Catching up after missed classes | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 최근에 수업을 몇 번 빠져서 뒤처진 느낌이 들어요.

   I missed some classes recently and feel behind.

   최근에

   recently

   수업

   class; lesson

   몇 번

   a few times; several times

   빠져서

   missed, so; because of missing

   뒤처진

   behind; lagging

   느낌이 들어요

   feel; have the feeling

   More detail

   최근에 means “recently” and places the event in the recent past. It is a time adverb, so it does not specify the exact time or number of occurrences. 수업 means “class” or “lesson.” It can refer to a class activity or a lesson/course, depending on context. Example: 수업이 시작해요. — “Class is starting.” 몇 번 counts occurrences. 몇 indicates an unspecified number, while 번 is a counter for times or occasions. Here the phrase means “a few times” or “several times”; 몇 does not by itself establish an exact number or require that the number be small. 빠져서 comes from 빠지다, which here means “to be absent from” or “to miss” an event. The ending -아서/어서 connects this clause to what follows, giving a reason here: “because I missed [some] classes.” The subject is understood from the sentence and its translation as the speaker. 빠지다 has other uses in other contexts, including “to fall into,” but the class context selects the absence meaning. 뒤처진 comes from 뒤처지다, “to fall behind” or “to lag behind.” The ending -ㄴ makes an attributive form before 느낌, so 뒤처진 느낌 means “a feeling of being behind.” The base form is 뒤처지다; 뒤처진 describes the state regarded as the content of the feeling. Example: 공부가 뒤처졌어요. — “My studies have fallen behind.” 느낌이 들어요 is a reusable expression meaning “I feel…” or “I have the feeling…”. 느낌 means “feeling” or “impression,” and 들어요 is the polite present form of 들다 as used in 느낌이 들다. This expression presents a feeling as arising or occurring to someone. Example: 좋은 느낌이 들어요. — “I have a good feeling.” Together, 최근에 수업을 몇 번 빠져서 means “because I missed some classes recently,” and 뒤처진 느낌이 들어요 means “I feel behind.” The whole utterance means: “I missed some classes recently and feel behind.”

2. 따라잡을 수 있어요.

   You can catch up.

   따라잡을

   catch up

   수 있어요

   be possible; can (in this pattern)

   More detail

   따라잡을 comes from 따라잡다, “to catch up.” The form 따라잡을 is the verb form used before 수 in the ability pattern -(으)ㄹ 수 있다. The same verb can appear in other forms: 따라잡아요 means “catch up” or “catches up” in a polite present-style sentence, while 따라잡았어요 means “caught up.” 수 있어요 completes -(으)ㄹ 수 있어요, a common way to say that someone can or is able to do something. 수 is part of this construction, and 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다 (“to exist; to be possible”) as used in the construction. The ending before 수 is -을 after most consonant-final verb stems and -ㄹ after vowel-final stems or stems ending in ㄹ. For example, 읽을 수 있어요 means “I/you can read,” while 갈 수 있어요 means “I/you can go.” The subject is understood from context when Korean leaves it unstated. Together, 따라잡을 수 있어요 means “You can catch up.” In this conversation, it expresses that catching up after falling behind is possible. The polite ending -어요 makes the statement suitable for ordinary respectful conversation.

3. 하지만 한꺼번에 모든 것을 배우려고 하면 더 어려워질 거예요.

   But trying to learn everything at once will make it harder.

