Planning a Safe Hike | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 산길이 아름다워 보이지만 초보자들에게는 너무 어려울 수도 있어요.

   The mountain trail looks beautiful, but it may be too difficult for beginners.

   산길

   mountain trail

   아름다워

   beautiful

   보이지만

   looks, but

   초보자들

   beginners

   에게는

   for

   너무

   too

   어려울 수도 있어요

   may be difficult

   More detail

   산길 means “mountain trail” here. It is a noun formed from 산 (“mountain”) and 길 (“road; path”). Korean compounds often combine nouns this way, so 산길 is learned as a natural word for a trail in the mountains. 아름다워 comes from the descriptive verb 아름답다, “to be beautiful.” The form changes before -어: 아름답다 → 아름다워. This is one of the common ㅂ-irregular patterns; the observed form is not based on a noun. Example: 꽃이 아름다워요. — “The flower is beautiful.” 보이지만 comes from 보이다, “to look; to appear,” plus -지만, “but.” Thus 아름다워 보이다 means “to look beautiful,” rather than simply asserting that something is beautiful. -지만 connects that appearance with a contrasting statement. Example: 쉬워 보이지만 어렵습니다. — “It looks easy, but it is difficult.” 초보자들 means “beginners.” 초보자 is “beginner,” and 들 is a plural marker used for people or other beings when plurality is relevant. The plural marking is separate from the following particle. 에게는 marks the people for whom the following assessment applies, with an added topic or contrast effect from 는. Here it presents beginners as the group for whom the trail may be too difficult. 에게 can mark a recipient or the person affected by something; 는 highlights or contrasts that marked phrase. Example: 아이들에게는 어려워요. — “It is difficult for children.” 너무 means “too” before the adjective or descriptive verb it modifies. In this sentence it marks an excessive degree of difficulty for the stated group, not merely a high degree in isolation. Example: 이 가방은 너무 무거워요. — “This bag is too heavy.” 어려울 수도 있어요 expresses “may be difficult.” 어렵다 means “to be difficult,” and its future or attributive form 어려울 combines with 수도 있다, literally a construction for the possibility that something is the case. 있어요 is the polite form of 있다; in this construction, the whole expression -을 수도 있다 means “may; might.” The 도 adds the sense of “also/even” within the possibility pattern, rather than asserting that difficulty is certain. Example: 내일 비가 올 수도 있어요. — “It may rain tomorrow.” Together, 산길이 아름다워 보이지만 says “the mountain trail looks beautiful, but.” The subject marker 이 marks 산길 as the subject of 보이다. 초보자들에게는 sets beginners as the group being considered, and 너무 어려울 수도 있어요 says that, for them, the trail may be excessively difficult. The complete meaning is: “The mountain trail looks beautiful, but it may be too difficult for beginners.”

2. 결정하기 전에 거리와 고도, 일기 예보를 확인해 봐요.

   Let's check the distance, elevation, and weather forecast before we decide.

   결정하기 전에

   before deciding

   거리

   distance

   고도

   elevation

   일기 예보

   weather forecast

   확인해 봐요

   let’s check

   More detail

   결정하기 전에 means “before deciding.” 결정하다 is the base verb “to decide”; 결정하기 uses -기 to turn the action into a noun-like expression, and 전에 means “before.” The reusable pattern is verb stem + -기 전에 (“before doing …”). Example: 출발하기 전에 물을 사요. — “I buy water before departing.” 거리 means “distance.” It is a noun for the amount of space between places or points. Example: 거리가 멀어요. — “The distance is far.” 고도 means “elevation” or “altitude,” especially the height of a place above a reference level. It is a noun, not a form of 거리. 일기 예보 means “weather forecast.” Here 일기 means “weather,” and 예보 means “forecast”; together they form a compound noun. Example: 일기 예보를 봐요. — “I check the weather forecast.” 확인해 봐요 means “let’s check.” 확인하다 is the base verb “to check” or “to confirm.” In 확인해 봐요, -아/어 보다 follows the verb and adds the sense of trying or checking something out; 확인해 is the connected form of 확인하다, and 봐요 is the polite form of 보다. In this sentence, the whole construction is a polite suggestion to check the listed information, matching “Let’s check.” Together, 거리와 고도, 일기 예보를 lists the objects—distance, elevation, and weather forecast—using 와 after 거리 to connect the first two listed items. 확인해 봐요 supplies the suggested action, and 결정하기 전에 places that action before the decision. The full meaning is: “Let’s check the distance, elevation, and weather forecast before we decide.”

