Focused Listening Practice | Learn Korean in English

About This Lesson

Use Focused Listening Practice to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

저는 매일 공부하지만, 실력이 여전히 고르지 않게 느껴져요.

juh-NEUN meh-IL GONG-boo-HAH-jee-man, shil-LYUH-gee YUH-jeon-hee goh-REU-jee AN-keu neu-KYUH-juh-yoh. I study every day, but my progress still feels uneven.

사람들과 이야기할 때 어떤 부분이 가장 어려워지나요?

sah-RAM-deul-GGWAH ee-YAH-gee-hal tteh, uh-TTEON boo-BUN-ee gaa-JAHNG uh-RYUH-woh-jee-NAH-yoh? Which part breaks down most when you talk with people?

듣기가 그래요. 사람들이 자연스러운 속도로 말할 때 특히 어려워요.

DUHT-kkee-gah guh-REH-yoh. sah-RAM-deu-REE jah-yuhn-suh-ruh-OON sok-TTOH-roh mal-hal tteh teuk-HEE uh-RYUH-woh-yoh. Listening does, especially when people speak at a natural speed.

그렇다면 새로운 문법 연습을 추가하기 전에 듣기에 더 많은 시간을 주세요.

guh-ruht-DAH-myun seh-ROH-oon moon-PPEOP yuhn-SEUP-eul choo-gah-HAH-gee juh-NEH DUHT-kkee-eh duh MAH-neun shee-GAH-neul JOO-seh-yoh. Then give listening more time before adding new grammar exercises.

항상 시험을 보지 않고도 제가 향상되고 있는지 어떻게 알 수 있을까요?

hahng-SAHNG shee-UHM-eul BOH-jee an-KOH-doh jeh-GAH hyang-SAHNG-dweh-goh IN-neun-jee uh-TTUH-keh al SOO ee-SSEUL-ggah-yoh? How can I tell whether I am improving without taking tests all the time?

같은 짧은 녹음을 두 번 듣고, 무엇을 이해했는지 비교해 보세요.

gah-TEUN JJAL-beun NONG-eu-meul doo BEON DUHT-kko, moo-UH-seul ee-HAE-haen-neun-jee bee-GYOH-heh boh-SEH-yoh. Use the same short recording twice and compare what you understood.

그렇게 하면 매일 자료를 바꾸는 것보다 제 실력을 더 분명하게 알 수 있겠어요.

guh-RUH-keh ha-MYUN meh-IL jah-RYOH-reul bah-KKOO-neun geot-PPOH-dah jeh shil-LYUH-geul duh boon-MYUNG-ha-geh al SOO it-KKEH-suh-yoh. That gives me a clearer measure than changing materials every day.

그 방법은 얼마나 오래 공부했는지만이 아니라 전략이 효과가 있는지도 보여 줘요.

guh bang-BUH-beun uhl-MAH-nah oh-REH gong-boo-HAEN-neun-jee-man-ee ah-NEE-rah juhl-LYAH-gee hyo-GWAH-gah IN-neun-jee-doh BOH-yuh JWOH-yoh. It also shows whether your strategy is working, not just how long you studied.

일주일에 한 번 노트를 확인하고, 그 결과에 따라 조정할 수 있겠어요.

il-JJOO-il-leh han BEON noh-TEU-reul hwah-GIN-ha-goh, guh gyeol-GGWA-eh TTAH-rah joh-JUNG-hal soo it-KKEH-suh-yoh. I could check my notes once a week and adjust from there.

그런 작은 복습이 연습에 계속 집중하게 해 줄 수 있어요.

guh-REON JAH-geun bok-SSEU-bee yuhn-SEU-beh gyay-SOHK jip-JJOONG-ha-geh heh JOOL soo ee-SUH-yoh. A small review like that can keep your practice focused.

Word by Word

저 저 means “I” or “me” here and refers to the speaker in the polite first-person form. It is commonly used before a topic or subject marker, as in 저 는 or 저 가.

