Choosing a Simple Review Routine | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 오늘 배운 내용을 복습하고 싶어.

   I want to review today's lesson.

   오늘

   today

   배운

   learned

   내용

   content; lesson

   복습하고 싶어

   want to review

   More detail

   오늘 means “today.” It is a time expression and can appear before the event it specifies, as here. Example: 오늘 공부해. — “I study today.” 배운 comes from 배우다, “to learn.” The form 배운 is the past attributive form, meaning “learned” or “that [someone] learned,” and it modifies the following noun. Here, 오늘 배운 내용 means “the content learned today.” The form 배운 is not the main past-tense verb of the sentence; it describes 내용. 내용 means “content” or “material.” In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies it more specifically as “lesson.” It is the object of the following action, marked by 을: 내용을 means “the content/lesson” as what is reviewed. Example: 내용을 읽어요. — “I read the content.” 복습하고 싶어 expresses “want to review.” 복습하다 means “to review,” especially previously learned material. In 복습하고, 복습하- takes the connective form -고; 싶어 is the informal form of 싶다, used in the pattern -고 싶다 to express wanting to do something. Thus 복습하고 싶어 is a casual statement equivalent to “I want to review.” The subject is understood as the speaker, as shown by the fixed translation. Example: 쉬고 싶어. — “I want to rest.” Putting the parts together: 오늘 (“today”) + 배운 내용 (“the content/lesson learned”) + 을 (object marking) + 복습하고 싶어 (“want to review”) gives “I want to review today’s lesson.” The sentence is in informal casual style.

2. 하지만 어디서 시작해야 할지 잘 모르겠어.

   But I am not sure where to start.

   하지만

   but

   어디서

   where

   시작해야 할지

   where to start

   잘

   well; really

   모르겠어

   I’m not sure

   More detail

   하지만 means “but” and connects this sentence to a contrasting idea. It commonly appears at the beginning of a sentence, as here. Example: 하지만 시간이 없어요. — “But I don’t have time.” 어디서 asks “where” with the place marker -에서. This marker can identify the place where an action happens or begins. Here, 어디서 asks for the point at which to start. Example: 어디서 만나요? — “Where are we meeting?” 시작해야 할지 frames starting as an uncertain choice: “where to start” when combined with 어디서. 시작하다 means “to start.” In 시작해야 하다, -아야 하다 expresses obligation or what one should do; 시작해야 할지 then uses -(으)ㄹ지 to put that uncertain choice inside the larger sentence. The -아야 form in 시작해야 belongs to 시작하다, while 할지 is 하다 plus -(으)ㄹ지. Example: 무엇을 시작해야 할지 모르겠어요. — “I don’t know what I should start.” 잘 normally means “well,” but with a knowing verb in a negative or uncertain expression, as in 잘 모르겠어, it helps express “not really” or “not be sure.” It modifies 모르겠어 here. Example: 그 이유를 잘 모르겠어요. — “I’m not really sure of the reason.” 모르겠어 means “I’m not sure” here. Its base form is 모르다, “not know.” The ending -겠- can mark the speaker’s judgment or uncertainty in this use; it does not necessarily indicate future time. 모르겠어요 is the polite form, while 모르겠어 is an informal plain form used with familiar people. 몰라 is another informal form meaning “I don’t know,” often more direct. Example: 잘 모르겠어. — “I’m not sure.” Together, 어디서 identifies the unknown starting point, 시작해야 할지 frames it as the choice of where one should start, and 잘 모르겠어 says that the speaker is not sure. With 하지만 at the front, the whole utterance means: “But I am not sure where to start.”

3. 실제 상황에 바로 연결되는 노트부터 시작해.

   Start with the notes that connect directly to real situations.