3. 꽤 긴 코스예요.

   It is a fairly long route.

   꽤

   fairly; quite

   긴

   long

   코스

   route; course

   예요

   is

   More detail

   꽤 is an adverb meaning “fairly” or “quite.” It strengthens the following description without making it absolute. For example, 꽤 맛있어요 means “It is quite tasty.” 긴 means “long” here and describes 코스 before the noun. It is the noun-modifying form of 길다 (“to be long”): 길다 → 긴. The final ㄹ of this adjective is not retained before the modifier ending -ㄴ. For example, 긴 길 means “a long road.” 코스 is a noun meaning “route” or “course.” In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies it as a route. It can also refer to a course or planned itinerary in other contexts, but that broader possibility is not needed here. 예요 expresses “is” after a noun that ends in a vowel sound. The related copula form 이에요 is used after a consonant-final noun, as in 책이에요 (“It is a book”). Thus, a useful pattern is noun + 예요/이에요 for a polite present-tense statement. Together, the sequence is adverb + adjective modifier + noun + polite copula: 꽤 makes the description stronger, 긴 describes the 코스, and 예요 states that the route has that characteristic. The complete meaning is “It is a fairly long route.”

4. 예보에는 오후에 약한 비가 온다고 나와 있어요.

   The forecast says light rain in the afternoon.

   예보에는

   in the forecast

   오후에

   in the afternoon

   약한

   light; weak

   비

   rain

   온다고 나와 있어요

   is stated to come or fall

   More detail

   예보에는 combines 예보 (“forecast”) with -에 and the topic marker -는. Here, -에 places the information in the forecast, while -는 presents the forecast as the frame: “as for the forecast” or “in the forecast.” 예보 is a noun; a useful related noun is 일기예보, “weather forecast.” 오후에 means “in the afternoon.” 오후 is a noun meaning “afternoon,” and -에 marks the time when something happens. The same time pattern works with other time nouns, such as 아침에 (“in the morning”). 약한 is the attributive form of the adjective 약하다, “to be weak” or, for rain, “to be light.” 약한 비 therefore means “light rain”; the form 약한 comes before the noun it describes. The adjective is 약하다, not 비: 약하다 → 약한 in this noun-modifying form. For contrast, 강한 비 means “heavy rain,” using 강하다 (“to be strong”) in the same attributive pattern. 비 is the noun “rain.” In this sentence it is the weather event that is expected in the afternoon. A reusable noun-modifying pattern is 약한 비 (“light rain”) or 강한 비 (“heavy rain”). 온다고 나와 있어요 is a construction meaning “is stated or shown to come/fall.” 온다고 contains 오다 (“to come”) in the quoted declarative form 온다, followed by -고; in weather expressions, 비가 오다 means “rain comes,” naturally translated as “it rains.” 나와 있어요 comes from 나오다 (“to come out” or “to be shown”) plus -아/어 있다, which describes a displayed or recorded state that remains in place, with the polite ending -어요. Thus, this wording presents the rain information as something written or shown in the forecast, rather than as the speaker’s direct observation. Putting the parts together: 예보에는 sets the forecast as the information source, 오후에 specifies the time, 약한 비 identifies the weather, and 온다고 나와 있어요 says that this information is shown there. The whole utterance means: “The forecast says light rain in the afternoon.”

5. 그럼 일찍 출발하고 대체 계획도 세워야 해요.

   Then we need an early start and a backup plan.

