Fixing a Printer Problem in the Library | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 제 문서가 프린터 대기열에서 멈춰서 아무것도 출력되지 않아요.

   My document is stuck in the printer queue, and nothing is coming out.

   제

   my

   문서

   document

   프린터

   printer

   대기열

   queue

   멈춰서

   gets stuck, so

   아무것도

   nothing

   출력되지 않아요

   is not being printed

   More detail

   제 is the possessive form meaning “my” here. It is a contraction of 저의; 저 is the humble first-person pronoun, and 제 commonly comes before the possessed noun: 제 책 means “my book.” 문서 means “document.” It is a noun that can refer to a document or file intended for handling, saving, or printing. Here it is the thing that is stuck and not being output. 프린터 means “printer.” This is a loanword used as a noun; in 프린터 대기열, it specifies the queue associated with the printer. 대기열 means “queue” or “waiting line.” In this sentence, 프린터 대기열 is the printer queue: the place where print jobs wait to be processed. The two nouns form a noun-modifying-noun pattern, with 프린터 specifying what kind of queue it is. 멈춰서 comes from 멈추다, “to stop” or “to become stuck,” plus -어서, a connective ending. 멈추다 changes to 멈춰서 through the contraction of 멈추- and -어서. Here it connects the document’s stopped state with the result in the next clause: because it has stopped in the queue, nothing is being output. The same pattern can connect a cause or preceding action to a following result, as in 비가 와서 집에 있어요 (“It is raining, so I am at home”). 아무것도 means “nothing” in this sentence. It is used with the negative predicate 출력되지 않아요; 아무것도 commonly has the meaning “nothing” in a negative clause. For example, 아무것도 보이지 않아요 means “Nothing is visible.” 출력되지 않아요 is based on 출력되다, “to be output” or, in this context, “to be printed.” -지 않아요 makes the predicate negative in a polite present-style form: 출력되지 않아요 means “is not being output/printed.” The -되다 form presents the document as the thing undergoing output, rather than as the agent performing an action. For comparison, 출력해요 means “(someone/something) outputs or prints it,” while 출력되지 않아요 says that it is not coming out as output. Together, 제 문서가 identifies the document as the subject, and 프린터 대기열에서 places it in the printer queue. 멈춰서 says that it has stopped there and links that situation to its consequence. The final clause, 아무것도 출력되지 않아요, states that nothing is being printed. The whole utterance therefore means: “My document is stuck in the printer queue, and nothing is coming out.”

2. 작업을 다시 보내기 전에 화면을 확인해 봐요.

   Let's check the screen before sending the job again.

   작업을

   the job

   다시

   again

   보내기

   sending

   전에

   before

   화면을

   the screen

   확인해 봐요

   let’s check

   More detail

   작업을 means “the job” here. 작업 is a noun meaning a task, piece of work, or job; the fixed translation identifies it as the job being sent. 을 marks it as the object of 보내다. The object marker is 을 after a consonant-final noun and 를 after a vowel-final noun. 다시 means “again” and modifies the sending action. It is an adverb and does not itself mark tense or the object. 보내기 comes from the verb 보내다, “to send.” The ending -기 turns a verb into an activity or event expression: 보내다 → 보내기, “sending.” In 보내기 전에, this activity is the event whose earlier timing is being specified. Example: 출발하기 전에 전화해요. — “I call before leaving.” 전에 means “before” here and follows the -기 activity expression 보내기. The clause 작업을 다시 보내기 전에 means “before sending the job again”; the main action, checking the screen, is presented as happening first. 화면을 means “the screen” here. 화면 is a noun for a screen or display, and 을 marks it as the object of 확인하다, “to check.” 확인해 봐요 combines 확인하다, “to check or confirm,” with -아/어 보다, a construction meaning to try doing something or see what happens by doing it. 확인하다 becomes 확인해 보다, and the polite spoken form shown here is 확인해 봐요. With the fixed translation, it is an inclusive suggestion: “let’s check.” The 보다 here is part of the construction, not a separate command to look at something. Together, 작업을 다시 보내기 전에 means “before sending the job again,” and 화면을 확인해 봐요 means “let’s check the screen.” The complete utterance is therefore “Let’s check the screen before sending the job again.”

3. 양면 인쇄를 선택했는데 화면에 오류가 표시돼요.

   I chose double-sided printing, but the display shows an error.

