Regaining Focus After a Break | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 점심을 먹고 나면 그 일과 완전히 동떨어진 느낌이 들어.

   After lunch, I feel completely disconnected from the task.

   점심

   lunch

   먹고 나면

   after eating

   그

   that

   일

   task

   완전히

   completely

   동떨어진

   disconnected

   느낌이 들어

   feel

   More detail

   점심 means lunch. In this sentence it is the noun used in 점심을 먹다, “eat lunch”; 을 marks 점심 as the object of 먹다. Example: 점심을 먹어요. — “I eat lunch.” 먹고 나면 comes from 먹다, “to eat,” plus -고 나면, “after doing something.” The first verb is put in -고, and 나면 adds the meaning that the next situation occurs once that action has been completed. Example: 일을 끝내고 나면 쉬어요. — “After finishing the work, I rest.” 그 is a demonstrative modifier meaning “that” and appears before the noun it describes. Here, the fixed translation identifies 그 일 as “that task,” so 그 points to that task. Korean demonstratives do not change for grammatical gender or number. 일 is a noun meaning “work,” “task,” or “matter.” In this sentence, its intended meaning is “task.” The reusable pattern is 그 + noun, as in 그 책 (“that book”) or 그 사람 (“that person”). 완전히 is an adverb meaning “completely” or “entirely.” It modifies the following description 동떨어진, strengthening it rather than describing the task itself. 동떨어진 is the attributive form of 동떨어지다, meaning “to be disconnected,” “to be far removed,” or “to be unrelated.” Before a noun, 동떨어지다 becomes 동떨어진: 동떨어진 느낌 means “a disconnected feeling.” Example: 그 생각은 현실과 동떨어져 있어요. — “That idea is disconnected from reality.” 느낌이 들어 is the informal present form of the expression 느낌이 들다, literally “a feeling comes,” but naturally “to feel” or “to have a feeling.” Here, 느낌 is “feeling,” 이 marks it as the subject, and 들어 is the sentence-final form of 들다. Example: 좋은 느낌이 들어요. — “I have a good feeling.” Together, 점심을 먹고 나면 sets the time condition, “after eating lunch.” 그 일과 완전히 동떨어진 describes the feeling as completely disconnected from that task; 과 marks the task as the thing from which the feeling is disconnected. The final 느낌이 들어 says that this feeling occurs to the speaker. Thus the whole utterance means: “After lunch, I feel completely disconnected from the task.” The ending is casual, non-honorific speech.

2. 가장 어려운 부분에 바로 뛰어들지 말고, 간단히 검토하는 것부터 시작해.

   Start with a small review instead of jumping into the hardest part.

   가장

   most

   어려운

   difficult

   부분

   part

   바로

   right away

   뛰어들지 말고

   instead of jumping in

   간단히

   briefly

   검토하는 것

   reviewing

   부터

   starting with

   시작해

   start

   More detail

   가장 makes the following description the highest degree in the relevant comparison: “most.” It is commonly used before an adjective or another descriptive expression. For example, 가장 빠른 길 means “the fastest route.” 어려운 means “difficult” here and directly describes 부분 (“part”). It is the noun-modifying form of 어렵다 (“to be difficult”); this is a ㅂ-irregular change: 어렵다 → 어려운 before a noun. The form 어려운 is not the base form of the adjective. 부분 means “part” or “section.” In 가장 어려운 부분, it identifies the section that is most difficult. For example, 이 부분을 다시 읽어 보세요 means “Please try reading this part again.” 바로 means “directly” or “right away” in this sentence. It emphasizes going straight into the difficult section, rather than doing an initial step first. Its exact effect comes from combining with 뛰어들다, not from 부분 alone. 뛰어들지 말고 expresses “instead of jumping in” or “don’t jump in, but …” The base verb is 뛰어들다, “to jump into” or “dive into.” -지 말다 forms a negative command or prohibition, and -고 links that instruction to the alternative that follows. Thus, 바로 뛰어들지 말고 means not to jump straight into it. For example, 서두르지 말고 천천히 읽어 보세요 means “Don’t hurry; try reading slowly.” 간단히 is the adverb “briefly” or “simply,” derived from 간단하다 (“to be simple”). Here it describes the review: the review should be brief or simple. For example, 간단히 설명해 주세요 means “Please explain it briefly.” 검토하는 것 means “reviewing” or “the act of reviewing.” 검토하다 is the base verb “to review” or “to examine.” The pattern -는 것 turns an action into a noun-like expression, so 검토하는 것 can function as the thing one starts with. In this sentence, 간단히 modifies the reviewing action. 부터 marks the starting point: “from” or “starting with.” Attached to 검토하는 것, it makes 검토하는 것부터 mean “starting with reviewing.” It does not itself mean that there is a numeric count; it identifies the first step in an order. For example, 이름부터 확인하세요 means “Start by checking the name.” 시작해 comes from 시작하다, “to start” or “to begin.” Here its casual -해 form is used as a directive: “start.” The construction A부터 시작하다 means “to start with A.” In the sentence, 시작해 completes the instruction introduced by the preceding contrast. Together, 가장 어려운 부분에 means “into the most difficult part,” with 에 marking the destination or target of entering. 바로 뛰어들지 말고 says not to jump into that part immediately. Instead, 간단히 검토하는 것부터 시작해 instructs the listener to begin with a brief review. The whole utterance is therefore: “Start with a brief review instead of jumping straight into the hardest part.”