   그럼

   then; in that case

   일찍

   early

   출발하고

   depart and

   대체

   backup; alternative

   계획

   plan

   세워야 해요

   need to make; must set up

   More detail

   그럼 means “then” or “in that case” here. It is a conversational shortened form of 그러면, often used to connect the current conclusion to what was just mentioned. Example: 그럼 시작해요. — “Then let’s start.” 일찍 is the adverb “early.” It describes when the departure happens, so 일찍 출발하다 means “to depart early.” Its useful opposite is 늦게, “late.” Do not confuse the adverb 일찍 with the adjective-like form 이른, as in 이른 시간 (“an early time”). 출발하고 comes from the verb 출발하다, “to depart,” with the connective ending -고. The ending links this action to another action or requirement: A-고 B can mean “do A and B.” Here, 출발하고 supplies the first action, while the later clause adds the plan that also needs to be made. Example: 아침에 출발하고 점심에 쉬어요. — “We depart in the morning and rest at noon.” 대체 modifies 계획 in 대체 계획, giving the phrase the meaning “backup plan” or “alternative plan.” In this use, it identifies a plan intended as an alternative to the main one. Example: 대체 방법을 찾아요. — “I look for an alternative method.” 계획 is the noun “plan.” It can combine with verbs such as 계획을 세우다 (“make a plan”) and 계획을 바꾸다 (“change a plan”). In the fixed sentence, it is the object of the act of making or formulating. 세워야 해요 is based on 세우다, “to set up” or, with 계획, “to make/formulate a plan.” The form 세워야 combines the verb with -어야 하다, an obligation or necessity pattern: V-아/어야 하다 means “have to V” or “need to V.” 해요 is the polite present form of 하다 within that pattern. Thus 계획을 세워야 해요 means “need to make a plan.” The omitted subject is understood as “we” in the fixed translation; the Korean verb form itself does not mark that subject as “we.” Together, 그럼 introduces a conclusion from the situation, 일찍 출발하고 says to depart early, and 대체 계획도 세워야 해요 adds that a backup plan also needs to be made. 도 means “also,” so the utterance presents both early departure and making a backup plan as necessary. The whole sentence means: “Then we need an early start and a backup plan,” more literally, “Then we need to depart early and also make a backup plan.”

6. 같은 역으로 돌아오는 더 짧은 코스가 있어요.

   There is a shorter route that returns to the same station.

   같은

   same

   역

   station

   돌아오는

   returning

   더 짧은

   shorter

   코스

   route

   있어요

   there is

   More detail

   같은 means “same” here and appears before the noun it describes. In Korean, this form is used directly as a modifier: 같은 역 means “the same station.” It signals identity with a comparison referent, but the supplied text does not identify that referent. 역 means “station.” It is a noun and can combine with direction marking, as in 역으로, meaning “to/toward the station.” 돌아오는 comes from 돌아오다, “to return/come back.” The ending -는 makes this verb an attributive form that modifies a following noun: 돌아오는 코스 is “a route that returns.” The form describes the route’s returning action rather than functioning as the main verb of the sentence. 더 짧은 means “shorter.” The adjective is 짧다, “to be short”; its modifier form is 짧은, and 더 adds the comparative meaning “more.” A useful comparison is 짧다 “be short” → 더 짧다 “be shorter” → 가장 짧다 “be the shortest.” Here 더 compares this route with another relevant route, without stating a numerical distance. 코스 means “route” or “course.” In this sentence it is the noun modified by both 돌아오는 and 더 짧은: it is a shorter route that returns to the same station. 있어요 comes from 있다, the polite present form used here for existence. After the preceding noun phrase, it gives the pattern N이/가 있어요, “there is/are N.” In other contexts 있다 can express possession or being located somewhere, but here the intended meaning is existence: a route exists. Putting the parts together, 같은 역으로 marks the destination or direction “to the same station,” 돌아오는 describes the route as returning there, and 더 짧은 코스 means “a shorter route.” The final 있어요 presents that whole noun phrase as existing, giving: “There is a shorter route that returns to the same station.”