   양면 인쇄

   double-sided printing

   선택했는데

   chose, but

   화면

   screen; display

   오류

   error

   표시돼요

   is displayed; shows

   More detail

   양면 인쇄 means double-sided printing. 양면 means “both sides,” and 인쇄 means printing. Together, this is a reusable noun phrase for the printing option or process that uses both sides of a sheet. Example: 양면 인쇄를 지원해요. — “It supports double-sided printing.” 선택했는데 comes from 선택하다, “to select, choose.” The form 선택했- is the past form, so it presents the selection as already made. The ending -는데 connects this clause to what follows and creates a contrast here: “I chose ..., but ...” or “Although I chose ...”. It can also provide background in other contexts. Example: 이 옵션을 선택했는데 작동하지 않아요. — “I selected this option, but it doesn’t work.” The particle 를 after 양면 인쇄 marks the selected option as the object of 선택했어요; it is included in the combined form 양면 인쇄를 선택했는데. 화면 means a screen or display. With 에, 화면에 means “on the screen” or “on the display,” marking where the error appears. Example: 화면에 안내가 나와요. — “A notice appears on the screen.” 오류 means an error or malfunction message in a device or software context. It is the thing that is displayed in this sentence. Example: 오류가 발생했어요. — “An error occurred.” 표시돼요 is the polite present form of 표시되다, “to be displayed” or “to appear.” The form is passive: 표시하다 means “to display,” while 표시되다 describes something becoming visible as displayed. Here, 오류가 표시돼요 means “an error is displayed” or, naturally in English, “the display shows an error.” The ending -어요 gives a polite conversational style. Example: 결과가 화면에 표시돼요. — “The result is displayed on the screen.” As a whole, 양면 인쇄를 선택했는데 화면에 오류가 표시돼요. combines a past choice with a contrasting current result: “I chose double-sided printing, but the display shows an error.”

4. 용지가 걸렸을 수도 있으니 지금은 조작부를 건드리지 마세요.

   There may be a paper jam, so leave the controls alone for now.

   용지

   paper

   걸렸을 수도 있으니

   since it may be stuck

   지금은

   for now

   조작부

   controls

   건드리지 마세요

   please do not touch

   More detail

   용지 means paper, especially paper handled by a printer or other office machine. In 용지가, 가 marks 용지 as the subject: the paper is the thing described by what follows. Example: 용지가 부족해요. means “There is not enough paper.” 걸렸을 수도 있으니 says that the paper may be stuck, followed by a reason. The base form is 걸리다, which can mean “get caught” or “become stuck”; here 걸렸- describes the paper as having become stuck. The pattern -았/었을 수도 있다 expresses a possibility about a completed event or state: 용지가 걸렸을 수도 있어요. means “The paper may have gotten stuck.” -으니 connects that possibility to the reason for the next instruction: “since/because it may be stuck.” 지금은 means “for now” or “as for now.” 지금 means “now,” and the topic marker 은 makes the time frame the topic, giving the practical sense “at this point, for now.” Example: 지금은 기다리세요. means “Please wait for now.” 조작부 means the controls or control panel of a machine. In this printer-related sentence, it is the part used to operate the machine, matching “the controls” in the fixed translation. Example: 조작부의 버튼을 누르세요. means “Press the button on the control panel.” 건드리지 마세요 is a polite negative instruction meaning “please do not touch.” The base verb is 건드리다, “to touch” or “to tamper with.” The pattern V-지 마세요 tells someone not to do an action; 마세요 is the polite form used in this prohibition. In the full sentence, the object is explicitly 조작부를: 조작부를 건드리지 마세요 means “please do not touch the controls.” Example: 이 버튼을 건드리지 마세요. means “Please do not touch this button.” Together, 용지가 걸렸을 수도 있으니 gives the reason, 지금은 limits the instruction to the present situation, and 조작부를 건드리지 마세요 gives the polite prohibition. The complete meaning is: “There may be a paper jam, so leave the controls alone for now.”

5. 다시 보내서 대기열에 작업을 하나 더 추가하고 싶지 않아요.

   I do not want to resend it and add another job to the queue.