   실제

   real; actual

   상황

   situation

   바로

   directly

   연결되는

   that connects

   노트

   notes

   부터

   starting with; from

   시작해

   start

   More detail

   실제 means “real” or “actual” here. It modifies 상황 in 실제 상황, forming a reusable noun phrase for situations that are real rather than hypothetical. 상황 means “situation.” Korean nouns do not obligatorily mark singular versus plural, so 상황 can refer to one or more situations depending on context. Example: 상황을 설명해 주세요. — “Please explain the situation.” 바로 means “directly” in this sentence. It modifies the connection in 바로 연결되는, so it describes how the notes relate to real situations; it does not mean that the starting action must happen immediately. 연결되는 means “that connect” or “that are connected.” It comes from 연결되다, “to be connected,” with -는 forming a present modifier before a noun. Korean places this kind of relative clause before the noun: 연결되는 노트 means “notes that connect.” Compare 연결하다, “to connect something,” which is a different verb form. Example: 이 내용은 실제 경험과 연결돼요. — “This content connects to real experience.” 노트 means “note” or “notes.” Korean does not require a plural ending here; the context and translation support “notes,” but the form itself does not mark number. 부터 is a particle attached to 노트 in 노트부터. It marks the starting point, giving the reusable pattern X부터 시작하다: “to start with X” or “to start from X.” Example: 이 장부터 시작해. — “Start with this chapter.” 시작해 comes from 시작하다, “to start.” In this context, its informal plain ending is used as a directive: “start.” The same surface form can also be a plain present statement in another context, so the intended command here comes from the sentence’s use and the fixed translation. Example: 여기서 시작해. — “Start here.” Together, 실제 상황에 바로 연결되는 is a relative clause meaning “that connect directly to real situations.” It comes before and modifies 노트. The particle 에 marks what those notes connect to, while 노트부터 시작해 means “start with the notes.” Thus the whole utterance means: “Start with the notes that connect directly to real situations.”

4. 나는 보통 전부 다시 읽는데, 그러면 시간이 너무 많이 걸려.

   I usually reread everything, but that takes too much time.

   나는

   I

   보통

   usually

   전부

   everything

   다시

   again

   읽는데

   read, but

   그러면

   then; in that case

   시간

   time

   너무 많이

   too much

   걸려

   takes

   More detail

   나는 combines 나 (“I”) with the topic marker 는. It presents the speaker as the topic. 나 is the plain first-person form; 저 is the commonly used more deferential alternative in honorific speech, so 나는 and 저는 differ in politeness as well as form. 보통 is an adverb meaning “usually” or “normally.” It describes a usual pattern rather than saying that the action happens every time. 전부 means “everything” or “all of it” here. It can refer to the whole relevant set without repeating the noun. For example, 전부 확인했어요 means “I checked everything.” 다시 means “again,” indicating repetition. It comes before the action it modifies: 다시 읽다 means “to read again.” 읽는데 comes from the verb 읽다, “to read,” plus the connective ending -는데. The 읽- part carries the verb’s meaning, while -는데 links this clause to what follows, often creating background or contrast. In this sentence, the first clause gives the speaker’s usual action, and the following clause presents its consequence or drawback. A reusable pattern is 동작-는데, ..., approximately “I do ..., but ...” when the connection is contrastive. 그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It points to the situation just described and introduces its consequence. Here it refers to rereading everything, yielding the meaning “if I do that, then ...,” not an independently identified new action. 시간 is the noun “time.” In Korean, a duration or amount of time commonly appears with 걸리다 to express how long something takes: 시간이 걸리다 means “to take time.” 너무 많이 means “too much” here. 너무 adds the excessive sense “too,” and 많이 is the adverbial form meaning “much” or “a lot.” Together they modify the amount of time: 시간이 너무 많이 ... means that too much time is involved. 걸려 is the informal present form of 걸리다 in this use. The base verb is 걸리다, and with a time expression as subject it means “to take [a certain amount of time].” It is different from 걸다, which can mean “to hang,” “to place,” or other causative/transitive actions depending on context. The ending -어 in 걸려 gives a plain conversational statement; a more polite version would use 걸려요. Putting the parts together, 나는 보통 sets up the speaker’s usual behavior, 전부 다시 읽는데 says that the speaker rereads everything and links that behavior to the next clause, and 그러면 시간이 너무 많이 걸려 says that, in that situation, too much time is required. The complete meaning is: “I usually reread everything, but that takes too much time.”

5. 짧은 대화에서 쓸 수 있는 부분을 골라.

   Choose the parts you can use in a short conversation.