3. 우리가 분석 중간에 멈췄기 때문에 흐름을 잃었어.

   I lost momentum because we paused in the middle of the analysis.

   우리가

   we

   분석

   analysis

   중간에

   in the middle

   멈췄기 때문에

   because (we) paused

   흐름

   momentum; flow

   잃었어

   lost

   More detail

   우리가 means “we” here. 우리 is a first-person plural pronoun, and -가 marks it as the subject of its clause. Korean 우리 can include the speaker and one or more other people; the fixed translation supports that reading here. 분석 means “analysis” and is a noun. It also appears in the verb 분석하다, “to analyze.” Here it names the activity whose middle point is being specified. 중간에 means “in the middle.” 중간 means “middle,” and -에 marks a relevant point in time or space. For example, 회의 중간에 means “in the middle of the meeting.” 멈췄기 때문에 expresses the reason “because [we] paused.” The base verb is 멈추다, “to stop” or “to pause.” Its past form is 멈췄다, and -기 때문에 makes the action into a reason. In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies the understood subject as “we.” Example: 비가 왔기 때문에 멈췄어요 means “I stopped because it rained.” 흐름을 means “momentum” here and is the object of 잃었어. 흐름 is a noun meaning continuing movement or progression; in this context, the translation selects the figurative sense “momentum.” The particle -을 marks it as the object. 잃었어 means “lost” here. Its base form is 잃다, “to lose,” and 잃었어 is its casual past form. The past marking presents the loss as having occurred before the utterance; the casual ending suits familiar or informal conversation. Example: 시간을 잃었어 means “I lost time.” Together, 우리가 분석 중간에 멈췄기 때문에 means “because we paused in the middle of the analysis.” This reason clause comes before 흐름을 잃었어, “I lost momentum.” The whole utterance means: “I lost momentum because we paused in the middle of the analysis.”

4. 마지막 메모를 보고 다음 우선순위를 골라.

   Look at the last note and pick the next priority.

   마지막

   last

   메모

   note

   보고

   look at and

   다음

   next

   우선순위

   priority

   골라

   pick

   More detail

   마지막 means “last” here and modifies 메모, giving “the last note.” It is used before a noun. For the contrasting idea, Korean commonly uses 첫 or 처음의, depending on the construction. For example, 마지막 단계 means “the last step,” while 첫 단계 means “the first step.” 메모 means “note” or “memo.” In this sentence, 메모를 marks it as the object being looked at; 를 is the object particle used after a noun ending in a vowel. The reusable pattern is 명사+을/를 보다, “look at a noun.” 보고 is the connective form of 보다, “to look at” or “to see.” Here -고 connects the first action to the following action: look at the note, then choose a priority. For example, 자료를 읽고 결정해. means “Read the material and decide.” 다음 means “next” here and modifies 우선순위. It identifies the priority that follows the current one in the relevant sequence; it does not itself state a numerical quantity. The same word can modify other nouns, as in 다음 단계, “the next step.” 우선순위 means “priority,” an order of importance or urgency. 우선순위를 정하다 means “set priorities,” while 우선순위를 고르다 means “choose a priority.” Here 우선순위를 is the object of 고르다. 골라 is the informal command form of 고르다, “to choose” or “to pick.” 고르다 is the base form. This verb follows the Korean 르-irregular pattern before an ending beginning with a vowel: 고르다 becomes 골라, rather than simply attaching the ending without the extra ㄹ change. The ending here gives a plain informal command. For example, 하나를 골라. means “Pick one.” Together, 마지막 메모를 보고 means “look at the last note and,” and 다음 우선순위를 골라 means “pick the next priority.” The complete utterance is “Look at the last note and pick the next priority.” It is a direct informal instruction, with looking presented before choosing.

