Coordinating dinner timing | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 메인 요리가 아직 조리 중일 때 손님들이 도착할 수도 있어요.

   The guests may arrive while the main course is still cooking.

   메인 요리

   main course

   아직

   still; yet

   조리 중일 때

   while cooking

   손님들

   guests

   도착할

   arrive

   수도 있어요

   may; might

   More detail

   메인 요리 means “main course.” It is a noun phrase: 메인 modifies 요리, “dish/course.” Korean nouns do not change form for singular versus plural, so the phrase itself does not mark a number. 아직 means “still” here. It presents the cooking as continuing at the relevant time. A useful contrast is 아직 안 끝났어요 (“It is not finished yet”) versus 벌써 끝났어요 (“It is already finished”). 조리 중일 때 expresses “while [something] is cooking.” 조리 중 means “in the process of cooking/preparation,” and 중이다 means “be in progress.” The form 중일 때 combines 중이다 with -ㄹ 때, “when/while.” In this sentence, the thing in progress is the main course: 메인 요리가 조리 중일 때 means “while the main course is cooking.” Example: 회의 중일 때 전화하지 마세요. — “Please do not call while I am in a meeting.” 손님들 means “guests.” 손님 is the noun “guest,” and 들 is a plural marker. Here the fixed translation explicitly presents more than one guest, so 손님들 is understood as plural. Korean can leave plural unmarked when the context is clear, but 들 makes the plural more explicit. 도착할 comes from the verb 도착하다, “to arrive.” The ending -ㄹ makes the verb an attributive form, here used before 수도 있어요 in the possibility pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수도 있다. Thus 도착할 is not a separate verb meaning “may arrive” by itself; it supplies “arrive” to the larger construction. Example: 기차가 늦게 도착할 수도 있어요. — “The train may arrive late.” 수도 있어요 contributes “may/might.” The reusable pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수도 있어요 says that an event is one possible outcome: 비가 올 수도 있어요 means “It may rain.” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다; the 도 in 수도 adds the sense of “also/even” within this possibility pattern. Together, 메인 요리가 아직 조리 중일 때 sets the time: “while the main course is still cooking.” 손님들이 도착할 수도 있어요 says that the guests may arrive then. The complete meaning is: “The guests may arrive while the main course is still cooking.”

2. 그럼 사람들이 자리를 잡을 수 있게 간단한 전채 요리를 내세요.

   Then serve a simple starter so people can settle in.

   그럼

   then

   사람들이

   people

   자리를 잡을

   settle in

   수 있게

   so that … can

   간단한

   simple

   전채 요리

   starter

   내세요

   serve

   More detail

   그럼 is a conversational shortening of 그러면, meaning “then” or “in that case.” Here it links the instruction to the situation already being discussed. Example: 그럼 시작하세요. — “Then, please start.” 사람들이 means “people” as the subject of the purpose clause. 사람 is “person”; 사람들 adds 들 to mark a plural group, and 이 is the subject particle. Example: 사람들이 왔어요. — “People came.” 자리를 잡을 comes from the expression 자리를 잡다, literally “to take a place,” used here for settling into a place or getting situated. 자리 means “place” or “seat,” 를 marks it as the object, and 잡을 is the adnominal form of 잡다 used before 수 in the ability pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수 있다. The -을 form here does not mean that the action is happening in the future by itself; it is part of that construction. Example: 여기 앉으면 자리를 잡을 수 있어요. — “If you sit here, you can get settled.” 수 있게 is the purpose pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수 있게, meaning “so that someone can V” or “to make it possible for someone to V.” 수 is a dependent noun meaning a possibility or way, and 있게 is the form of 있다 used to express the resulting condition. In this sentence, it connects the guests’ ability to settle in with the requested serving action. Example: 잘 볼 수 있게 불을 켜 주세요. — “Please turn on the light so that we can see well.” 간단한 is the attributive form of 간단하다, “to be simple” or “to be uncomplicated.” It directly modifies the following noun, 전채 요리; it does not itself mean “starter.” The ending changes 간단하다 into a form used before a noun: 간단한 음식 means “simple food.” Example: 간단한 식사를 준비했어요. — “I prepared a simple meal.” 전채 요리 means “starter” or “appetizer,” a dish served before the main course. It is a noun phrase: 전채 means an appetizer or starter, and 요리 means a cooked dish or cuisine. In this sentence, the phrase refers to the dish to be served, not to the main course. Example: 전채 요리를 먼저 냈어요. — “I served the starter first.” 내세요 is the polite request or imperative form of 내다, which means “to serve” here. The listener is understood as the person who should serve it; Korean does not need an overt subject in this command. 내다 has other uses, such as “pay” or “submit,” but the food context selects “serve.” Example: 물을 내세요. — “Please serve the water.” Together, 사람들이 자리를 잡을 수 있게 gives the purpose “so that people can settle in,” and 간단한 전채 요리를 내세요 gives the polite instruction “serve a simple starter.” With 그럼 at the beginning, the complete meaning is: “Then serve a simple starter so people can settle in.”