   짧은

   short

   대화

   conversation

   쓸 수 있는

   can use

   부분

   part

   골라

   choose

   More detail

   짧은 means “short” here and describes 대화. It is the attributive form of 짧다 (“to be short”): 짧다 → 짧은 before a noun. For example, 짧은 문장 means “a short sentence.” 대화 means “conversation” or “dialogue.” The pattern N에서 can mark the setting or situation in which something is used, so 대화에서 means “in a conversation.” Here, the sentence uses 대화에서 to specify the situation in which the selected parts can be used. 쓸 수 있는 means “that you can use.” It is built from 쓰다 (“to use”) plus -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 (“can/be able to”), followed by -는 to describe a noun: 쓰다 → 쓸 수 있다 → 쓸 수 있는 부분. The ㄹ form appears because 쓰다 ends in a vowel. In this sentence, 쓸 수 있는 describes 부분, so the meaning is “parts that you can use,” not simply “using parts.” For example, 오늘 쓸 수 있는 표현 means “expressions that you can use today.” 부분 means “part” or “section.” In 부분을, the object marker 을 shows that these parts are what the listener is asked to choose. The noun can refer to selected portions of a larger text or conversation without specifying how many. 골라 means “choose” or “pick.” It is the informal imperative form of 고르다 (“to choose”): 고르다 → 골라. The sentence has an understood subject, naturally “you” in the English translation. The -아 ending in 골라 gives a direct casual command; a more polite command would use a different ending, such as 고르세요. Together, 짧은 대화에서 sets the situation as “in a short conversation,” and 쓸 수 있는 부분을 identifies “the parts that can be used” there. The object-marked phrase is followed by the command 골라, producing: “Choose the parts you can use in a short conversation.”

6. 말하기 연습을 하기 전에 예문을 써도 좋겠어.

   We could write example sentences before we practice speaking.

   말하기

   speaking

   연습

   practice

   하기 전에

   before doing

   예문

   example sentence

   써도 좋겠어

   it would be okay to write

   More detail

   말하기 means “speaking” here. It comes from the verb 말하다 (“to speak”) with -기, which turns an action into a noun-like expression. The same pattern is useful in forms such as 읽기 (“reading”) and 쓰기 (“writing”). 연습 means “practice.” In 말하기 연습, it specifies what is being practiced: speaking practice. Korean commonly places this kind of modifying noun before the main noun. 하기 전에 means “before doing.” The -기 in 하기 nominalizes 하다 (“to do”), and 전에 means “before.” Thus 말하기 연습을 하기 전에 means “before doing speaking practice” or, more naturally, “before we practice speaking.” The object marker 을 marks 말하기 연습 as the activity being done. 예문 means “example sentence.” It is a noun that can be reused in phrases such as 예문을 읽다 (“read an example sentence”) and 예문을 만들다 (“make an example sentence”). 써도 좋겠어 means “it would be okay/good to write.” 써 is the form of 쓰다 (“to write”) used before the following expression; 쓰다 changes to 써 in this connection. -어도 좋다 expresses permission or acceptability: 써도 좋아 means “it is okay to write.” Here 좋겠어 presents that idea tentatively or as the speaker’s suggestion, so the fixed translation naturally uses “could write.” The omitted subject is not specified by the Korean sentence itself; the translation presents the suggestion with “we.” Putting the parts together, 말하기 연습을 하기 전에 sets the time condition, and 예문을 써도 좋겠어 gives the suggested action. The whole utterance means: “We could write example sentences before we practice speaking.”

7. 예문을 소리 내어 말해 보면 그 표현들을 대화에서 사용할 수 있는지 알 수 있을 거야.

   Saying the example sentences aloud will show whether you can use the phrases in conversation.

   예문을

   example sentence(s)