   하지만

   but

   한꺼번에

   all at once

   모든

   every; all

   것을

   thing; object marker included

   배우려고 하면

   if you try to learn

   더

   more

   어려워질 거예요

   will become difficult

   More detail

   하지만 means “but” and connects this sentence contrastively with what came before. It is a conjunction placed at the beginning here. 한꺼번에 means doing several things all at once, in one batch. It is useful with an action: 한꺼번에 하지 마세요 means “Don’t do it all at once.” 모든 means “all” or “every” and comes before the noun it describes. In 모든 것을, it describes 것 (“thing”), giving the meaning “everything.” 모든 is a determiner, so it does not take the noun’s object marker itself; 것 carries 을. 것을 consists of 것, “thing,” plus the object marker 을. In this sentence, 것 is used broadly in 모든 것 to mean “everything,” and the whole phrase is the object of 배우다, “to learn.” 배우려고 하면 is built from 배우다, “to learn,” -려고 하다, “to try or intend to do,” and -면, “if/when.” Thus, it describes the condition “if you try to learn.” The visible form 하면 is the conditional form of 하다; it is not part of the base form 배우다. A reusable pattern is 동사 stem + 려고 하면, “if someone tries/intends to ….” 더 means “more” or “even more.” It marks a comparison with an understood earlier or alternative degree. Here it says that the situation will become more difficult than otherwise, not simply that it is difficult. 어려워질 거예요 means “will become difficult.” The adjective 어렵다 means “to be difficult,” and 어려워지다 means “to become difficult”; -아/어지다 forms a change-of-state expression. 거예요 is the polite form used here to present a future expectation or prediction. The phrase therefore describes a predicted change, rather than directly saying that something is already difficult. Together, 모든 것을 배우려고 하면 sets the condition “if you try to learn everything,” while 한꺼번에 specifies that this is done all at once. 더 어려워질 거예요 gives the predicted result: “it will become more difficult.” With the contrast marker 하지만, the complete meaning is: “But trying to learn everything at once will make it harder.”

4. 어떤 과제를 먼저 해야 하는지 말해 줄 수 있어요?

   Could you tell me which assignment I should handle first?

   어떤

   which; what kind of

   과제를

   assignment

   먼저

   first

   해야 하는지

   should be done

   말해 줄

   tell someone as a favor

   수 있어요?

   can you?

   More detail

   어떤 asks the listener to identify an item by selection or type: “which” or “what kind of.” It comes before the noun it specifies. Example: 어떤 책을 읽어요? means “Which book are you reading?” 과제를 is 과제 (“assignment”) with the object particle 를. Since 과제 ends in a vowel sound, 를 is used; a consonant-final noun takes 을, as in 책을 (“a/the book” as object). The particle marks the object, not whether the assignment is definite or indefinite. 먼저 means “first” or “before the others.” Here it marks priority or order, not necessarily clock time. Example: 이 일을 먼저 하세요. means “Do this work first.” 해야 하는지 expresses an embedded question about what is required or supposed to be done. The base verb is 하다 (“to do”). In 해야, -아야/어야 하다 expresses necessity: 해야 하다 means “must or need to do.” The ending -는지 turns the matter into an indirect question or something to determine. Example: 무엇을 해야 하는지 모르겠어요. means “I don’t know what I should do.” 말해 줄 comes from 말하다 (“to tell” or “to say”) with -아/어 주다. The 주다 part presents the action as being done for someone or as a favor. 말해 줄 is the form used before the following 수 있어요; the reusable pattern 말해 주다 means “tell someone” or “explain something for someone.” Example: 방법을 말해 주세요. means “Please tell me the method.” 수 있어요? uses 수 있다, which expresses ability or possibility. In 말해 줄 수 있어요?, it asks whether the listener can do the requested action and, in this polite context, functions as “Could you tell me...?” The polite ending is -어요; the subject is understood rather than stated. Together, 어떤 과제를 먼저 해야 하는지 means “which assignment I should do first”: 어떤 과제 identifies the assignment, 먼저 gives the priority order, and 해야 하는지 makes this an embedded question about what should be done. 말해 줄 수 있어요? asks politely whether the listener can tell the speaker. The whole utterance means “Could you tell me which assignment I should handle first?”

5. 말하기 요약 과제는 곧 제출해야 하고, 워크시트는 나중에 해도 돼요.

   The speaking summary is due soon, and the worksheet can wait until later.

