Rescheduling a Group Trip When a Friend Is Sick | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 친구 한 명이 열이 나서 내일 아마 여행을 못 갈 것 같다고 해요.

   A friend says she has a fever and probably cannot travel tomorrow.

   친구

   friend

   한 명

   one person

   열

   fever

   열이 나서

   because of a fever

   내일

   tomorrow

   아마

   probably

   여행

   travel; trip

   갈

   go

   못 갈 것 같다고 해요

   says she probably cannot go

   More detail

   친구 means “friend.” It is a noun and can refer to a friend of any gender; here, the fixed translation identifies this friend as she. A useful pattern is 친구가 ... (“a friend ...”), with 가 marking the subject. 한 명 means “one person.” 한 is the form of 하나 used before a counting unit, and 명 counts people. In this utterance, 친구 한 명 means “one friend” or “a friend”; 한 명 is not a gender marker. Example: 학생 두 명 means “two students.” 열 means “fever” in this context. The noun itself is also used in the expression 열이 나다, literally describing fever as occurring or coming on. 열 is not the verb; 나다 carries the verbal meaning. 열이 나서 means “because she has a fever.” Here 이 marks 열 as the subject of 나다, and -아서 links this clause to a resulting or related clause: 열이 나서 ... (“because she has a fever, ...”). The form 나서 comes from 나다, not from 열. Example: 비가 와서 집에 있어요. means “Because it is raining, I am at home.” 내일 means “tomorrow,” a time word. It appears before the prediction about traveling, so the inability is understood to concern tomorrow. 아마 means “probably” or “perhaps.” It marks the speaker’s uncertainty about the following prediction; it does not itself mean that the event is certain or that it has already happened. 여행 means “travel” or “a trip.” With 가다, the reusable expression 여행을 가다 means “to go on a trip.” In the source, 을 marks 여행 in this expression as the object-like element associated with 가다. 갈 is the form of 가다 (“to go”) used before 것 in the pattern -(으)ㄹ 것 같다. 가다 is the base form, while 갈 presents the going as prospective or not yet realized. Do not treat 갈 as a separate base verb. 못 갈 것 같다고 해요 means “says she probably cannot go.” 못 expresses inability or that the action cannot take place, and 못 가다 means “be unable to go.” The pattern -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 literally presents something as seeming likely; with 못 갈 것 같다, it gives the meaning “seems/probably cannot go.” The ending -다고 해요 reports someone’s statement: A가 ...다고 해요 means “A says that ...” Here the reported subject is understood as the friend identified by the fixed translation, namely she. Putting the parts together: 친구 한 명이 identifies one friend as the subject; 열이 나서 gives her fever as the reason; 내일 아마 sets the time and expresses uncertainty; and 여행을 못 갈 것 같다고 해요 reports that she probably will not be able to go on the trip. The complete meaning is “A friend says she has a fever and probably cannot travel tomorrow.”

2. 그럼 우리는 배려하는 마음으로 일정을 다시 잡을지 의논해야 해요.

   Then we should be considerate and discuss whether to reschedule.