   소리 내어

   aloud

   말해 보면

   if/when (you) say

   그

   that/those

   표현들을

   phrases

   대화에서

   in conversation

   사용할 수 있는지

   whether (someone) can use

   알 수 있을 거야

   will be able to tell

   More detail

   예문을 means “the example sentence(s)” here. 예문 is a noun meaning an example sentence, and -을 marks it as the object of 말해 보다. The translation uses a plural meaning, but Korean 예문 itself does not show number here; context can support more than one example. 소리 내어 means “aloud” or “out loud.” 소리 is “sound,” and 내다 is “to make/produce”; together, this expression describes producing speech audibly. It is an adverbial phrase modifying the following speaking action. 말해 보면 is built from 말하다 (“to say/speak”) plus -아/어 보다, which presents trying or doing something and then observing the result. 말해 is the form used before 보다, and -면 adds “if/when.” Thus, in this sentence, saying the example sentences aloud is the condition for finding out the result. Compare 읽어 보면 (“if/when [you] try reading it”) with 말해 보면. 그 is a demonstrative determiner meaning “that” or “those,” placed before a noun. Here it modifies 표현들; its grammatical role is to identify the expressions intended in the conversation, while the form itself does not show number. 표현들을 means “the phrases/expressions.” 표현 is a noun for an expression or phrase, 들 marks plural in this use, and -을 marks the whole noun phrase as the object of 사용하다 (“to use”). 표현 can also refer more broadly to a way of expressing something, but “phrases” is the intended meaning here. 대화에서 means “in conversation.” 대화 means “conversation,” and -에서 marks the setting or domain in which an action takes place. For example, 수업에서 사용해요 means “I use it in class.” 사용할 수 있는지 means “whether [someone] can use [them].” 사용하다 is “to use”; before 수 있다, it appears as 사용할, the form that links the verb to the possibility construction. 사용할 수 있다 means “can use,” while 사용할 수 있는지 turns that question into an embedded “whether one can use.” The subject is not expressed in this Korean form; the fixed translation identifies the intended subject as “you,” and 표현들 is the thing being used. 알 수 있을 거야 means “will be able to tell” or “will be able to know.” 알다 means “to know,” and 알 수 있다 means “can know/can tell,” using 수 있다 for possibility or ability. Here 있을 is the form of 있다 used in the future-oriented pattern, and 거야 is a colloquial form expressing an expected or predicted result. The ending does not mean that 알다 itself changes to show ability; the ability meaning comes from 알 수 있다. The sentence assembles as 예문을 소리 내어 말해 보면 (“if/when you say the example sentences aloud”) + 그 표현들을 대화에서 사용할 수 있는지 (“whether you can use those phrases in conversation”) + 알 수 있을 거야 (“you will be able to tell”). The complete meaning is: “Saying the example sentences aloud will show whether you can use the phrases in conversation.” Korean leaves the relevant subject understood, while the fixed translation supplies “you” for the learner addressed here.

8. 그러면 페이지 전체를 다시 베껴 쓰는 것보다 더 유용할 것 같아.

   That sounds more useful than copying the whole page again.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   페이지

   page

   전체

   whole; entire

   다시

   again

   베껴 쓰는

   copying out

   것보다

   than; rather than

   더

   more

   유용할

   useful

   것 같아

   seems like; sounds like

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It connects this conclusion to what was just said. A reusable pattern is 그러면 + conclusion, as in 그러면 시작하자. — “Then let’s start.” 페이지 is the noun “page.” It is a loanword used for a page of a book, document, or website. 전체 means “the whole” or “the entire” and specifies the page as a complete unit here. In 페이지 전체를, 를 marks the complete page as the object of the later action. The pattern 명사 전체 means “the whole [noun].” 다시 is the adverb “again,” indicating repetition. It modifies the copying action, so the meaning here is copying the page out again, not merely referring to the page again. 베껴 쓰는 comes from 베껴 쓰다, “to copy out” or “to transcribe.” 베껴 is the connective form of 베끼다 (“copy”), combined with 쓰다 (“write”); together, 베껴 쓰다 is a lexical expression for writing a copy of existing text. The -는 ending changes the verb phrase into a form that can modify a noun. Here it modifies 것, producing “the act of copying out.” Example: 문장을 베껴 써요. — “I copy out the sentence.” 것보다 consists of 것 (“thing” or, after a verb, “the act of ...”) plus 보다, the comparison marker “than.” With the preceding 베껴 쓰는, 베껴 쓰는 것보다 means “than copying out.” The construction 동사-는 것보다 A compares A with doing the verb: 걷는 것보다 뛰는 게 빨라요. — “Running is faster than walking.” 더 is the comparative adverb “more.” It increases the degree of the following description. In this sentence, it makes 유용할 mean “more useful” in comparison with the copying activity. 유용할 is the attributive form of 유용하다, “to be useful.” Its base form is 유용하다; 유용할 uses -ㄹ before the following 것 to express a prospective or expected state: “that will be useful” or, in this comparison, “more useful.” The adjective itself is not derived from 것. Example: 이 방법이 더 유용할 거예요. — “This method will be more useful.” 것 같아 is the informal ending of the pattern 것 같다, used here to say that something seems or sounds to be the case. After 유용할, 유용할 것 같아 means “it seems likely to be useful” or naturally, “that sounds more useful.” The final -아 gives the sentence an informal conversational style. This pattern can also express a speaker’s impression: 비가 올 것 같아. — “It looks like it will rain.” Together, 페이지 전체를 다시 베껴 쓰는 것보다 sets up the comparison: “than copying out the whole page again.” 더 유용할 것 같아 says that the unstated alternative under discussion seems more useful. Thus the complete utterance means: “Then that sounds more useful than copying the whole page again.”