   다시

   again

   보내서

   send and then

   대기열

   queue

   작업

   job

   하나 더

   one more

   추가하고

   add and

   싶지 않아요

   do not want to

   More detail

   다시 means “again” or “once more.” Here it modifies 보내서, so the sending is understood as repeating an earlier sending. A reusable pattern is 다시 + verb: 다시 읽어요 means “I read it again.” 보내서 is the form of 보내다 (“to send”) combined with -아서/-어서. This connective can link an action to a following action, often with a sequence or result. In this sentence, 다시 보내서 means “send it again and then…,” with the object understood from the context. The form 보내서 itself does not mark who performs the action. 대기열 means “queue,” especially a queue of tasks waiting to be processed. The following particle 에 marks it as the destination or place where something is added: 대기열에 means “to/in the queue.” 작업 means “job” or “task.” In this technical context it refers to a unit of work in the queue. It can also be used more generally for a task or piece of work; the intended “job” sense here is fixed by the translation and context. 하나 더 means “one more.” 하나 is the native Korean number “one,” and 더 means “more/additionally.” Together they indicate an additional single item, not merely an indefinite item. In 작업을 하나 더, the object marker 을 belongs to 작업, while 하나 더 specifies the additional amount. 추가하고 comes from 추가하다 (“to add”) plus -고, a connective that links this verb with the following expression. Thus 추가하고 싶다 is the reusable pattern “want to add.” The ending -고 here connects the action of adding with the desire expressed afterward; it does not by itself mean that the adding actually happened. 싶지 않아요 expresses not wanting to do something. Korean commonly forms this pattern as verb stem + -고 싶다 (“want to do”) and verb stem + -고 싶지 않다 (“do not want to do”). Here 싶지 않아요 is the polite present form of the negative expression, and the preceding 추가하고 supplies the verb: 추가하고 싶지 않아요 means “I do not want to add [it].” The understood subject is the speaker, as shown by the fixed translation. Putting the chunks together, 다시 보내서 describes resending it, 대기열에 작업을 하나 더 추가하고 describes adding one more job to the queue, and 싶지 않아요 states that the speaker does not want that result. The complete meaning is: “I do not want to resend it and add another job to the queue.”

6. 다시 시도하시기 전에 제가 실패한 작업을 취소할 수 있어요.

   I can cancel the failed job before you try again.

   다시

   again

   시도하시기 전에

   before trying

   제가

   I

   실패한

   failed

   작업

   job; task

   취소할

   cancel

   수 있어요

   can

   More detail

   다시 means “again” or “once more.” It is an adverb modifying the trying event here. Example: 다시 확인해요. — “I check again.” 시도하시기 전에 means “before trying.” 시도하다 means “to try” or “to attempt.” The form includes -시-, an honorific subject-marking suffix; here the addressee, “you,” is the subject of trying. -기 전에 is a reusable pattern meaning “before doing …”: 보내기 전에 — “before sending.” 제가 is the first-person pronoun 저 (“I,” in a modest form) plus the subject marker 가. In this sentence, it marks the subject of the following relative clause 실패한, not the subject of the main clause. 실패한 comes from 실패하다, “to fail.” Its attributive form modifies the noun that follows. Together, 제가 실패한 작업 means “the job/task that I failed” or “the job/task I failed at.” The fixed translation presents this naturally as “the failed job”; it does not support changing the relative-clause subject from 제가 to the job itself. 작업 means “job” or “task.” Here it is the object that can be canceled. Example: 작업을 시작해요. — “I start the task.” 취소할 comes from 취소하다, “to cancel.” Its -(으)ㄹ form combines with 수 있어요 in the possibility or ability pattern. Example: 예약을 취소할 수 있어요. — “I can cancel the reservation.” 수 있어요 completes 동사-(으)ㄹ 수 있다, a pattern meaning that someone can or is able to do the action. Here, 취소할 수 있어요 means “can cancel,” with the speaker as the understood subject of the main clause. The sentence first gives the time condition 다시 시도하시기 전에, “before you try again.” The relative clause 제가 실패한 identifies 작업 as the job/task that the speaker failed at, and 작업을 취소할 수 있어요 says that the speaker can cancel it. Together, the intended meaning is: “I can cancel the failed job before you try again.” The sentence is polite, and -시- honorifically marks the addressee as the subject of “try.”

7. 제가 다른 작업을 보내기 전에 프린터를 확인해 주실 수 있나요?

   Could you check the printer before I send anything else?

   제가

   I

   다른

   other; different

   작업

   task; job

   보내기 전에

   before sending

   프린터

   printer

   확인해

   check; verify

   주실 수 있나요?

   could you do it for me?

