

   I can bring a small dish of sauce and let the kitchen know.

   소스를

   sauce

   작은

   small

   접시에

   on a dish

   담아

   put in and

   가져다드리고

   bring and give

   주방에도

   to the kitchen too

   말씀드리겠습니다

   I will let you know

   More detail

   소스를 means “the sauce” here. 소스 is the noun “sauce,” and -를 marks it as the object of the action. The same object marker appears after a vowel-ending noun as -를; after a consonant-ending noun, it is -을. 작은 means “small” and comes before the noun it describes. It is the attributive form of 작다 (“to be small”): 작다 → 작은 before a noun. For example, 작은 컵 means “a small cup.” 접시에 means “in/on a dish.” 접시 is “dish,” and -에 marks the place or container involved in an action. Here, the dish is the container into which the sauce is put. 접시에 음식을 담아요 means “I put food in a dish.” 담아 means “putting [it] in” or “after putting [it] in.” It is the connective form of 담다, “to put or contain something in a container.” The ending -아 links this action to the next one: the sauce is put in the dish and then brought. 가방에 책을 담아 가요 means “I put the book in the bag and take it.” 가져다드리고 means “bringing and giving [it]” in this sentence. It is a connective form ending in -고, so it links this action to the following promise. The useful base expression is 가져다드리다, “to bring something to someone and give it to them.” 드리다 is the honorific form used when giving or doing something for a respected addressee; it is not simply the ordinary verb 주다 in this expression. The ending -고 leaves the action open to the next clause: “bring it to you, and …” 주방에도 means “to the kitchen too.” 주방 is “kitchen,” -에 marks the destination or target, and -도 adds “also/too.” In the fixed translation, this refers to letting the kitchen know as an additional action. The -도 belongs to 주방, so it makes the kitchen another target alongside the person receiving the sauce. 말씀드리겠습니다 means “I will let [you/them] know” here. The reusable base expression is 말씀드리다, a respectful way to say “tell” or “say to someone.” Its form contains the deferential speech noun 말씀 and 드리다, and the ending -겠습니다 gives a formal polite statement of intention or commitment: “I will …” or, in an offer, “I’ll … .” The speaker is the understood subject, as reflected in the fixed translation. 말씀드리겠습니다 does not itself identify the recipient; the intended recipient is understood from the interaction. Together, 소스를 작은 접시에 담아 sets up the preparation: “putting the sauce in a small dish.” 가져다드리고 adds the action of bringing and giving that prepared sauce, while 주방에도 말씀드리겠습니다 adds a second action directed to the kitchen: “and I will let the kitchen know too.” The whole utterance is a formal, polite offer or commitment: “I can bring a small dish of sauce and let the kitchen know.”

8. 더 먹기 전에 말씀드리고 싶었어요.

   I wanted to mention it before I ate more of it.

   더

   more

   먹기

   eating; to eat

   전에

   before

   말씀드리고 싶었어요

   wanted to mention it

   More detail

   더 means “more” here and modifies the eating that follows: 더 먹다 means “eat more.” It is a comparison with an earlier or expected amount, but it does not specify the amount. Example: 조금 더 주세요. — “Please give me a little more.” 먹기 is the -기 form of 먹다, “to eat.” The -기 form turns an action into a noun-like unit, so 먹기 전에 means “before eating.” This pattern is reusable with other verbs: 가기 전에 — “before going.” 전에 means “before” and follows the noun-like action 먹기. The structure 동사-기 전에 expresses that one event happens before another: 자기 전에 책을 읽어요. — “I read a book before going to bed.” 말씀드리고 싶었어요 is the polite past form of 말씀드리고 싶다, “want to tell/mention.” 말씀드리다 is a humble, respectful way to say “tell” or “mention”; -고 싶다 expresses wanting to do something, and -었어요 places that wanting in the past. The subject and object are omitted in the Korean sentence; the fixed translation supplies “I” and “it” for this context. Example: 한 가지 말씀드리고 싶어요. — “I would like to mention one thing.” Together, 더 먹기 전에 means “before eating more,” and 말씀드리고 싶었어요 means “I wanted to mention it.” The whole utterance therefore means: “I wanted to mention it before I ate more of it.” The polite ending -어요 makes the sentence suitable for courteous conversation.