7. 길이 미끄러워지면 그 코스가 더 안전할 것 같아요.

   That sounds safer if the trail conditions become slippery.

   길이

   the path

   미끄러워지면

   if it becomes slippery

   그

   that

   코스가

   the course

   더

   more

   안전할 것 같아요

   seems safe

   More detail

   길이 means “the path” here. 길 is a noun meaning a path, road, or way, and 이 marks it as the subject of the following change. In this hiking-route context, the fixed translation supports understanding it as the trail or path. 미끄러워지면 expresses “if it becomes slippery.” It comes from 미끄럽다 (“to be slippery”) plus -어지다 (“become”) and the conditional ending -면 (“if/when”). 미끄럽다 has the ㅂ-irregular form 미끄러워 before -지다: 미끄러워지다. Example: 날씨가 추워지면 길이 얼어요. — “When the weather gets colder, the road freezes.” 그 is a demonstrative meaning “that” or “the previously identified.” It makes the noun identifiable in context; its form itself does not specify a particular referent. 코스 means “course” or “route,” and 가 marks it as the subject of the following description. Together, 그 코스가 means “that course/route.” 더 is a comparative adverb meaning “more.” It raises the degree of the following adjective: 더 안전하다 means “to be safer.” Example: 이 길이 더 편해요. — “This path is more comfortable.” 안전할 것 같아요 means “seems safe” by itself. 안전하다 means “to be safe,” and 안전할 is the form used before 것 같다. The construction -ㄹ 것 같아요 presents the speaker’s impression or expectation rather than a firm assertion. Here, the preceding 더 changes the combined meaning to 더 안전할 것 같아요, “seems safer.” Example: 이 신발이 더 안전할 것 같아요. — “These shoes seem safer.” Together, 길이 미끄러워지면 sets the condition, “if the path becomes slippery.” 그 코스가 더 안전할 것 같아요 gives the assessment, “that course seems safer.” The complete meaning is: “That sounds safer if the trail conditions become slippery.”

8. 모두에게 등산에 맞는 신발과 물을 가져오라고 말할까요?

   Should we tell everyone to bring proper shoes and water?

   모두에게

   to everyone

   등산

   hiking

   맞는

   suitable

   신발

   shoes

   물

   water

   가져오라고

   to bring

   말할까요?

   shall we tell?

   More detail

   모두에게 combines 모두 (“everyone/all”) with -에게, a particle used for a person or group receiving an action or message. Here it marks the people who would be told. Example: 아이들에게 말했어요. — “I told the children.” 등산 is the noun “hiking” or “mountain climbing.” With -에, it appears in 등산에 맞는, meaning “suitable for hiking.” In this use, -에 맞는 is a reusable pattern meaning “appropriate for ….” 맞는 is the attributive form of 맞다, “to fit” or “to be suitable.” It modifies the following noun, 신발, and presents the suitability as a current or general property: 등산에 맞는 신발 means “shoes suitable for hiking.” Example: 이 일에 맞는 도구예요. — “It is a tool suitable for this work.” 신발 means “shoes.” Korean commonly leaves number unmarked, so this form can refer to shoes generally or to a pair, depending on context; it does not itself state a particular number. 물 means “water.” It is a mass noun here, so the sentence does not specify a number of bottles or another quantity. 가져오라고 is built from 가져오다, “to bring,” and the quoted-command ending -라고. 가져오다 presents movement toward the relevant speaker or reference point; 가져가다 instead means “to take” something away toward another place. After a verb such as 말하다, -라고 packages an instruction: 가져오라고 말하다 means “tell someone to bring it.” Example: 친구에게 우산을 가져오라고 했어요. — “I told my friend to bring an umbrella.” 말할까요? comes from 말하다, “to say” or “to tell,” with -(으)ㄹ까요?. This ending asks about a proposed action, commonly “Shall we …?” or “Should we …?” Here the proposal is to tell everyone, rather than a question about what someone already said. Example: 지금 출발할까요? — “Shall we leave now?” Together, 모두에게 identifies the people to receive the message, 등산에 맞는 신발과 물 means “shoes suitable for hiking and water,” and 가져오라고 말하다 means “tell [them] to bring [those things].” Thus the whole utterance asks, “Should we tell everyone to bring proper shoes and water?”