5. 다음 단계는 숫자들이 원본 파일과 일치하는지 확인하는 거야.

   The next step is checking whether the numbers match the source file.

   다음 단계

   the next step

   숫자들

   the numbers

   원본 파일

   the source file

   일치하는지

   whether they match

   확인하는

   checking

   More detail

   다음 단계 means “the next step.” 다음 means “next” or “following,” and 단계 means “step” or “stage.” Together, they identify the step that comes next in an ordered process. Example: 다음 단계로 넘어가요. — “Let’s move on to the next step.” 숫자들 means “the numbers.” 숫자 means “number,” and 들 marks a plural group here. Korean can leave number unmarked when context is sufficient, so 숫자 can also refer to multiple numbers; 숫자들 presents them explicitly as a group. Example: 숫자들을 다시 세어 보세요. — “Please count the numbers again.” 원본 파일 means “the source file” or “the original file.” 원본 means “original” or “source,” and 파일 means “file.” Together, the nouns form a phrase in which 원본 specifies what kind of file it is. Example: 원본 파일을 보관하세요. — “Keep the source file.” 일치하는지 means “whether [they] match.” Its base form is 일치하다, meaning “to match” or “to correspond.” 일치하는 is the present adnominal form, and -지 turns it into an embedded question or uncertainty clause. Here, the numbers are the things being checked, and the source file is the comparison counterpart. Example: 두 목록이 일치하는지 확인해요. — “I check whether the two lists match.” 확인하는 comes from 확인하다, meaning “to check” or “to verify.” 확인하는 is its present adnominal form, used before 것 in the conversational expression 확인하는 거야. Here it describes the activity that constitutes the next step. Example: 주소를 확인하는 중이에요. — “I’m checking the address.” The structure is 다음 단계는 [숫자들이 원본 파일과 일치하는지 확인하는 거야]. 다음 단계는 sets “the next step” as the topic. 숫자들이 marks the numbers as the subject of the matching clause, while 원본 파일과 marks the source file as the comparison counterpart with 과. The embedded clause 숫자들이 원본 파일과 일치하는지 means “whether the numbers match the source file,” and 확인하는 거야 identifies checking that point as the step. Here, 거 is the conversational form of 것, and 야 is the informal copula ending; together they present the activity as what the step is. Thus the whole utterance means, “The next step is checking whether the numbers match the source file.”

6. 그러면 다시 시작할 지점이 분명해져.

   That gives you a clear point to resume from.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   다시

   again

   시작할

   to start; to resume

   지점

   point

   분명해져

   becomes clear

   More detail

   그러면 connects this sentence to what came before. Here it means “then” or “in that case,” introducing a result or next step based on the preceding situation. Example: 그러면 시작하자. — “Then, let’s start.” 다시 means “again.” With a verb, it marks a repeated action; in this sentence, 다시 시작하다 means “to start again” or, in the translation’s context, “to resume.” Example: 다시 확인해 주세요. — “Please check again.” 시작할 is the form of 시작하다, “to start,” used before a noun. The ending -ㄹ in 시작할 지점 presents the action as the relevant or intended action associated with that noun: “the point at which [someone] will start” or “the point to start from.” The observed form is not itself a complete sentence-final verb. 시작하다 is the base form; 시작해요 is a polite present-style form, while 시작할 is the noun-modifying form seen here. 지점 means “point” or “spot,” especially a point in a process, location, or reference sequence. In 시작할 지점, it is the point from which the activity can be started or resumed. Example: 출발 지점을 정했어요. — “I chose the departure point.” 분명해져 comes from 분명하다, “to be clear,” combined with -어지다, which expresses a change into a state: “become clear.” The form 분명해져 is the plain sentence-final form here; it does not mean simply “is clear,” but presents clarity as the resulting state. Example: 목표가 분명해졌어요. — “The goal became clear.” Together, 그러면 sets up the result, 다시 시작할 지점 identifies the point from which to begin again, and 분명해져 says that this point becomes clear. The whole utterance means: “That gives you a clear point to resume from.”

7. 나도 채팅 앱을 닫아야 해. 계속 주의가 산만해지거든.

   I also need to close chat apps because I keep getting distracted.