9. 어떤 내용이 분명하고 어떤 내용에 연습이 더 필요한지도 알 수 있어.

   It also shows which points are clear and which ones need more practice.

   어떤 내용

   which point or content

   분명하고

   is clear, and

   어떤 내용에

   for which point or content

   연습

   practice

   더 필요한지도

   also needs more

   알 수 있어

   can tell

   More detail

   어떤 내용 means “which content” or, naturally here, “which point.” 어떤 is a form used before a noun when asking which one or what kind; 내용 means content or a point being discussed. The phrase does not by itself identify a particular point. 분명하고 means “is clear, and.” The descriptive word 분명하다 means “to be clear” or “definite.” Its -고 form connects this description to the following part: 분명하고 ... = “is clear, and ...”. For example, 설명이 분명하고 짧아요 means “The explanation is clear and short.” 어떤 내용에 repeats “which point” and adds -에, marking the point to which the following condition applies. In this sentence, it is the point for which more practice is needed. The repeated 어떤 내용 sets up a comparison between two kinds of points rather than naming a specific one. 연습 means “practice.” It is a noun and can be used in combinations such as 연습이 필요하다 (“practice is needed”) and 연습하다 (“to practice”). 더 필요한지도 means “also needs more” in this sentence. The base descriptive word is 필요하다, “to be needed” or “to be necessary”; 필요한 is its form before a noun. Here 필요한지 presents the matter as whether it is needed, and 도 adds “also/as well.” 더 means “more,” so 더 필요한지 asks whether more is needed. For example, 시간이 더 필요한지 모르겠어요 means “I don’t know whether more time is needed.” 알 수 있어 means “can tell” or “can find out.” The base verb is 알다, “to know.” The pattern -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility; after 알, it appears as 알 수 있어 in this informal sentence-ending style. A useful contrast is 알 수 없어, “can’t tell” or “can’t find out.” Together, 어떤 내용이 분명하고 says “which points are clear,” while 어떤 내용에 연습이 더 필요한지도 says “which points also need more practice.” 알 수 있어 makes the overall meaning “can tell”: the information shows which points are clear and which ones need additional practice. The ending -도 in 필요한지도 links this second piece as another thing that can be determined, matching the “also” in the fixed translation.

10. 우리 각자 유용한 표현을 몇 개씩 골라서 수업 후에 실제로 써 보자.

    Let's each choose a few useful phrases and test them after class.