   그럼

   then

   우리는

   we

   배려하는

   being considerate

   마음

   mind

   일정을

   the schedule

   다시

   again

   잡을지

   whether to reschedule

   의논해야 해요

   have to discuss

   More detail

   그럼 means “then” or “in that case.” It links this utterance to what has just been established. Example: 그럼 지금 시작해요. — “Then let’s start now.” 우리는 means “we” and marks the group being discussed as the topic. 우리 is the base pronoun; 는 is the topic marker. The form does not by itself specify how many people are included. 배려하는 comes from the verb 배려하다, “to be considerate of” or “to show consideration for.” The ending -는 makes the present-related attributive form, so 배려하는 describes the following noun: “that shows consideration” or “considerate.” Example: 배려하는 사람이에요. — “They are a considerate person.” 마음 means “mind,” “heart,” or “attitude” in this expression. 배려하는 마음 is a considerate attitude or intention. With -으로, the full chunk 배려하는 마음으로 means “with a considerate attitude.” 일정을 is 일정, “schedule” or “plan,” with the object marker -을. The marker shows that the schedule is the object of the later action. Example: 일정을 확인해요. — “I check the schedule.” 다시 means “again” or “anew.” Here it indicates doing the scheduling action another time, so it combines naturally with 잡다 in the sense of arranging or setting a schedule. 잡을지 is the form of 잡다 used before -을지, a pattern meaning “whether to …” or “whether … will happen.” In this context, 잡다 does not mean physically “to catch”; with 일정, it means “to set” or “arrange” a schedule. Because the verb stem ends in a consonant, this form uses -을지: 잡다 → 잡을지. Example: 언제 만날지 정해요. — “Let’s decide when to meet.” 의논해야 해요 comes from 의논하다, “to discuss” or “consult,” plus -아/어야 하다, the pattern for necessity or obligation. 의논하다 becomes 의논해야 하다, and the polite present ending 해요 gives 의논해야 해요: “have to discuss” or “should discuss.” The obligation applies to the subject understood from 우리는. Example: 이 문제를 의논해야 해요. — “We have to discuss this problem.” Together, 일정을 다시 잡을지 의논해야 해요 means “we have to discuss whether to reschedule.” 배려하는 마음으로 describes the attitude for that discussion, and 그럼 connects the proposal to the preceding situation. Thus the whole utterance means: “Then we should be considerate and discuss whether to reschedule.”

3. 더 오래 기다리면 여행 일정을 다시 잡기 어려울 수도 있어요.

   It may be hard to reschedule the trip if we wait much longer.

   더 오래

   much longer

   기다리면

   if (someone) waits

   여행

   trip

   일정

   schedule

   다시 잡기

   rescheduling

   어려울

   difficult

   수도 있어요

   may be

   More detail

   더 오래 means “for longer” here, with 더 adding comparison and 오래 expressing duration. The comparison is with the amount of waiting understood from the situation; it does not by itself specify an exact amount. Example: 조금 더 오래 기다려요. — “Let’s wait a little longer.” 기다리면 comes from 기다리다 (“to wait”) plus conditional -면, meaning “if/when [someone] waits.” The subject is omitted in Korean; in this fixed translation, it is understood as “we.” The same pattern is reusable: 시간이 있으면 가요. — “If there is time, let’s go.” 여행 means “trip” or “travel.” It modifies the following noun in 여행 일정, “trip itinerary/schedule.” 일정 means a schedule or planned itinerary. These nouns are separate, so 여행 일정 is a compact noun phrase rather than a single derived word. Example: 여행 일정을 확인했어요. — “I checked the trip itinerary.” 다시 잡기 contains 다시 (“again”) and 잡기, the -기 noun form of 잡다 (“to set, arrange, or fix” among other uses). In 일정을 다시 잡다, the phrase means “to reschedule the itinerary”; -기 turns that action into something that can be evaluated as difficult. Example: 회의를 다시 잡기 어려워요. — “It is difficult to reschedule the meeting.” 어려울 is the attributive form of 어렵다, “to be difficult.” The base adjective 어렵다 changes to 어려울 before 수 in the possibility pattern -을 수 있다. This form change belongs to 어렵다, not to 일정 or 잡기. 수도 있어요 completes -을 수도 있어요, a polite way to say that something may or might be the case. Here, 어려울 수도 있어요 means “may be difficult.” The 도 adds the idea that this is one possible outcome, while 있어요 completes the possibility expression. Example: 시간이 더 걸릴 수도 있어요. — “It may take more time.” Putting the parts together, 더 오래 기다리면 gives the condition “if we wait much longer.” Inside the nominalized clause, 여행 일정 is the object of 다시 잡다, and 여행 일정을 다시 잡기 means “rescheduling the trip itinerary.” 어려울 수도 있어요 says that this action may become difficult. The whole utterance therefore means: “It may be hard to reschedule the trip if we wait much longer.”