   말하기

   speaking

   요약

   summary

   과제

   assignment; task

   곧

   soon

   제출해야 하고

   must submit, and

   워크시트

   worksheet

   나중에

   later

   해도 돼요

   can do; it is okay to do

   More detail

   말하기 is the noun “speaking” here. It comes from 말하다 (“to speak”) with -기, a form that can turn an action into a noun: 읽기 means “reading,” for example. In this sentence it modifies 요약, producing “speaking summary.” 요약 means “summary.” Together, 말하기 요약 is a summary related to speaking; 과제 then identifies it as an assignment or task. 과제 can refer to schoolwork or another assigned task, so 말하기 요약 과제 means “the speaking-summary assignment.” 곧 means “soon.” It sets the time of the required submission; it does not itself state an exact deadline. In the supplied translation, the complete first clause is naturally understood as saying that the assignment is due soon. 제출해야 하고 combines the verb 제출하다 (“to submit”) with -아/어야 하다, which expresses necessity or obligation, and -고, which connects this clause to the next one. Thus 제출해야 하다 means “must submit.” The form 해야 is the 하다 part of -아/어야 하다, and 하고 continues the coordination rather than adding a new submission action by itself. 워크시트 is “worksheet,” a loanword used as a noun. It is the topic of the second coordinated clause. 나중에 means “later” or “at a later time.” It specifies when the worksheet may be done. 해도 돼요 uses 하다 (“to do”) in the pattern -아/어도 되다, which says that an action is permitted or acceptable. 해도 is the 해 form of 하다 plus -도, and 돼요 is the polite form of 되다 in this expression. Therefore, 나중에 해도 돼요 literally means “it is okay to do it later,” naturally “the worksheet can wait until later.” This contrasts with 제출해야 하고, which expresses necessity rather than permission. Putting the chunks together: the speaking-summary assignment must be submitted soon, while doing the worksheet later is acceptable. The sentence therefore means, “The speaking summary is due soon, and the worksheet can wait until later.”

6. 그럼 말하기 과제부터 시작해야겠어요.

   Then I should start with the speaking task.

   그럼

   then; in that case

   말하기

   speaking

   과제

   assignment; task

   부터

   starting with; from

   시작해야겠어요

   I should start

   More detail

   그럼 means “then” or “in that case.” It connects the utterance to the situation under discussion and presents the following decision as a consequence. Example: 그럼 지금 시작해요. — “Then let’s start now.” 말하기 means “speaking” here. It comes from 말하다 (“to speak”) plus -기, which turns a verb into a noun-like activity: 말하다 → 말하기. This form can name an activity, as in 말하기 연습 — “speaking practice.” 과제 means “assignment” or “task.” Here it refers to the speaking assignment. Example: 과제가 있어요. — “I have an assignment.” 부터 is a particle meaning “starting with” or “from.” Attached to 말하기 과제, 말하기 과제부터 means “starting with the speaking task.” In this sentence it identifies that task as the first point of action; it does not by itself mean that the speaker will do only that task. 시작해야겠어요 means “I should start.” Its base verb is 시작하다 (“to start”). The form contains -아/어야겠다, used when the speaker concludes or decides that something should be done; the polite ending makes it suitable here for a courteous statement. Thus 시작해야겠어요 expresses the speaker’s judgment or resolve, not merely the fact that starting is taking place. Compare 시작해요 (“I start” or, depending on context, “Let’s start”) with 시작해야겠어요 (“I should start”). Together, 말하기 과제부터 identifies the first item to handle, and 시작해야겠어요 says that the speaker has concluded that they should begin with it. With 그럼, the complete utterance means: “Then I should start with the speaking task.”

7. 거기서 시작하고, 빠진 수업의 필기를 선생님께 부탁해 보세요.

   Start there, and ask the teacher for notes from the classes you missed.