9. 소스를 드셔 보신 후에도 여전히 퍽퍽하면 말씀해 주세요.

   Please tell me if it is still dry after you try the sauce.

   소스를

   sauce

   드셔 보신

   try (it)

   후에도

   even after

   여전히

   still

   퍽퍽하면

   if (it is) dry

   말씀해 주세요

   please tell me

   More detail

   소스를 contains 소스 (“sauce”) with the object particle -를. The particle marks the sauce as what is tried; it does not itself mean “it.” The same object pattern is reusable: 물을 마셔요 means “I drink water.” 드셔 보신 expresses “have tried,” with respectful language toward the person who tries the sauce. 드시다 is the honorific counterpart of 먹다 (“eat”), and -아/어 보다 after a verb means “try doing it.” Here, 드셔 보다 means “try tasting/eating it,” rather than simply “eat it.” In 보신, the honorific form and the modifier ending connect this completed action to the following noun 후 (“after”). Example: 이 방법을 사용해 보세요 means “Please try using this method.” 후에도 means “even after.” 후 marks a time after an event, and -도 adds the meaning “even/also.” The event before it is trying the sauce, so this part sets the condition as “even after you have tried the sauce.” Example: 식사 후에도 배가 고파요 means “I am hungry even after a meal.” 여전히 means “still” or “still continuing to be so.” It emphasizes that the dryness remains after the tasting. Example: 여전히 어려워요 means “It is still difficult.” 퍽퍽하면 uses the descriptive verb 퍽퍽하다, which here describes the sauce as dry and lacking moisture or a smooth, juicy texture. The ending -면 makes an “if/when” condition: 퍽퍽하면 means “if it is dry.” The fixed translation identifies the thing described as “it,” namely the sauce. Example: 빵이 퍽퍽하면 우유를 곁들이세요 means “If the bread is dry, have milk with it.” 말씀해 주세요 is a respectful request meaning “please tell me.” 말씀하다 is the honorific form used for saying or telling, and -아/어 주세요 asks someone to do the action for the speaker. Example: 필요한 것이 있으면 말씀해 주세요 means “Please tell me if you need anything.” Together, 소스를 드셔 보신 후에도 means “even after you try the sauce,” and 여전히 퍽퍽하면 adds the condition “if it is still dry.” The closing request 말씀해 주세요 asks the listener to tell the speaker in that situation. Thus the whole utterance means: “Please tell me if it is still dry after you try the sauce.”

10. 다른 방법을 찾아보겠습니다.

    We can find another solution.

    다른

    another; different

    방법

    method; way

    찾아보겠습니다

    will look for; will try to find

    More detail

    다른 means “another” or “different” and comes before the noun it describes. It is the form used when distinguishing one thing from another; for example, 다른 방법을 생각해 봅시다. means “Let’s think of another way.” Here it describes 방법, not the verb. 방법 means “method,” “way,” or, in this context, “solution.” It is a noun that can be used with 을/를 when it is the object of an action: 방법을 찾다 means “to find a way/solution.” For example, 좋은 방법을 찾았어요. means “I found a good solution.” 찾아보겠습니다 is based on 찾다, “to find,” with 보다 attached to express trying or checking: 찾아보다 means “to look for” or “to try to find.” The ending -겠습니다 gives a polite prospective or willing tone, so 찾아보겠습니다 means “I/we will try to find it” or “I/we will look for it.” Korean often leaves the subject unstated; the fixed translation identifies the intended subject here as “we.” The polite ending -습니다 is used in the resulting formal-polite style. For example, 자료를 찾아보겠습니다. means “I’ll try to find the information.” Together, 다른 방법을 means “another solution/way” as the object, and 찾아보겠습니다 means “we will try to find.” The whole utterance therefore means “We can find another solution,” with the Korean form presenting this as a polite intention or commitment to look for one. In the supplied exchange, it is a suitable formal-polite response.