는 는 marks 저 as the topic: “as for me.” It is attached after a noun or pronoun to introduce what the speaker is talking about.

매일 매일 means “every day” and sets the frequency of the studying. It can be placed before an action, as in 매일 공부해요, “I study every day.”

공부하지만 공부하지만 means “study, but” in this sentence, connecting the daily study with the contrasting result. The ending -지만 is useful for linking two statements when the second one contrasts with the first.

실력 실력 means “skill” or “ability,” referring here to the speaker’s language ability. It commonly appears with a subject marker, as in 실력이 좋아요, “the skill is good.”

이 이 marks 실력 as the subject of the feeling described in 실력이 여전히 고르지 않게 느껴져요. It is the subject marker used after a noun ending in a consonant.

여전히 여전히 means “still,” showing that the uneven feeling continues. It is commonly placed before the adjective or expression that describes the continuing state.

고르지 고르지 contributes the meaning “even” or “uniform” in the negative expression 고르지 않게, “unevenly.” Here it describes progress that is not consistent across areas.

않게 않게 helps form the expression 고르지 않게 느껴져요, meaning that something feels uneven or not even. The pattern adjective plus -게 describes how something is experienced or done.

느껴져요 느껴져요 means “feels” or “seems” here, describing the speaker’s impression rather than a measured fact. A useful pattern is 이게 어떻게 느껴져요?, “How does this feel?”

사람들 사람들 means “people” in this dialogue. The plural ending 들 shows that more than one person is meant, and it can be followed by a particle such as 사람들과.

과 과 means “with” in 사람들과 이야기할 때, “when talking with people.” After a noun ending in a consonant, it can connect that noun to a person or group involved in an interaction.

이야기할 이야기할 means “to talk” in the expression 사람들과 이야기할 때, “when talking with people.” The form 이야기할 comes before 때 to describe the action occurring at that time.

때 때 means “when” or “the time when” in 이야기할 때. It is commonly placed after an action or situation to introduce the time or circumstance in which something happens.

어떤 어떤 means “which” or “what kind of” here, asking the listener to identify a particular part. It is placed directly before the noun it describes, as in 어떤 부분, “which part.”

부분 부분 means “part,” referring to one area of the learner’s speaking or communication ability. It commonly follows 어떤 when asking which part is involved.

가장 가장 means “most” and marks 어려워지나요 as the greatest difficulty among the parts being considered. It is usually placed before the adjective or expression being ranked.

어려워지나요 어려워지나요 means “does it become difficult?” here, asking which part becomes most difficult during conversation. The form combines the idea of becoming with a polite question ending, and it is useful when asking about a change in difficulty.

듣기 듣기 means “listening” here and names listening as the study area that breaks down most. It is a noun form used to talk about an activity, as in 듣기 연습, “listening practice.”

가 가 marks 듣기 as the subject in 듣기가 그래요, “listening does.” It identifies the part that has the difficulty being discussed.

그래요 그래요 means “that is so” or “does” here, referring back to the question about which part becomes difficult. It is useful as a polite way to confirm that the preceding description applies.

자연스러운 자연스러운 means “natural” and describes the speed at which people speak. It is placed before a noun, as in 자연스러운 속도, “a natural speed.”

속도 속도 means “speed,” specifically the speaking speed in 자연스러운 속도로 말할 때. It commonly combines with a particle to describe the manner or rate of an action.

로 로 marks the manner or rate in 자연스러운 속도로, meaning “at a natural speed.” After a noun, this use describes how or at what rate an action takes place.

말할 말할 means “speak” in 사람들이 자연스러운 속도로 말할 때, “when people speak at a natural speed.” It is the form used before 때 to describe the speaking situation.

특히 특히 means “especially,” highlighting that the difficulty is stronger in the natural-speed situation. It can be placed before the expression or clause that receives the emphasis.