9. 둘 다 가져와야 해요.

   They should bring both.

   둘 다

   both

   가져와

   bring

   야 해요

   must/should

   More detail

   둘 다 means “both” here: it refers to the two items identified in the context. 둘 is the native Korean numeral “two,” and 다 marks the whole set, giving “both.” A reusable example is 두 사람은 둘 다 와요, “Both people come.” 가져와 is the form of 가져오다, “to bring,” used before the obligation pattern. 가져오다 describes bringing something toward the relevant person or place; in this sentence, the intended action is bringing the two items. 야 해요 completes the pattern -아/어야 해요, which expresses necessity or obligation. In the fixed translation, that obligation is rendered as “should.” The 해요 part is the polite present form of 하다; Korean verbs do not change for the subject’s person, so the same pattern can be used with “I,” “you,” or “they,” with the subject supplied by context. Together, 둘 다 가져와야 해요 says that they should bring both of the two relevant items. 둘 다 identifies the complete pair, and 가져와야 해요 expresses the required action.

10. 필요하면 돌아갈 거라는 점을 분명히 해야 해요.

    We should make it clear that we will turn back if needed.

    필요하면

    if needed

    돌아갈

    will turn back

    거라는 점

    the fact that …

    분명히

    clearly

    해야 해요

    should do; need to do

    More detail

    필요하면 means “if needed.” It is built from 필요하다 (“to be necessary”) plus -면, a conditional ending meaning “if/when.” The condition here is that turning back is necessary; it does not itself assert that this condition will occur. Example: 시간이 필요하면 말해요. — “If you need time, tell me.” 돌아갈 comes from 돌아가다, “to turn back” or “to go back.” The ending -ㄹ makes an attributive prospective form, so 돌아갈 describes an action expected or intended to happen after the noun-like element that follows it. Here it is not a complete verb by itself; it modifies 거 in 돌아갈 거라는 점. Example: 내일 돌아갈 사람 — “the person who will go back tomorrow.” 거라는 점 expresses “the fact that …” in this sentence. 거 is the spoken contracted form of 것 (“thing/fact”), and -라는 presents the preceding clause as quoted or characterized content; 점 means “point” or “fact.” Thus 돌아갈 거라는 점 is literally “the point/fact that [we] will turn back.” The subject is omitted in Korean; the fixed translation identifies it here as “we.” 분명히 is the adverb “clearly.” It comes from 분명하다, “to be clear,” and describes how the making-clear is done. The related adjective form is 분명한, as in 분명한 사실 (“a clear fact”). 해야 해요 expresses obligation: “have to do” or “need to do.” It is formed from 하다 (“to do”) with -아야 하다, a pattern meaning that something must be done; the polite present ending -요 gives 해야 해요. In this sentence, the thing that must be done is making the stated fact clear. Example: 지금 가야 해요. — “I have to go now.” Together, 필요하면 돌아갈 거라는 점 sets out the content to be made clear: that we will turn back if needed. 분명히 says this should be done clearly, and 해야 해요 adds the obligation. The whole utterance therefore means, “We should make it clear that we will turn back if needed.”

11. 오늘 밤에 코스 지도와 만날 시간을 공유할게요.

    I will share the route map and meeting time tonight.