4. 예약 날짜를 완전히 취소하는 대신 바꿀 수 있을까요?

   Can we move the booking instead of canceling it completely?

   예약

   booking; reservation

   날짜를

   date

   완전히

   completely

   취소하는

   canceling

   대신

   instead

   바꿀

   change; move

   수 있을까요

   could it be possible?

   More detail

   예약 means “booking” or “reservation.” It is a noun and can modify another noun directly, as in 예약 날짜 (“booking date”). Example: 예약을 확인했어요. — “I checked the reservation.” 날짜를 means “the date” as the object of the action. 날짜 is the noun “date,” and -를 marks it as the object. Here, 예약 날짜를 forms the object phrase “the booking date.” 완전히 means “completely” and modifies the cancellation expressed in the next part. It emphasizes total cancellation rather than a partial change. 취소하는 comes from the verb 취소하다, “to cancel.” The ending -는 makes the verb describe an action in the relevant construction: 취소하는 대신 means “instead of canceling.” This form is not the past tense; it presents the cancellation as the alternative action under consideration. 대신 means “instead,” and with a preceding verb it commonly forms -는 대신(에), “instead of doing ….” Example: 택시를 타는 대신 걸어갔어요. — “Instead of taking a taxi, I walked.” 바꿀 comes from 바꾸다, “to change” or “to move/change an arrangement.” The ending -(으)ㄹ makes the form modify the following 수: 바꿀 수 means “can change” or “be able to change.” Because the object is the booking date, the intended meaning here is moving or changing that booking rather than canceling it. 수 있을까요 is the possibility construction -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 followed by the polite question ending -을까요?. 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility, while -을까요? turns it into a courteous question. In this sentence, 바꿀 수 있을까요? asks whether changing or moving it is possible. Korean does not state the subject here; the fixed translation supplies the intended “we.” Together, 예약 날짜를 identifies the booking date as the object, 완전히 취소하는 대신 sets up the alternative “instead of canceling it completely,” and 바꿀 수 있을까요? asks whether it can be changed or moved. The whole utterance therefore means: “Can we move the booking instead of canceling it completely?” The wording is a polite request for an alternative to full cancellation.

5. 전화해서 어떤 선택지가 가능한지 물어볼게요.

   Let me call and ask what options are available.

   전화해서

   call and…

   어떤

   what kind of

   선택지

   option

   가능한

   available; possible

   물어볼게요

   I’ll ask; let me ask

   More detail

   전화해서 comes from 전화하다 (“to call”) plus -해서, the connective form of -하다 verbs. It means “call and then…” or “by calling…,” linking the call to the next action. Example: 전화해서 확인할게요. — “I’ll call and check.” 어떤 is a determiner meaning “what kind of” or “which,” used before a noun when asking about its type or choice. It does not stand alone as the noun; the noun follows it. Example: 어떤 방법이 좋아요? — “Which method is good?” 선택지 is a noun meaning “option” or “choice.” The plural meaning can be understood from context without a separate plural ending, so 선택지 can mean “an option” or “options.” Example: 다른 선택지가 있어요. — “There is another option.” 가능한 is the form of 가능하다 (“to be possible”) used before a noun. The ending -ㄴ makes the descriptive verb attributive, so 가능한 선택지 means “options that are possible,” naturally “available options” in this sentence. The form describes the options; it is not an inflection of 선택지. Example: 가능한 날짜를 알려 주세요. — “Please tell me the available dates.” 물어볼게요 combines 묻다 (“to ask”) with -어 보다 and -ㄹ게요. In this expression, 물어보다 means “to ask” or “to try asking,” while -ㄹ게요 presents the speaker’s willingness or intention to do it: “I’ll ask” or “Let me ask.” The verb 묻다 changes to 물어 before -보다; this is a change in the verb stem, not in the noun. Example: 제가 다시 물어볼게요. — “I’ll ask again.” Together, 전화해서 어떤 선택지가 가능한지 물어볼게요 means “I’ll call and ask which options are available.” The embedded question 어떤 선택지가 가능한지 means “which options are possible/available,” and 전화해서 connects the calling with the asking. The whole utterance is a polite statement of the speaker’s intention to make that call and ask that question.