   거기서

   there

   시작하고

   start and

   빠진

   missed

   수업

   class or lesson

   필기

   notes

   선생님께

   to the teacher

   부탁해 보세요

   please try asking

   More detail

   거기서 means “there” with -에서, which marks the place where an action happens or begins. Here it identifies the starting point. A reusable pattern is 장소에서 시작하다 (“to start at a place”): 여기서 시작해요 means “I start here.” 시작하고 comes from 시작하다 (“to start”). The ending -고 connects this action to the next one, so 시작하고 means “start and” here. It does not by itself mark past tense; the two connected actions are presented as instructions. -고 can also connect other clauses, as in 읽고 써요 (“I read and write”). 빠진 comes from 빠지다, which can mean “to be absent” or “to miss” a class in this context. Its -ㄴ form modifies the following noun: 빠진 수업 is “a class that [someone] missed.” The form is not the adjective “missing”; it is the modifier form of the verb 빠지다. Korean does not mark plural on 수업 here, so the expression can refer to one or more missed classes depending on context. 수업 means “class” or “lesson.” In 빠진 수업의 필기, the particle -의 links it to the next noun: the notes are associated with the missed class or classes. A useful pattern is N의 N, often translated as “N’s N” or “N of N.” 필기 means written notes, especially notes taken during a class or lecture. In this sentence it is the thing being requested. For example, 필기를 보여 주세요 means “Please show me your notes.” 선생님께 consists of 선생님 (“teacher”) plus the honorific particle -께, meaning “to” a respected person. -께 is a respectful counterpart of the ordinary recipient particle -에게 or -한테; the choice reflects respect for the recipient, not a change in the teacher’s role in the event. 부탁해 보세요 comes from 부탁하다 (“to ask/request a favor”) plus -아/어 보다 (“try doing”) and the polite request ending -(으)세요. Thus it encourages the listener to try asking or requesting. The pattern V-아/어 보세요 is reusable for polite suggestions: 읽어 보세요 means “Please try reading it.” Together, 거기서 시작하고 gives the first instruction, “Start there, and” 빠진 수업의 필기를 선생님께 부탁해 보세요 gives the second: “try asking the teacher for notes from the classes you missed.” The sentence is a polite instruction containing two coordinated actions: begin at the indicated place, then make the request to the teacher.

8. 다른 사람들이 함께 연습했기 때문에 자신감이 떨어졌어요.

   I feel less confident because the others practiced together.

   다른

   other

   사람들

   people

   함께

   together

   연습했기 때문에

   because [someone] practiced

   자신감

   confidence

   떨어졌어요

   fell; decreased

   More detail

   다른 means “other” here and comes before the noun it describes. In 다른 사람들, it distinguishes these people from some already relevant people; the sentence does not need to specify who those people are. A useful contrast is 같은 사람들 (“the same people”), but 다른 is not simply a plural marker. 사람들 means “people.” The base noun is 사람 (“person”), and 들 marks a plural group here: 사람들 = “people.” Korean can sometimes leave plurality unmarked when context makes it clear, but this form explicitly presents a group. 함께 is an adverb meaning “together,” describing the shared manner of the practice. For example, 친구와 함께 공부해요. means “I study together with a friend.” 같이 is another common word with a similar meaning, but the observed form is 함께. 연습했기 때문에 means “because [they] practiced.” The useful base verb is 연습하다 (“to practice”). In 연습했기, 했- is the past form of 하다, and -기 때문에 turns the clause into a reason: 연습했기 때문에 = “because [someone] practiced.” The translation identifies the people as the ones who practiced. Compare 연습하기 때문에 (“because [someone] practices/is practicing”), which does not present the practice as a completed past event. 자신감 means “confidence,” especially confidence in one’s own ability. It is a noun, so it can combine with verbs such as 자신감이 있다 (“to have confidence”) and 자신감이 떨어지다 (“for confidence to decrease”). For example, 발표 전에 자신감이 필요해요. means “I need confidence before the presentation.” 떨어졌어요 comes from the base verb 떨어지다, “to fall” or, with things such as confidence, “to decrease.” The ending -었어요 marks a past event in polite speech, so 떨어졌어요 means “fell” or “decreased” here. It is not an adjective modifying 자신감; the verb says that the confidence decreased. For example, 시험 결과를 보고 자신감이 떨어졌어요. means “My confidence decreased after seeing the test results.” Together, 다른 사람들 identifies the other people, 함께 연습했기 때문에 gives their completed group practice as the reason, and 자신감이 떨어졌어요 says that the speaker’s confidence decreased. Thus the whole utterance means: “I feel less confident because the others practiced together.” The subject of the final verb is understood from the fixed translation as the speaker, while Korean leaves that subject unstated.