3. 손님들이 오기 전에 샐러드와 빵을 준비해 둘 수 있어요.

   I can have salad and bread ready before they get here.

   손님들이

   the guests

   오기 전에

   before coming; before they get here

   샐러드

   salad

   와

   and

   빵

   bread

   준비해 둘 수 있어요

   can have ready

   More detail

   손님들이 means “the guests” here. 손님 is “guest,” and 들 marks a plural group; 이 marks the group as the subject of the following action. Korean plural marking can be omitted when number is clear, but it is present here. 오기 전에 uses the reusable pattern 동사 어간 + -기 전에, meaning “before doing something.” The base form is 오다 (“to come”); 오기 turns the action into the noun-like form needed before 전에 (“before”). With 손님들이 immediately before it, the understood subject of “coming” is the guests, matching “before they get here.” 샐러드 means “salad.” It is a food noun and does not receive a special form here. 와 means “and” between nouns. Korean uses 와 after a vowel-ending form and 과 after a consonant-ending form; 샐러드와 therefore links salad with the following noun. The reusable pattern is A와/과 B, “A and B.” 빵 means “bread.” In 샐러드와 빵, it is the second item in the coordinated list. 준비해 둘 수 있어요 expresses that the speaker can prepare something in advance and leave it ready. The base verb is 준비하다 (“to prepare”); its connective form is 준비해. 두다 after another verb can indicate doing that action beforehand and maintaining its result, so 준비해 두다 is “prepare and keep ready.” 수 있다 adds ability or possibility, and 있어요 is its polite present form here. The fixed translation identifies the omitted subject as “I.” As a whole, 손님들이 오기 전에 sets the time: “before the guests come.” 샐러드와 빵 is the food being prepared, and 준비해 둘 수 있어요 says that the speaker can have it ready in advance. Together: “I can have salad and bread ready before they get here.”

4. 그러면 저녁 식사가 늦어 보이지 않으면서 메인 요리에 시간을 조금 더 줄 수 있어요.

   That gives the main course a little extra time without making dinner seem delayed.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   저녁 식사