    우리

    we; our

    각자

    each person; individually

    유용한

    useful

    표현

    expression; phrase

    몇 개씩

    a few each

    골라서

    choose and then

    수업

    class

    후에

    after

    실제로

    in practice

    써 보자

    let’s try using it

    More detail

    우리 means “we” here and can also mean “our” before a noun. In this sentence it is the group included in the suggestion, while 각자 distributes the action across the members of that group. For example, 우리 각자 자기 문장을 쓰자 means “Let’s each write our own sentence.” 각자 means that the members act individually or each take their own share. Together, 우리 각자 gives the reusable pattern “let’s each …”; it does not mean that the group performs only one shared selection. 유용한 is the noun-modifying form of 유용하다, “to be useful.” The ending -한 lets this descriptive word come before 표현: 유용한 표현 means “useful expressions.” For example, 유용한 단어 means “useful words.” 표현 is a noun meaning an expression or phrase. In this sentence it refers to language expressions that can be selected and used in practice. 표현을 marks it as the object of 고르다; the object marker is attached after the noun, although only 표현 appears in the selected phrase. 몇 개씩 combines 몇, “a few/several” in this context, 개, a general counting unit, and -씩, which distributes an amount to each person or unit. Thus 우리 각자 ... 몇 개씩 means “each of us … a few.” The expression gives an approximate amount, not an exact number. 골라서 comes from 고르다, “to choose,” plus -아서/어서, linking this action to what follows. 고르다 changes to 골라- before this ending: 고르다 → 골라서. The linked sequence is “choose, and then …,” with the same understood group carrying out both actions. 수업 means “class” or “lesson.” It is the time-related noun in 수업 후에, “after class.” 후에 means “after” when attached to an event or time noun. Here 후 is “after/later part,” and -에 marks the time point or period: 수업 후에 = “after class.” For example, 회의 후에 만나요 means “Let’s meet after the meeting.” 실제로 means “actually” or “in practice.” It emphasizes that the expressions are to be used in real practice rather than merely selected or discussed. For example, 배운 표현을 실제로 써요 means “I use the expressions I learned in practice.” 써 보자 consists of 쓰다, “to use/write,” the auxiliary pattern -아/어 보다, “try doing,” and -자, a suggestion such as “let’s … .” In this sentence 쓰다 has the use-related meaning “use,” not the writing meaning. 쓰다 → 써 before 보다, and 써 보자 means “let’s try using [them].” The object is understood from 표현을; the form 써 itself does not identify a singular or plural object. Putting the parts together: 우리 각자 sets up “each of us,” 유용한 표현을 몇 개씩 골라서 says “choose a few useful phrases each,” 수업 후에 places the action after class, and 실제로 써 보자 adds the suggestion to try using them in practice. The whole utterance is therefore: “Let’s each choose a few useful phrases and actually try using them after class.”

11. 짧은 복습 루틴은 긴 복습 계획보다 반복하기 쉬울 거야.

    A short routine will be easier to repeat than a long review plan.

    짧은

    short

    복습

    review

    루틴

    routine

    긴

    long

    계획

    plan

    보다

    than

    반복하기

    repeating

    쉬울 거야

    will be easy

    More detail

    짧은 means “short” here and modifies the noun 복습 루틴. Its base form is 짧다; the attributive form before a noun is 짧은, as in 짧은 문장 (“a short sentence”). 복습 is the noun “review.” A useful related verb is 복습하다, “to review,” but the observed form itself is a noun. In 복습 루틴, it specifies what kind of routine this is. 루틴 means “routine.” The ending 은 after 루틴 marks this noun as the topic: 복습 루틴은 means “as for the review routine.” The topic marker does not itself express a numerical quantity. 긴 means “long” here and modifies 복습 계획. Its base form is 길다; before a noun, its attributive form is 긴, as in 긴 하루 (“a long day”). The ㄹ in 길다 is not retained before this ending. 복습 계획 combines two nouns: 복습 (“review”) and 계획 (“plan”), so it means “review plan.” 계획 can also appear in a different useful expression such as 계획을 세우다, “to make a plan.” 보다 after a noun marks the comparison standard, “than.” The pattern A보다 B가/는 ... presents B as ... compared with A. Here, 긴 복습 계획보다 means “than the long review plan.” 반복하기 contains 반복하다, “to repeat,” plus -기, which turns the action into a noun-like expression: “repeating.” In 반복하기 쉽다, this action expression works with 쉽다 to mean “be easy to repeat.” For example, 이 문장은 반복하기 쉽다 means “This sentence is easy to repeat.” 쉬울 거야 is the conversational prediction “will be easy.” Its base adjective is 쉽다, “easy.” Before -ㄹ 거야, the ㅂ changes to 우, giving 쉬울; 거야 is the familiar spoken form of 것이야. The complete pattern -ㄹ 거야 commonly presents a prediction or expectation, not a command. Together, 짧은 복습 루틴은 sets up the short review routine as the topic, 긴 복습 계획보다 gives the longer review plan as the comparison standard, and 반복하기 쉬울 거야 predicts that repeating the routine will be easier. The whole utterance means: “A short routine will be easier to repeat than a long review plan.”