    오늘 밤에

    tonight

    코스

    route

    지도

    map

    만날

    to meet

    시간

    time

    공유할게요

    will share

    More detail

    오늘 밤에: 오늘 means “today,” 밤 means “night,” and 에 marks the time when something happens. Together, this sets the time as “tonight.” Example: 내일 아침에 만나요. — “Let’s meet tomorrow morning.” 코스: Here it means a route or course. It can refer to the planned path of a trip or activity; it is not the word for a map itself. 지도: This means “map.” In 코스 지도, it combines with 코스 to form “route map” or “course map.” Korean commonly places a modifying noun before the main noun: 코스 modifies 지도. 만날: This is the form of 만나다, “to meet,” used before a noun. 만나다 becomes 만날 before a noun when the meeting is viewed as upcoming or intended: 만날 시간 means “the time to meet.” Example: 다음 주에 만날 사람 — “the person I will meet next week.” 시간: This means “time.” In 만날 시간, it is the main noun modified by 만날, so the phrase means “meeting time” or literally “time for meeting.” The object marker 을 after 시간 marks the whole noun phrase 만날 시간을 as what will be shared. 공유할게요: This comes from 공유하다, “to share,” with the ending -ㄹ게요. The ending presents the speaker’s intention or commitment to do something, so 공유할게요 means “I will share it.” The subject “I” is not separately stated; it is understood from this speaker-oriented ending. Example: 제가 자료를 보낼게요. — “I’ll send the materials.” 와 connects 코스 지도 and 만날 시간 as two coordinated objects: “the route map and the meeting time.” The sentence therefore builds as 오늘 밤에 (tonight) + 코스 지도와 만날 시간을 (the route map and meeting time, as the object) + 공유할게요 (I will share them). The complete meaning is: “I will share the route map and meeting time tonight.”

12. 그러면 모두가 준비하고 참여할 수 있을지 결정하는 데 도움이 될 거예요.

    That should help everyone prepare and decide if they can join.

    그러면

    then; in that case

    모두가

    everyone

    준비하고

    prepare and

    참여할

    join; participate

    수 있을지

    whether ... can

    결정하는

    deciding

    도움이 될 거예요

    will be helpful

    More detail

    그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It links this statement to the preceding situation: after sharing the route map and meeting time, the result is expected to be useful. Example: 그러면 시작할게요. — “Then I’ll start.” 모두가 means “everyone,” with 가 marking it as the subject. It does not identify a particular group beyond the people intended in the context. 모두 can also appear without this subject marker when it has another role in a sentence. 준비하고 comes from 준비하다, “to prepare.” The -고 ending connects this action to the following action: “prepare and …” It does not by itself mark past time. Example: 먼저 준비하고 출발해요. — “We prepare first and leave.” 참여할 comes from 참여하다, “to participate” or “to join.” Here -ㄹ creates a form used before the possibility expression 수 있다: 참여할 수 있다, “can participate.” The related noun 참여 means “participation,” but 참여하다 is the verb needed for the action. In this sentence, 참여할 is followed by 수 있을지, so the wording asks whether participation will be possible. 수 있을지 is the possibility pattern 수 있다 plus -을지. 수 있다 means “can” or “be able to,” and 수 있을지 presents that possibility as something to determine: “whether … can.” The form 있다 changes to 있을 before -지 because of the future-looking possibility form. Example: 오늘 참여할 수 있을지 모르겠어요. — “I don’t know whether I can join today.” 결정하는 comes from 결정하다, “to decide,” and uses -는 to modify the following noun 데. 결정하는 데 means “in deciding” or “for deciding.” The noun 데 here is part of the pattern -는 데, which frames an activity as the context or purpose in which something is useful; it is not the ordinary noun “place” in this use. 도움이 될 거예요 combines 도움, “help,” with 되다, “to become” or “to be,” and the future-prediction form -ㄹ 거예요. 도움이 되다 is the reusable expression “to be helpful.” Thus 도움이 될 거예요 means “will be helpful” or, as a prediction, “should help.” Example: 이 안내가 도움이 될 거예요. — “This guide should be helpful.” Together, 그러면 sets the result as following from the preceding plan. 모두가 is the subject of the coordinated actions 준비하고 and 참여할, while 참여할 수 있을지 turns the ability to participate into the question being decided. 결정하는 데 identifies deciding as the activity, and 도움이 될 거예요 predicts that the relevant information or plan will help with it. The whole utterance is therefore: “Then that should help everyone prepare and decide if they can join.”