   dinner; evening meal

   늦어 보이지 않으면서

   without seeming late

   메인 요리

   main course

   시간

   time

   조금 더

   a little more

   줄 수 있어요

   can give

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It links this sentence to a condition or plan already under discussion. For example, 그러면 지금 시작해요 means “Then, let’s start now.” 저녁 식사 means “dinner” or “the evening meal.” 식사 is the noun “meal,” and it can combine with time words such as 아침 식사 “breakfast” and 점심 식사 “lunch.” Here, 저녁 식사가 marks 저녁 식사 as the subject of the following description. The particle 가 is attached to the noun; it is not part of the noun itself. 늦어 보이지 않으면서 says “without seeming late.” The descriptive verb 늦다 means “to be late,” and 늦어 보이다 means “to look/seem late”: 보이다 adds an appearance judgment rather than stating that something is actually late. The form 보이지 않다 negates that appearance, and -면서 connects it as a simultaneous or accompanying condition: “while not seeming …” / “without seeming ….” For example, 피곤해 보이지 않으면서 일해요 means “I work without seeming tired.” 메인 요리 means “main course” or “main dish.” 요리 is a general noun for a cooked dish or cooking, while 메인 specifies that this is the principal dish in the meal. In 메인 요리에, the particle 에 marks the recipient or target of what is given: “to/for the main course.” 시간 means “time.” In 시간을, the particle 을 marks it as the object of 주다 (“to give”). Korean can use 시간을 주다 when time is allocated or allowed for something, so the sentence is not giving a physical object; it is allowing the main course more time. 조금 더 means “a little more.” 조금 means “a little,” and 더 means “more” or “additionally.” 더 marks an increase relative to an understood amount; it does not by itself specify the exact amount. For example, 조금 더 기다려요 means “Wait a little longer.” 줄 수 있어요 comes from 주다 “to give” in the ability/possibility pattern -(으)ㄹ 수 있다. The form 줄 is the 주다 form used before 수, and 있어요 is the polite form of 있다; together they mean “can give” or “can allow.” In this sentence, 수 있어요 presents the allocation of extra time as possible, not as an imperative. For example, 도와줄 수 있어요 means “I can help.” Together, 그러면 sets up the result or plan: “Then,” or “In that case.” 저녁 식사가 늦어 보이지 않으면서 says that dinner will not appear delayed, while 메인 요리에 시간을 조금 더 줄 수 있어요 says that the main course can be given a little extra time. The whole utterance therefore means: “That gives the main course a little extra time without making dinner seem delayed.”

5. 모두 도착한 뒤에 채소를 요리할까요?

   Should I cook the vegetables once everyone has arrived?

   모두

   everyone

   도착한 뒤에

   after arriving

   채소

   vegetables

   요리할까요?

   shall I cook?

   More detail

   모두 means “everyone” and refers to all members of the relevant group. The people included are understood from the situation rather than named in this sentence. 도착한 뒤에 means “after [they] have arrived.” The base verb is 도착하다 (“to arrive”). In 도착한, the verb is put into the adnominal form that modifies 뒤 (“after/behind”); -ㄴ is attached here because the verb stem ends in a vowel. The pattern 동사-(으)ㄴ 뒤에 means “after doing something.” Example: 식사한 뒤에 산책해요. — “I take a walk after eating.” 채소 means “vegetables.” It is a noun; Korean does not require an English-style plural ending here. In the full sentence, 채소를 marks the vegetables as the object of cooking. Example: 채소를 씻어요. — “I wash the vegetables.” 요리할까요? means “Should I cook?” here. Its base verb is 요리하다 (“to cook”). The ending -(으)ㄹ까요? asks about a proposed or intended action. With this translation and context, it asks whether the speaker should cook, rather than proposing that the speaker and listener cook together. Example: 지금 출발할까요? — “Shall we leave now?” Together, 모두 도착한 뒤에 sets the time: after everyone has arrived. 채소를 identifies the vegetables as the object, and 요리할까요? asks whether the speaker should cook them then. The whole utterance means: “Should I cook the vegetables once everyone has arrived?”

6. 채소는 갓 요리했을 때 더 맛있으니, 내기 직전까지 기다리세요.

   They taste better freshly cooked, so wait until you are close to serving.