6. 그리고 그 친구가 우리끼리 가도 괜찮을지 물어봐 주세요.

   Also ask whether she would be comfortable with us going without her.

   그리고

   also; and

   친구

   friend

   우리끼리

   just among us

   가도 괜찮을지

   whether it would be okay to go

   물어봐 주세요

   please ask

   More detail

   그리고 connects this request with what came before. It commonly means “and” or “also”; here it adds another thing to ask. 친구 means “friend.” In the full expression 그 친구가, 그 means “that/the” and 가 marks the subject. The fixed translation identifies this friend as “she,” but 친구 itself does not mark gender. Here 그 친구가 is the person whose comfort or acceptability is being asked about, not the person being directly commanded to ask. 우리끼리 combines 우리 (“we/us”) with 끼리 (“among only that group”). It presents the action as being done just among us. In this sentence, the fixed translation makes the intended contrast explicit: the group would go without her. 가도 괜찮을지 is built from 가다 (“to go”), -도, 괜찮다 (“to be okay”), and -을지. The pattern -아/어도 괜찮다 asks or states whether an action is acceptable: 가도 괜찮아요 means “Is it okay to go?” The ending -을지 turns that question into an embedded “whether” clause. Thus 우리끼리 가도 괜찮을지 asks whether going just among us would be okay. The -을 form here reflects the prospective or unsettled situation; it does not by itself assert that the trip will definitely happen. 물어봐 주세요 uses the lexical verb 물어보다, “to ask,” in the form 물어봐, followed by 주세요, a polite request meaning “please.” The reusable pattern 동사-아/어 주세요 asks someone politely to do something: 기다려 주세요 means “Please wait.” Together, 그 친구가 우리끼리 가도 괜찮을지 물어봐 주세요 means “please ask whether she would be comfortable with us going just among ourselves.” With 그리고 at the beginning, the whole utterance is: “Also, please ask whether she would be comfortable with us going without her.”

7. 저는 미루고 싶어요. 원래 단체 여행으로 계획했으니까요.

   I would rather postpone, because it was planned as a group trip.

   저는

   as for me; I

   미루고

   postpone

   싶어요

   want; desire

   원래

   originally

   단체

   group

   여행

   trip

   계획했으니까요

   because it was planned

   More detail

   저는 combines 저, the humble first-person pronoun, with the topic marker 는. It presents the speaker as the topic: “As for me, …” The same marker can also create contrast, but no particular contrast is required here. 미루고 comes from 미루다, “to postpone” or “to put off.” Its ending -고 links it to 싶어요 in the reusable pattern -고 싶다, “want to do …”. Example: 쉬고 싶어요. — “I want to rest.” 싶어요 is the polite present form of 싶다 in this desire pattern. With the first-person subject understood here, 미루고 싶어요 expresses the speaker’s wish to postpone. The action verb before 싶다 takes -고. 원래 means “originally” or “as originally intended.” It points to the initial plan or arrangement. Example: 원래 오늘 출발하려고 했어요. — “We originally intended to leave today.” 단체 means “group” in the sense of an organized group or collective. In 단체 여행, it modifies the following noun to identify the type of trip; it is not an adjective meaning physically large. 여행 means “trip” or “travel.” In 단체 여행, it is the noun for the event. Example: 이번 여행은 단체 여행이에요. — “This trip is a group trip.” 계획했으니까요 contains 계획하다, “to plan,” the past form 계획했-, the reason ending -으니까, and the polite ending 요. Here -으니까요 gives a reason. Korean does not state the subject or object explicitly in this form; the fixed translation presents the intended meaning as “it was planned,” and the surrounding phrase identifies the plan as a group trip. The form 계획했으니까 is built from the past form 계획했- plus -으니까; it is not the separate sentence ending -다 in 계획했다. The final 요 makes the reason polite. Example: 이미 계획했으니까요. — “Because it has already been planned.” The ending -으로 in 단체 여행으로 marks the form or role in which something was planned, giving “as a group trip.” Thus 원래 단체 여행으로 계획했으니까요 means “because it was originally planned as a group trip.” Combined with 저는 미루고 싶어요, the whole utterance is: “I would rather postpone, because it was planned as a group trip.”