   나도

   I also

   채팅 앱

   chat app

   닫아야 해

   need to close

   계속

   continuously; keep

   주의

   attention

   산만해지거든

   because it becomes distracting

   More detail

   나도 means “I too” or “me as well.” 도 is the particle that adds the meaning “also”; it attaches directly to 나 (“I”). The sentence therefore presents the speaker as sharing the relevant need with someone or something already understood from context. 채팅 앱 is “chat app.” 채팅 specifies the kind of 앱, and 앱 is a Korean loanword meaning “app.” In 채팅 앱을, 을 marks the app as the object of the following action. The singular form can refer to chat apps as a type or to a particular app, depending on context; the fixed translation supports the general sense here. 닫아야 해 expresses “need to close” or “must close.” Its useful pattern is verb stem + 아/어야 하다: 닫다 (“to close”) becomes 닫아야 하다, and the conversational form 해야 해 completes the obligation expression. 닫아야 해 is not simply a future statement; it presents closing as necessary. Example: 문을 닫아야 해. — “I need to close the door.” 계속 means “continually” or “keep.” It indicates that the situation continues or happens repeatedly over a period, rather than occurring just once. Example: 계속 비가 와. — “It keeps raining.” 주의 means “attention.” In 주의가, the particle 가 marks 주의 as the grammatical subject. The useful expression here is 주의가 산만해지다, meaning that one’s attention becomes scattered or one becomes distracted. 주의 itself is the noun carrying the meaning “attention”; it is not the adjective or verb in that expression. 산만해지거든 is the ending part of 산만해지다 (“to become distracted” or “to become scattered”) with the explanatory ending -거든. 산만하다 means “to be distracted/scattered,” and 산만해지다 means “to become distracted/scattered,” so -아/어지다 marks a change of state. Here, 산만해지거든 gives the reason for the preceding need: “because my attention keeps becoming scattered.” The ending -거든 commonly supplies an explanation, especially as a reason for what was just said. The form 지다 is the part that expresses becoming; it is not an inflection of 주의. Putting the parts together, 나도 (“I also”) identifies the speaker as sharing the need, 채팅 앱을 닫아야 해 says that closing the chat app is necessary, and 계속 주의가 산만해지거든 explains why: the speaker’s attention keeps becoming scattered. The complete meaning is: “I also need to close chat apps because I keep getting distracted.”

8. 방해받지 않고 일하는 동안에는 채팅 앱을 닫아 두고, 그다음에 메시지를 확인해.

   Keep them closed while you work without distractions, then check your messages.

   방해받지 않고

   without distractions

   일하는 동안에는

   while working

   채팅 앱

   chat app

   닫아 두고

   keep closed and

   그다음에

   then

   메시지

   message

   확인해

   check

   More detail

   방해받지 않고 means “without being distracted” here. 방해받다 means “to be disturbed” or “interrupted,” and -지 않고 means “without doing something or without being in that state.” The passive form presents the speaker as the one affected, not the one disturbing someone. Example: 소리를 내지 않고 들어요. — “I listen without making noise.” 일하는 동안에는 means “while working.” 일하다 means “to work,” and -는 동안 marks the time during which something happens. The final -에는 adds a topic or contrastive nuance: “as for the time while working.” Example: 여행하는 동안 사진을 많이 찍었어요. — “I took many photos while traveling.” 채팅 앱 means “chat app.” 앱 is a noun meaning “app,” and Korean does not require a plural ending here, so the phrase can refer to one or more chat apps. In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies these apps as the things to keep closed. 닫아 두고 means “keep closed and.” 닫다 means “to close”; its connective form is 닫아. -아/어 두다 adds the idea of leaving something in a resulting state, often intentionally or in preparation: 문을 닫아 두다 means “leave the door closed.” The final -고 links this action to the following action; the separate 그다음에 supplies the meaning “then.” Example: 창문을 열어 두고 나갔어요. — “I left with the window open.” 그다음에 means “then” or “after that.” It places the next action after the action just mentioned. Example: 먼저 씻고 그다음에 저녁을 먹어요. — “First I wash, and then I eat dinner.” 메시지 means “message.” The noun has no visible plural marker, so 메시지 can mean “message” or “messages” when context does not require a number. Here, the fixed translation supports “your messages.” 확인해 means “check” here. The base verb is 확인하다, meaning “to check” or “to confirm,” and 확인해 is its informal plain-style request or instruction form. Example: 시간을 확인해. — “Check the time.” Together, 방해받지 않고 일하는 동안에는 sets the situation: while working without distractions. 채팅 앱을 닫아 두고 instructs the listener to close the chat apps and leave them closed. 그다음에 메시지를 확인해 places checking the messages afterward. The whole utterance is therefore: “Keep the chat apps closed while you work without distractions, then check your messages.”

9. 그 정도면 할 수 있을 것 같아. 조금씩 다시 집중할 수 있겠어.

   That feels manageable. I can rebuild focus gradually.