어려워요 어려워요 means “is difficult” here, describing listening when people speak naturally. It is a polite everyday way to state that something is difficult.

그렇다면 그렇다면 means “then” or “if so,” linking the advice to the difficulty just described. It is useful when drawing a practical conclusion from what someone has said.

새로운 새로운 means “new” and modifies 문법 연습, referring to grammar exercises that have not yet been added. It is placed before the noun it describes.

문법 문법 means “grammar” in 문법 연습. It identifies the language-study area involved and commonly combines with words for practice or study.

연습 연습 means “practice” or “exercise,” here referring to grammar exercises. A common reusable pattern is [topic] 연습, such as 듣기 연습, “listening practice.”

을 을 marks 문법 연습 as the object of 추가하기, the thing to be added. It is the object marker used after a noun ending in a consonant.

추가하기 추가하기 means “adding” in 추가하기 전에, “before adding.” The form names the action and is followed by 전에 to express that another action happens first.

전 전 means “before” or “prior to” in 추가하기 전에. It commonly follows an action noun or time expression to mark what comes before another event.

에 에 completes the time expression 추가하기 전에, “before adding.” In this expression, it marks the point or period before which the next action should occur.

더 더 means “more” here, increasing the amount of time given to listening. It commonly comes before a quantity or adjective, as in 더 많은 시간, “more time.”

많은 많은 means “much” or “a large amount of” and modifies 시간. Together with 더, 더 많은 means “more,” and the form is placed directly before the noun.

시간 시간 means “time” in 더 많은 시간을 주세요, referring to study time given to listening. It can be used with 주다 when asking someone to give or allow more time.

주세요 주세요 means “please give” or “please allow” here, making a polite request to give listening more time. The pattern [noun]을/를 주세요 is commonly used to ask for something politely.

항상 항상 means “always” or “all the time,” emphasizing the repeated habit of taking tests. It is placed before the action it modifies, as in 항상 시험을 봐요.

시험 시험 means “test” or “exam” in 시험을 보다, the Korean expression used for taking or doing a test. It commonly appears with the object marker 을 before 보다.

보지 보지 is the form of 보다 used in 보지 않고, meaning “without taking or doing” the test. Here 보다 does not mean simply “see”; 시험을 보다 means “take a test.”

않고 않고 means “without doing” or “not doing” and connects 보지 to the main question. The pattern [verb]지 않고 is used when one action is omitted while another action is carried out.

도 도 means “even” in 시험을 보지 않고도, “even without taking tests.” It adds the idea that the main result is possible despite the condition being omitted.

향상되고 향상되고 means “improving and” or “being improved” in the question about whether progress is occurring. Here it connects the improvement process to 있는지, forming the question of whether improvement is happening.

있는지 있는지 contributes “whether it is happening” in 향상되고 있는지, “whether I am improving.” The pattern [verb]고 있는지 asks whether an ongoing action or change is taking place.

어떻게 어떻게 means “how” in 어떻게 알 수 있을까요, asking by what method the speaker can tell. It is commonly placed before a verb when asking about the way to do something.

알 알 means “know” or “tell” in 알 수 있을까요, meaning “can I tell or know.” The pattern 알 수 있다 expresses being able to know or determine something.

수 수 represents the possibility or ability in 알 수 있을까요, “can I tell?” It is used with a verb and 있다 to form the pattern [verb]ㄹ/을 수 있다, meaning that something is possible or can be done.

있을까요 있을까요 completes 알 수 있을까요, a polite question meaning “could I know?” or “how can I tell?” This form asks tentatively about possibility or a possible way to do something.

같은 같은 means “same” and describes the recording that should be used twice. It is placed before the noun it modifies, as in 같은 자료, “the same material.”

짧은 짧은 means “short” and describes the recording’s length. It comes before 녹음 in 짧은 녹음, “a short recording.”

녹음 녹음 means “recording” here, specifically the short recording used for repeated listening. It can be combined with a counter phrase such as 녹음을 두 번, “the recording twice.”