8. 그 말이 맞는 것 같아요. 특히 그 친구가 회복하는 데 며칠만 필요하다면요.

   That makes sense, especially if she only needs a few days to recover.

   그

   that

   말

   words; statement

   맞는

   right; correct

   것 같아요

   it seems

   특히

   especially

   친구

   friend

   회복하는

   recovering

   며칠만

   only a few days

   필요하다면요

   if needed

   More detail

   그 points to something identifiable in context; here, together with 말, it means “that.” Korean 그 can modify a noun, as in 그 친구 (“that friend”), and it does not change for gender or number. 말 means “words” or “a statement” here. 그 말 therefore refers to the statement being evaluated, not to a person. 말 can also mean “speech” or “language” in other contexts. 맞는 means “being right” or “correct” here. It is the noun-modifying form of 맞다 (“to be right; to be correct”): 맞다 → 맞는 before a noun or noun-like element. In 맞는 것, it describes the proposition as correct. 것 같아요 is the polite form of the pattern 것 같다, used to say that something seems or appears to be so rather than asserting it absolutely. Here, the explicit subject 그 말이 combines with it as 그 말이 맞는 것 같아요, “That seems right.” 특히 means “especially” and highlights the condition that follows. It introduces the condition without changing the basic meaning of the first statement. 친구 means “friend.” In 그 친구, 그 modifies 친구; the fixed translation identifies this friend as “she,” but 친구 itself is not grammatically marked as female. Korean commonly leaves a person’s gender unmarked in this noun. 회복하는 comes from 회복하다, “to recover.” The ending -는 makes a present or ongoing verb form that can modify a following noun-like element. In 회복하는 데, it forms the useful pattern V-는 데, meaning “for/in doing V” or “when doing V.” Thus this part refers to recovering, not to a separate noun called 회복하는. 며칠만 means “only a few days” in this sentence. 며칠 is used for an unspecified number of days, including in questions such as “how many days?”; 만 adds the restriction “only.” The fixed translation supplies the reading “a few days,” while 만 expresses the limitation. 필요하다면요 means “if [she] needs [them]” here. Its base form is 필요하다, “to be necessary” or, with a person as the subject and a thing as the needed item, “to need.” The conditional ending -다면 and polite ending 요 make this a polite conditional expression. Korean can omit recoverable subjects and objects; here, the fixed translation identifies the subject as “she,” referring to 그 친구, and the omitted object as the few days. The conditional form presents this as a condition rather than a direct assertion. Together, 그 말이 맞는 것 같아요 means “That seems right.” 특히 then introduces the condition 그 친구가 회복하는 데 며칠만 필요하다면요, meaning “especially if she only needs a few days to recover.” The whole utterance is: “That makes sense, especially if she only needs a few days to recover.”

9. 모두에게 선택지와 분명한 변경 내용을 메시지로 알릴게요.

   I will message everyone with the options and a clear update.