   채소

   vegetables

   갓

   freshly; just

   요리했을 때

   when cooked

   더

   more

   맛있으니

   taste good, so

   내기

   serving

   직전까지

   until just before

   기다리세요

   please wait

   More detail

   채소는 identifies vegetables as the topic. 채소 means “vegetables,” and 는 marks the topic. 갓 means “just” or “freshly” and emphasizes that the following cooking is recent. Here it contributes the idea of being freshly cooked. 요리했을 때 means “when cooked” in this context. 요리하다 means “to cook”; 요리했을 때 contains its past form 요리했- before -을 때, the pattern for “when … happened.” The form itself is not a passive marker; the people and exact grammatical roles omitted from this clause are supplied by context and the fixed translation. 더 means “more” and marks a comparison with another degree or situation. It makes the sentence say that the vegetables taste better in the freshly cooked condition. 맛있으니 means “because they taste good” or “since they taste good.” It comes from 맛있다, “to taste good,” with -(으)니, a connective that gives a reason or basis. The comparative meaning “taste better” comes from combining it with the preceding 더, not from 맛있으니 alone. 내기 is the noun-like form of 내다. In this context, 내다 means to put food out or serve it, and -기 turns the action into an event or activity: 내다 → 내기. 직전까지 means “until just before.” 직전 refers to the point immediately before something, and 까지 marks the endpoint up to which an action continues. Thus, 내기 직전까지 means “until immediately before serving.” 기다리세요 means “please wait.” It comes from 기다리다, “to wait,” with the polite request or instruction ending -세요. Putting the parts together: 채소는 sets the vegetables as the topic; 갓 요리했을 때 더 맛있으니 gives the reason that they taste better when freshly cooked; and 내기 직전까지 기다리세요 asks the listener to wait until immediately before serving. The whole utterance means: “They taste better freshly cooked, so wait until you are close to serving.”

7. 손님을 맞이하는 일은 스트레스가 있어요. 모든 일의 시간을 맞추는 게 요리보다 더 어려우니까요.

   Hosting feels stressful because timing everything is harder than cooking.

   손님

   guest

   맞이하는

   welcoming; hosting

   일

   task; work

   스트레스가 있어요

   feels stressful

   모든

   every; all

   시간

   time

   맞추는

   coordinating; timing

   요리보다

   than cooking

   더 어려우니까요

   because it is more difficult

   More detail

   손님 means “guest.” It is a noun for a person being hosted or received. A useful related expression is 손님을 맞이하다, “to welcome or host guests.” 맞이하는 comes from 맞이하다, “to welcome, receive, or host.” The ending -는 puts an action verb into a form that can modify a following noun: 맞이하는 일 means “the task of welcoming/hosting.” Here it describes hosting guests, not a separate completed event. 일 means “work,” “task,” or “thing to do.” In 맞이하는 일, it turns the hosting activity into a noun phrase: “the task of hosting.” The same noun appears in 모든 일의, where 의 links it to 시간: literally, “the times of all the tasks.” 스트레스가 있어요 literally says that stress exists, but in this sentence the natural meaning is “it feels stressful.” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, “to exist” or “to be present,” and 가 marks 스트레스 as what exists. The phrase does not say that the speaker is stressed at every moment; it describes hosting as involving stress. 모든 means “all” or “every” and comes before the noun it qualifies. In 모든 일의 시간을, it gives the intended meaning “the timing of everything” or “the times of all the tasks.” It is not an indefinite article and does not by itself specify a numerical count. 시간 means “time.” In 시간을 맞추다, it refers to timing or scheduled times. The particle 을 marks it as the object of 맞추다. 맞추는 is the modifier form of 맞추다, “to adjust, match, coordinate, or get into sync.” In this context, 시간을 맞추다 means “coordinate the timing,” so 시간을 맞추는 means “coordinating the timing.” The form -는 connects this action to 게, a shortened form of 것이: 시간을 맞추는 게 means “the act of coordinating the timing.” 요리보다 consists of 요리, “cooking” or “a cooked dish,” plus 보다, which marks the standard of comparison: “than cooking.” Here the intended comparison is with cooking as an activity. A reusable pattern is A보다 더 ..., “more ... than A.” 더 어려우니까요 means “because it is more difficult.” 더 marks the higher degree, and 어려우니까요 comes from 어렵다, “to be difficult,” with the causal ending -(으)니까요, “because.” 어렵다 changes to 어려워요 in the polite present form and to 어려우니까요 before this causal ending. The subject of “more difficult” is understood from the preceding activity: coordinating all the timings. Together, 손님을 맞이하는 일은 스트레스가 있어요 sets hosting as the topic and says that it feels stressful. 모든 일의 시간을 맞추는 게 요리보다 더 어려우니까요 gives the reason: coordinating the timing of everything is harder than cooking. The complete meaning is: “Hosting feels stressful because timing everything is harder than cooking.” This is a polite explanatory statement. The final -니까요 is useful when giving a reason for an already stated conclusion.