번 번 is a counter for the number of times an action occurs in 두 번, “twice.” It follows a number when counting repetitions of an action.

듣고 듣고 means “listen and,” linking listening to the following comparison. The pattern [verb]고 connects actions in sequence or actions carried out together.

무엇 무엇 means “what” and asks which content was understood from the recording. It is used here inside the indirect question 무엇을 이해했는지, “what was understood.”

이해했는지 이해했는지 means “what was understood” or “whether it was understood” in this sentence. It combines the completed understanding in 이해했- with -는지 to make an embedded question for comparison.

비교해 비교해 means “compare” in the polite suggestion 비교해 보세요, “please try comparing.” The form commonly connects with 보세요 to suggest trying an action.

보세요 보세요 means “please try” in 비교해 보세요, rather than simply “please see.” The pattern [verb]아/어 보세요 is a polite way to suggest trying something.

그렇게 그렇게 means “that way” and refers to listening twice and comparing what was understood. It can introduce the result of carrying out an already described method.

하면 하면 means “if you do that” or “when you do that” in 그렇게 하면. It connects the method in the first part with the expected result in the second part.

자료 자료 means “materials” here, referring to study resources. It commonly appears with 바꾸다 when talking about changing the materials being used.

를 를 marks 자료 as the object of 바꾸는, the materials being changed. It is the object marker used after a noun ending in a vowel.

바꾸는 바꾸는 means “changing” in 자료를 바꾸는 것, “the act of changing materials.” It modifies 것 and turns the action into something that can be compared with another method.

것 것 means “thing” or “act” in 바꾸는 것, referring to the act of changing materials. The pattern [verb]는 것 is commonly used to talk about an action as a noun.

보다 보다 means “than” in 자료를 바꾸는 것보다, marking the comparison with the act of changing materials. The pattern [noun or action]보다 introduces what something is compared with.

제 제 means “my” here and refers politely to the speaker’s ability in 제 실력을. It is commonly placed before a noun to express the speaker’s possession.

분명하게 분명하게 means “clearly,” describing how the speaker can know their ability. It is an adverbial form commonly placed before the verb or expression it modifies.

있겠어요 있겠어요 contributes the tentative meaning “could be” or “I think it would be possible” in 알 수 있겠어요. The form expresses a polite, tentative conclusion rather than a firm statement.

그 그 means “that” here and refers to the method just discussed. It is placed before 방법 to identify a previously mentioned method.

방법 방법 means “method” or “way,” referring to listening to the same recording twice and comparing the results. It commonly appears with a topic marker when discussing how a method works.

은 은 marks 방법 as the topic in 그 방법은, “as for that method.” It is the topic marker used after a noun ending in a consonant.

얼마나 얼마나 means “how much” or “how long” here and modifies 오래 in the question about study duration. The pattern 얼마나 오래 means “how long.”

오래 오래 means “for a long time” and expresses duration in 얼마나 오래 공부했는지, “how long someone studied.” It commonly appears before a verb when describing the length of time an action continued.

공부했는지 공부했는지 means “how long one studied” as part of the embedded question 얼마나 오래 공부했는지. The completed action 공부했- is followed by -는지 to make the content something that is shown or considered.

만 만 means “only” in 얼마나 오래 공부했는지만이 아니라, limiting the first item to the amount of study time. It forms the beginning of the pattern “not only A but also B” with 아니라.

아니라 아니라 continues 만이 아니라, meaning “not only that, but also.” The pattern [A]만이 아니라 [B] contrasts a limited first point with an additional point.

전략 전략 means “strategy,” referring to the learner’s chosen study approach. It is the subject of 효과가 있는지, asking whether the strategy is effective.

효과 효과 means “effect” or “effectiveness” in 효과가 있는지, “whether it is effective.” The common pattern 효과가 있다 describes something as having an effect or working effectively.