9. 수업 후에 그 과제를 함께 연습해 볼 수 있어요.

   We can run through the task after class.

   수업

   class

   후에

   after; later

   그

   that; the

   과제

   task; assignment

   함께

   together

   연습해

   practice

   볼 수 있어요

   can

   More detail

   수업 means “class.” It is a noun and can combine with time markers: 수업 후에 means “after class.” 후에 marks a time that comes after the preceding noun or event. The pattern N 후에 is reusable: 식사 후에 means “after the meal.” 후 is the noun meaning “after/later,” and -에 marks the relevant time. 그 is a demonstrative determiner meaning “that” or, in this context, “the” before a noun. It comes directly before 과제; the sentence does not independently identify what the task is. 과제 means “task” or “assignment.” It is a noun. For example, 과제를 끝내요 means “I finish the assignment”; the object marker -를 shows its role there. 함께 means “together.” It describes an action carried out jointly. Example: 친구와 함께 공부해요 means “I study together with a friend.” 연습해 is the 해 form of 연습하다, “to practice.” This form connects to the following construction: 연습해 보다 means “try practicing” or “practice to see how it goes.” Here it is not a past-tense form. 볼 수 있어요 contains 보다 (“to try” in -아/어 보다, literally “see”) in the form 볼, followed by 수 있다, a construction expressing possibility or ability. In 연습해 볼 수 있어요, the combined meaning is “can try practicing.” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다 in this construction. Putting the parts together, 수업 후에 gives the time “after class,” 그 과제 gives “the task,” and 함께 연습해 볼 수 있어요 says that the omitted subject can try practicing it together. The complete utterance therefore means: “We can run through the task after class.”

10. 그러면 어떻게 될지 알 수 있어요.

    So you know what to expect.

    그러면

    so; then

    어떻게

    how

    될지

    how it will turn out

    알 수 있어요

    can know

    More detail

    그러면 is a common connective meaning “then” or “so,” linking the current situation to a result or next step. It is useful for moving from “if that is so” to what follows. Example: 그러면 시작할게요. — “Then I’ll start.” 어떻게 means “how,” asking about the manner, process, or resulting state of something. It can introduce an embedded question rather than a direct question. Example: 어떻게 해야 해요? — “What should I do?” 될지 comes from the verb 되다, “to become,” “to turn out,” or “to work,” followed by -(으)ㄹ지. Here, 될지 asks indirectly how something will turn out: 어떻게 될지 means “how it will turn out” or “what will happen.” The ending -ㄹ지 marks an uncertain or embedded question; it is not the ordinary future tense by itself. Example: 결과가 어떻게 될지 모르겠어요. — “I’m not sure how the result will turn out.” 알 수 있어요 is built from 알다 (“to know”) and -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 (“can; be able to”), with polite present ending -어요 on 있다. It therefore expresses the possibility or ability to know, rather than simply stating 알아요, “know.” Example: 이제 답을 알 수 있어요. — “Now you can know the answer.” Together, 어떻게 될지 is the embedded question “how it will turn out,” and 알 수 있어요 says that this can be known. With 그러면 at the beginning, the whole utterance means “So you can know how it will turn out,” naturally rendered here as “So you know what to expect.”