8. 간단한 음식 내는 계획을 세우세요. 음료, 전채 요리, 그다음 메인 요리 순서로요.

   Make a simple serving plan: drinks, starter, then the main course.

   간단한

   simple

   음식

   food

   내는

   serving

   계획

   plan

   세우세요

   make; set up

   음료

   drinks

   전채 요리

   starter

   그다음

   then

   메인 요리

   main course

   순서로요

   in that order

   More detail

   간단한 means “simple” here and modifies 음식, so 간단한 음식 is “simple food.” It is the attributive form of 간단하다 (“to be simple”): 간단하다 → 간단한 음식. The form does not change for gender or number; Korean adjectives do not agree with nouns for those categories. 음식 means “food.” Together, 간단한 음식 identifies the kind of food to be served; it does not mean that the plan itself is simple. 내는 means “serving” here. It comes from 내다, “to put out, provide, or serve,” and is its present attributive form: 내다 → 내는. The form links the action to the following noun: 음식 내는 계획 is a “plan for serving food.” Example: 손님에게 음식을 내는 시간 means “the time for serving food to the guests.” This is a new example of the same pattern, not an added fact about the source sentence. 계획 means “plan.” In the observed phrase, the noun-modifying clause 음식 내는 specifies what the plan concerns. For a plan to do something in the future, Korean commonly uses 동사 + -(으)ㄹ 계획; for example, 여행할 계획 means “a plan to travel.” 세우세요 means “make” or “set up” in this sentence. Its base form is 세우다, “to establish, set up, or make,” and the ending -세요 makes a polite request or command. Thus 계획을 세우세요 is the reusable expression “make a plan,” literally “set up a plan.” The object marker 을 shows that 계획 is the object of 세우다. 음료 means “drinks” or “beverages.” Korean nouns do not normally require a plural ending when the intended number is clear, so this form can refer to drinks as a category without itself specifying a count. 전채 요리 means “starter” or “appetizer.” 요리 means a dish or prepared food, while 전채 specifies that it is served before the main course. The full expression is one useful menu term. 그다음 means “then” or “next.” It marks the item that comes after the preceding item in an order. In this sentence it introduces 메인 요리, rather than changing the meaning of that noun. 메인 요리 means “main course.” 메인 identifies the principal course, and 요리 means a dish or prepared food. This is a menu expression; it does not by itself state how large the dish is. 순서로요 means “in that order.” 순서 means “order” or “sequence,” and -로 marks the manner or arrangement: 순서로 means “in the order.” The final 요 gives the phrase a polite conversational ending. Here, the order is the one just listed: drinks, starter, then main course. Putting the parts together, 간단한 음식 내는 계획을 세우세요 asks the listener to make a plan for serving simple food. The list 음료, 전채 요리, 그다음 메인 요리 supplies the sequence, and 순서로요 specifies that the plan should follow that sequence. The whole utterance therefore means: “Make a simple serving plan: drinks, starter, then the main course.”

9. 그 체크리스트를 가스레인지 옆에 둘 수 있어요.

   I can keep that checklist near the stove.

   그

   that

   체크리스트

   checklist

   가스레인지

   stove

   옆에

   beside; near

   둘 수 있어요

   can keep; can place

   More detail

   그 means “that” and is a demonstrative placed before a noun: 그 + noun. It identifies the checklist as a particular one understood from the situation; the form itself does not state who owns it or exactly where it is. 체크리스트 is a noun meaning “checklist.” It is a useful loanword for a list of items to check. In this sentence, 그 체크리스트 is the object being kept or placed. 가스레인지 means “gas stove” or “gas range.” It is a noun. The phrase does not mean that the stove is being moved; it supplies the reference point for the location. 옆에 means “beside” or “near.” 옆 means “side,” and the location marker -에 marks the place where something is or is put. A reusable pattern is 장소 + 옆에 (“beside [a place/object]”). Example: 문 옆에 의자가 있어요. — “There is a chair beside the door.” 둘 수 있어요 expresses ability or possibility: “can keep” or “can place.” The lexical verb is 두다, meaning “to put” or “to leave/keep [something] in a place.” In this construction, 두다 becomes 둘 before 수: 두다 → 둘 수 있다. The pattern is 동사 + -(으)ㄹ 수 있다, with -ㄹ after a vowel-ending stem and -을 after a consonant-ending stem. 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다. Example: 여기에 가방을 둘 수 있어요. — “I can put the bag here.” Together, 그 체크리스트를 marks “that checklist” as the object, 가스레인지 옆에 gives the place, and 둘 수 있어요 says that the speaker can keep or place it there. The complete meaning is: “I can keep that checklist near the stove.”