보여 보여 means “shows” in 보여 줘요, describing the method’s ability to make information visible or clear. It combines with 줘요 to form the polite expression “shows or lets someone see.”

줘요 줘요 contributes the polite “gives” part of 보여 줘요, meaning “shows” or “lets someone see.” The pattern [verb]아/어 줘요 can express doing something for someone, and here it is used in the fixed combination 보여 줘요.

일주일 일주일 means “one week,” setting the interval for checking the notes. It commonly appears with a frequency expression such as 일주일에 한 번, “once a week.”

노트 노트 means “notes” or “notebook” here, referring to the learner’s written study record. It is the object being checked in 노트를 확인하고.

확인하고 확인하고 means “check and,” linking checking the notes with adjusting afterward. The pattern [verb]고 connects the first action to the next action.

결과 결과 means “result,” referring to what the weekly review shows. In 결과에 따라, it identifies the basis on which the next adjustment is made.

따라 따라 means “according to” in 결과에 따라, “according to the result.” The pattern [noun]에 따라 is used when an action or decision changes based on something.

조정할 조정할 means “adjust” in 조정할 수 있겠어요, “could adjust.” It is the form used before 수 to express the possibility of carrying out the adjustment.

그런 그런 means “such” or “like that,” referring to the small review just described. It is placed before a noun, as in 그런 복습, “a review like that.”

작은 작은 means “small” and describes the amount or scale of the review. It comes before 복습 in 작은 복습, “a small review.”

복습 복습 means “review,” referring to the weekly checking of notes. It commonly describes revisiting earlier study content or examining previous practice.

계속 계속 means “continuously” or “keep,” expressing the idea that the practice remains focused. It is placed before the expression that describes the ongoing result.

집중하게 집중하게 contributes “so that someone focuses” in 집중하게 해 줄 수 있어요. The pattern 집중하게 하다 means “make or help someone focus,” with the following verb expressing the cause.

해 해 means “make” or “cause” in 집중하게 해 줄 수 있어요, where it helps form the causative expression “make someone focus.” It is part of the pattern [person]을/를 [state or action]하게 하다.

줄 줄 contributes the “do or help for someone” meaning in 해 줄 수 있어요. It is the form used in the auxiliary pattern [verb]아/어 주다, expressing an action done as help or a benefit.

있어요 있어요 means “can” or “is possible” in 해 줄 수 있어요, “can help keep you focused.” Together with 수, it forms the polite possibility pattern [verb]ㄹ/을 수 있어요.

Grammar Points

동사 + -지만

공부하지만

GONG-boo-HAH-jee-man

but/although (someone) studies

-지만 connects two contrasting ideas, similar to “but” or “although” in English.

동사/형용사 + -는지/-(으)ㄴ지

이해했는지

ee-HAE-haen-neun-jee

whether someone understood

This form embeds a question or uncertainty, meaning “whether” or “if” something is the case.

Korean Vocabulary

고르지 않다 adj

goh-REU-jee an-TAH to be uneven; to be inconsistent 고르지 않게

공부하다 verb

GONG-boo-HAH-dah to study 공부하지만

느껴지다 verb

neu-KYUH-jee-dah to feel; to seem 느껴져요

듣기 noun

DUHT-kkee listening

부분 noun

boo-BUN part; aspect

사람들 noun

sah-RAM-deul people

속도 noun

SOK-ttoh speed; pace

실력 noun

shil-LYUHk skill; ability

어려워지다 verb

uh-RYUH-woh-jee-dah to become difficult 어려워지나요

이야기하다 verb

ee-YAH-gee-HAH-dah to talk; to speak 이야기할

자연스럽다 adj

jah-yuhn-SUH-reup-TTAH to be natural 자연스러운

특히 adv

teuk-HEE especially

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to become difficult

Show Answer

어려워지나요

to talk; to speak

Show Answer

이야기할

to study

Show Answer

공부하지만

to feel; to seem

Show Answer

느껴져요