11. 그렇게 하면 다음 단계가 더 수월하게 느껴질 거예요.

    That would make the next step feel more manageable.

    그렇게 하면

    if that is done; if so

    다음

    next

    단계

    step; stage

    더

    more

    수월하게

    in a manageable way

    느껴질 거예요

    will feel; will seem

    More detail

    그렇게 하면 means “if that is done” or “if so.” 그렇게 means “that way/in that manner,” and 하면 is the conditional form of 하다 (“to do”): 하다 → 하면. The subject is unstated here, so this expression does not by itself identify who performs the action. 다음 means “next” and is used before a noun: 다음 단계 = “the next step.” It describes the noun that follows it. 단계 means “step” or “stage.” It can refer to one part of a process, as in 첫 단계 (“the first step”) or 다음 단계 (“the next step”). 더 means “more.” Here it increases the degree of the following description, so the step will feel more manageable. 수월하게 means “in an easy or manageable way.” It is the adverbial form of 수월하다 (“to be easy/manageable”): 수월하다 → 수월하게. The adverb describes the manner of the feeling expressed by the following verb. 느껴질 거예요 means “will feel” or “will seem.” 느껴지다 means “to feel/seem” as an impression experienced by someone; it contrasts with 느끼다, “to feel” something actively. 느껴질 is the form of 느껴지다 used before 거예요, and -ㄹ 거예요 presents an expected or predicted result in polite speech. Together, 다음 단계 means “the next step,” 더 수월하게 says that it will feel more manageable, and 느껴질 거예요 places that impression in the expected future. The conditional opening 그렇게 하면 links the condition to the result: “If that is done, the next step will feel more manageable.”

12. 한 번 집중해서 연습하는 게 일을 피하는 것보다 나아요.

    One focused practice session is better than avoiding the work.

    한 번

    once; one time

    집중해서

    with focus

    연습하는

    practicing

    게

    the act of doing so

    일

    work

    피하는

    avoiding

    것보다

    than

    나아요

    is better

    More detail

    한 번 means one occurrence or one session here. 번 is used to count occasions, so 한 번 presents the practice as a single focused attempt, not as a general claim about all practice. 집중해서 comes from 집중하다 (“to concentrate”) plus -아서/어서, which links an action to the manner or result of another action. Here it means doing the practice while concentrating: 집중해서 연습하다 = “to practice with focus.” 연습하는 comes from 연습하다 (“to practice”). The ending -는 makes the verb modify a following noun-like element, giving the pattern 연습하는 것 (“the act of practicing” or “practicing”). In this sentence, it is part of the subject being compared. 게 is the spoken contraction of 것이 in 연습하는 것이. 것 turns the preceding action into a noun-like idea, and 이 marks that idea as the subject. Thus 연습하는 게 means “practicing” as the subject of the comparison. 일 means work or a task. With the object marker 을, as in 일을, it is what the next verb acts on. The expression 일을 피하다 means “to avoid the work” or “to avoid the task.” 피하는 comes from 피하다 (“to avoid”) with the modifier ending -는. It modifies 것 in 피하는 것, literally “the act of avoiding.” This is another nominalized action, parallel to 연습하는 것. 것보다 consists of 것 (“the act of ...”) and 보다, which marks the standard of comparison. The pattern A하는 것보다 B가 낫다 means “B is better than doing A.” Here, 일을 피하는 것보다 sets avoiding the work as the comparison standard. 나아요 is the polite present form of 낫다 (“to be better”). In this form, the final ㅅ of 낫다 drops before the vowel of the ending, producing 나아요. It expresses the judgment that one option is better than another. Together, 한 번 집중해서 연습하는 게 presents one focused practice session as the subject, while 일을 피하는 것보다 gives avoiding the work as the comparison standard. 나아요 says that the first option is better. The whole utterance therefore means: “One focused practice session is better than avoiding the work.”