10. 그 계획이 손님들이 도착하는 동안 계속 집중할 수 있게 도와줄 거예요.

    It should help you stay focused while people arrive.

    그

    that

    계획

    plan

    손님들

    guests

    도착하는

    arriving

    동안

    while

    계속

    continuously; keep doing

    집중할

    stay focused

    수 있게

    so that ... can

    도와줄 거예요

    should help

    More detail

    그 is a demonstrative determiner meaning “that.” It comes before 계획 and identifies a plan understood from the situation; the supplied sentence does not identify which specific plan it is. Korean demonstratives such as 이 “this,” 그 “that,” and 저 “that over there” distinguish demonstrative reference. This choice is not determined by the noun’s number or gender. 계획 means “plan.” With the subject marker 이, 그 계획이 makes “that plan” the subject of the sentence. 이 follows a noun ending in a consonant; after a vowel, Korean uses 가. Example: 계획이 좋아요. — “The plan is good.” 손님들 means “guests” or “people visiting.” The plural marker 들 marks the people here as plural. The following 이 marks this noun as the subject of the embedded clause. 도착하다 means “to arrive”; its form here, 도착하는, is the present attributive form, placing the verb before 동안 to describe the time period: “while the guests are arriving.” Example: 손님들이 도착하는 동안 기다려요. — “I wait while the guests arrive.” 동안 means “during” or “while” and marks a period of time. Here, 손님들이 도착하는 동안 means “while the guests are arriving.” It follows the clause describing the event occurring during that period. A noun can also precede it directly, as in 두 시간 동안 — “for two hours.” 계속 is an adverb meaning “continuously” or “keep doing.” Here it indicates that the focusing continues rather than happening only once. It can modify different actions: 계속 일해요. — “I keep working.” 집중하다 means “to concentrate” or “to stay focused.” The observed form 집중할 is the -ㄹ form of this verb, used before 수 있게. The pattern 동사-(으)ㄹ 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility: 집중할 수 있다 means “can concentrate.” After a vowel or ㄹ, the form is generally -ㄹ; after another consonant, it is generally -을, as in 먹을 수 있다 — “can eat.” 수 있게 completes the purpose/result pattern 동사-(으)ㄹ 수 있게, meaning “so that someone can …” or “in a way that makes it possible to ….” Thus 집중할 수 있게 means “so that [someone] can stay focused.” The person who can focus is not stated overtly in the Korean sentence; the fixed translation identifies that participant as “you.” Example: 잘 볼 수 있게 불을 켜 주세요. — “Please turn on the light so that I can see well.” 도와주다 means “to help.” In this word, 주다 contributes the idea of doing something for someone; it is not best treated here as the ordinary independent verb “to give.” In 도와줄 거예요, 도와줄 is the future/modifying form of 도와주다, and 거예요 is the polite form of 것이에요 in the construction 동사-(으)ㄹ 거예요. This construction can express a future expectation, plan, or prediction; here it supports the fixed translation “should help.” The person helped is not overtly marked in the Korean sentence, and the fixed translation identifies that participant as “you.” Putting the parts together, 그 계획이 establishes “that plan” as the subject. 손님들이 도착하는 동안 sets the time as “while the guests are arriving,” and 계속 집중할 수 있게 describes remaining able to stay focused. 도와줄 거예요 says that the plan is expected to help produce that result. The whole utterance means: “It should help you stay focused while people arrive.”