   그 정도면

   at that level, that should be manageable

   할 … 수

   can do

   있을 것 같아

   seems likely

   조금씩

   gradually, little by little

   다시

   again

   집중할 수 있겠어

   can focus

   More detail

   그 정도면 combines 그 (“that”), 정도 (“degree/extent”), and -면 (“if/when; given that”). Here it means “if it is at about that level” or “given that much,” without specifying a numeric amount. 정도 is useful for talking about an approximate degree: 이 정도 means “this much/at this level.” 할 is the form of 하다 (“to do”) used before 수 in the ability pattern -(으)ㄹ 수 있다: “can do.” The -ㄹ ending marks the verb form used in this construction; it is attached to 하다 as 할. 수 is a dependent noun meaning a possible way or possibility in this pattern. It is not the main lexical verb by itself. Together with 할, it forms 할 수, “be able to do.” For example, 읽을 수 있어 means “I can read.” 있을 것 같아 expresses an impression or expectation that something will be possible or will happen. 있을 comes from 있다 (“to exist; to be possible”) with the future-looking -ㄹ form, 것 nominalizes the expected situation, and 같아 comes from 같다 (“to be similar; to seem”). In this sentence, the construction makes the assessment tentative rather than an absolute guarantee: “it seems possible.” 조금씩 means “little by little.” The repeated small increments are part of its meaning. It can modify an action such as 조금씩 배우다, “learn little by little.” 다시 means “again” or “back.” It indicates that the action is being resumed or repeated; here it modifies the act of focusing, so the intended meaning is “focus again” or “regain focus.” 집중할 수 있겠어 is the ability pattern with 집중하다 (“to concentrate, focus”): 집중할 수 있다 means “can focus.” 집중할 is the -ㄹ form of 집중하다, followed by 수 있다. The ending -겠어 adds a speaker’s assessment or expectation about possibility in this context, giving a tentative “I should be able to” or “I think I can,” rather than changing 집중하다 into a different verb. For example, 오늘은 집중할 수 있겠어 can mean “I think I’ll be able to concentrate today.” Together, 그 정도면 할 수 있을 것 같아 says that, given the level just referred to, doing it seems manageable or possible. 조금씩 다시 집중할 수 있겠어 says that focus can probably be regained gradually. The full utterance therefore means: “That feels manageable. I can rebuild focus gradually.”

10. 거기서 시작하면 나머지는 덜 부담스럽게 느껴질 거야.

    Start there, and the rest should feel less heavy.

    거기서

    there; at that point

    시작하면

    if you start

    나머지는

    the rest; as for the rest

    덜

    less

    부담스럽게

    as burdensome

    느껴질 거야

    will feel

    More detail

    거기서 means “there” or “at that point” here. 거기 is a demonstrative place word, and -서 marks the place where the action occurs. With 시작하다 (“to start”), it means starting at that place; it does not by itself mean movement away from there. Compare 여기서 (“here/at this point”). 시작하면 comes from 시작하다 (“to start”) plus -면, a conditional ending meaning “if” or “when.” Here it means “if you start,” with the addressee as the understood subject. Example: 지금 시작하면 늦지 않아. — “If you start now, you won’t be late.” 나머지는 means “as for the rest.” 나머지 means “the remainder” or “the rest,” and -는 marks it as the topic. The topic is what the following description says will feel less burdensome. 덜 is an adverb meaning “less.” It lowers the degree of the following description. Its useful opposite is 더 (“more”): 더 부담스럽게 means “as more burdensome,” while 덜 부담스럽게 means “as less burdensome.” 부담스럽게 is the adverbial form of 부담스럽다, meaning “burdensome” or “uncomfortable because of a burden.” The ending -게 lets this descriptive form modify a verb, here 느껴지다. 부담 is a noun, not the base form of the observed adjective: the base form is 부담스럽다, and 부담스럽게 is its adverbial form. Example: 일이 덜 부담스럽게 느껴져. — “The work feels less burdensome.” 느껴질 거야 means “will feel” here. 느껴지다 describes something being experienced or seeming a certain way, whereas 느끼다 is the related verb for actively feeling or experiencing something. 느껴질 is the future form of 느껴지다 used before 것, and 거야 is the spoken contraction of 것이야. Together, -ㄹ 거야 expresses an expected or predicted result in informal speech; it is not a command. Together, 거기서 시작하면 means “if you start there,” and 나머지는 덜 부담스럽게 느껴질 거야 means “the rest will feel less burdensome.” The conditional clause presents starting at that point as the condition, while 나머지는 identifies what is expected to feel easier. The complete utterance is: “Start there, and the rest should feel less heavy.”