   모두에게

   to everyone

   선택지

   options

   분명한

   clear

   변경 내용

   update

   메시지로

   by message

   알릴게요

   I’ll let you know

   More detail

   모두에게 means “to everyone.” 모두 is “everyone/all,” and -에게 marks a recipient, especially a person or group of people. For example, 친구에게 말해요 means “I speak to a friend.” 선택지 means “options.” It is a noun for available choices. A useful contrast is 선택하다, “to choose,” which is the verb; 선택지 names the choices themselves. 분명한 means “clear” here. It is the noun-modifying form of 분명하다 (“to be clear”): 분명하다 → 분명한 내용 (“clear content”). The form 분명한 describes 변경 내용, rather than changing the noun itself. 변경 내용 means “update” or “details of the change.” 변경 is “change,” and 내용 is “content/details.” Together, they refer here to the clear information about what has changed, not simply to the act of changing something. 메시지로 means “by message” or “in a message.” The particle -로 marks the means or channel used. For example, 이메일로 보내요 means “I send it by email.” 알릴게요 means “I’ll let [someone] know” in this sentence. It is formed from the verb 알리다 (“to inform, let someone know”) plus -ㄹ게요, a first-person commitment or intention directed toward the listener’s situation: “I’ll do it.” The recipient is expressed separately by 모두에게; 알릴게요 itself does not contain the word “everyone.” Compare 알아요 (“I know”) with 알려요 (“I inform/let someone know”): 알리다 is the causative/informative verb used here. Together, 모두에게 identifies the recipients, 선택지와 분명한 변경 내용 gives the two things to be communicated, 메시지로 gives the communication channel, and 알릴게요 presents the speaker’s commitment to inform them. The whole utterance means: “I will message everyone with the options and a clear update.”

10. 사람들은 이유와 시기를 알면 그 변화를 더 잘 받아들일 거예요.

    People will handle the change better if they know the reason and timing.

    사람들

    people

    이유

    reason

    시기

    timing

    알면

    if (they) know

    그

    that; the specified

    변화

    change

    더 잘

    better

    받아들일 거예요

    will accept; will handle

    More detail

    사람들 means “people.” The plural marker -들 is attached to 사람 (“person”); in this sentence, 사람들은 makes “people” the topic. 사람 is singular “person,” while 사람들 is plural “people.” 이유 means “reason.” 시기 means “timing” or “the time period.” The particle -와 in 이유와 시기를 joins these two nouns: “the reason and the timing.” 알면 comes from the verb 알다, “to know.” The ending -(으)면 makes a condition: 알면 means “if [someone] knows.” Here the understood subject is the people identified by 사람들은, so the phrase means “if they know the reason and timing.” A reusable pattern is N을/를 알면 (“if [someone] knows N”). Example: 주소를 알면 찾아갈 수 있어요. — “If you know the address, you can go there.” 그 is a demonstrative meaning “that” or “the specified.” In this sentence, it identifies the change being discussed. Its form does not show the change’s number or gender. 변화 means “change.” Together, 그 변화 means “that change” or “the change.” 더 잘 means “better.” 더 adds comparison (“more”), and 잘 means “well,” so this combination compares the quality of handling with another relevant level: “better.” 잘 by itself means “well,” and 더 잘 means “better.” 받아들일 거예요 comes from 받아들이다, “to accept” or “to take in.” The form 받아들일 is the verb’s attributive form before 것 in the future construction -ㄹ/을 거예요; 거예요 is the contracted spoken form of 것이에요. Here the construction expresses a future outcome: “will accept” or “will handle.” 받아들이다 is one verb; it is not simply 받다 (“receive”) plus another independently used verb in this sentence. Example: 그 설명을 받아들일 거예요. — “They will accept that explanation.” As a whole, 이유와 시기를 알면 gives the condition “if they know the reason and timing.” The topic 사람들은 identifies the people who will respond, and 그 변화를 더 잘 받아들일 거예요 says that they will handle or accept the specified change better. Thus the utterance means: “People will handle the change better if they know the reason and timing.”