   More detail

   제가 means “I” as the subject here. It is 저 (“I,” the humble/polite first-person form) plus the subject particle 가. The particle marks the person who performs the action; it does not by itself indicate the number of people. Example: 제가 할게요. — “I’ll do it.” 다른 means “other” here and appears before the noun it describes. It is the attributive form of 다르다 (“to be different”): 다르다 → 다른 before a noun. In this sentence, it identifies a task other than one already relevant in the situation; it does not state how many tasks there are. Example: 다른 방법을 찾아요. — “Let’s find another method.” 작업 is a noun meaning “task” or, in a printing context, “job.” Korean nouns generally do not mark singular versus plural by changing this form, so 작업 here does not by itself assert a particular number. Example: 작업이 끝났어요. — “The job is finished.” 보내기 전에 expresses “before sending.” It is built from 보내다 (“to send”), the nominalizing form -기, and 전에 (“before”): 보내다 → 보내기 전에. The subject of this action is supplied by 제가, so the clause means “before I send [it/them],” with the object understood from context. The pattern 동사-기 전에 is reusable for “before doing something.” Example: 출발하기 전에 확인하세요. — “Check before departing.” 프린터 is the noun “printer.” It is the object of the checking action in this sentence. Example: 프린터가 작동해요. — “The printer is working.” 확인해 comes from 확인하다, “to check” or “to verify.” The form 확인해 is the -해 connective form of this 하다-verb. Here it connects to 주다 in 확인해 주다, rather than functioning as the complete polite request by itself. Example: 주소를 확인해요. — “I check the address.” 주실 수 있나요? is a polite possibility/request pattern. It combines 주다 (“to do/give for someone”), the honorific element -시- in 주실, and -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 (“can be able to”), with the question ending -나요?. After an action verb, -아/어 주다 presents the action as being done as a favor for someone; 확인해 주실 수 있나요? therefore politely asks whether the listener can check it for the speaker. The honorific element respects the listener, and does not change who performs the checking. Example: 도와주실 수 있나요? — “Could you help me?” Together, 제가 다른 작업을 보내기 전에 sets the time and the speaker’s action: before the speaker sends another task. 프린터를 확인해 names the requested action, and 주실 수 있나요? turns it into a polite request for the listener to do that action as a favor. The complete meaning is: “Could you check the printer before I send anything else?”

8. 제가 살펴볼게요. 하지만 기계를 직접 열지는 마세요.

   I'll take a look, but please do not open the machine yourself.

   제가

   I (subject)

   살펴볼게요

   I’ll take a look

   하지만

   but

   기계

   machine

   직접

   personally; yourself

   열지는 마세요

   please don’t open

   More detail

   제가 is the first-person subject form: 저 means “I” in polite speech, and -가 marks it as the subject. Here it identifies the speaker as the person who will look. The form 저는 would instead mark “I” as the topic, often creating a contrast or a broader topic. 살펴볼게요 comes from 살펴보다, “to examine” or “to take a look,” plus -ㄹ게요. The ending presents the speaker’s willing commitment or offer: “I’ll take a look.” It is not simply a neutral future prediction. A useful pattern is 제가 + verb-ㄹ게요, as in 제가 확인할게요 (“I’ll check it”). 하지만 connects the two parts with contrast: “but.” It introduces a different instruction from the speaker’s offer to inspect the machine. 기계 means “machine.” In the sentence, the following object marker -를 appears as 기계를, so the machine is what is acted on. 기계 is a noun; the form itself does not indicate a particular machine without context. Here, the fixed translation identifies it as the machine being discussed. 직접 means doing something personally or by oneself, rather than having someone else do it. In this sentence it emphasizes that the listener should not open the machine personally. The same adverb can also mean “directly” when the context concerns a direct route or method, but the intended meaning here is “yourself.” 열지는 마세요 is a prohibition built from 열다, “to open,” and 말다, “not to do.” The ending -지 마세요 is a polite way to tell someone not to perform an action: 열지 마세요 means “please don’t open it.” In the observed form, 는 is inserted after -지 (-지는 마세요), giving the prohibition a mild contrastive emphasis, roughly “as for opening it, please don’t.” 열다 is the verb whose base form is “to open”; 마세요 is not the base form of that verb. Together, 제가 살펴볼게요 means “I’ll take a look,” while 하지만 기계를 직접 열지는 마세요 contrasts that offer with the polite instruction not to open the machine personally. The complete meaning is: “I’ll take a look, but please do not open the machine yourself.”

9. 확인하시는 동안 저는 여기서 기다릴게요.

   I'll wait here while you check it.

   확인하시는

   check

   동안

   while; during

   저는

   I; as for me

   여기서

   here

   기다릴게요

   will wait; I’ll wait

   More detail

   확인하시는 means “you check” here. It comes from 확인하다 (“to check”) with -시-, the honorific marker for the person being addressed, and -는, which makes the clause modify the following time expression. The form therefore fits the respectful “while you check.” A reusable pattern is [subject]이/가 확인하는 동안 for “while [subject] checks,” or [honored subject]이/가 확인하시는 동안 when the subject is honored. 동안 means “during” or “while.” With a clause ending in -는, as in 확인하시는 동안, it forms the pattern “while someone does something.” For example, 기다리는 동안 책을 읽어요. means “I read a book while waiting.” 저는 is 저 (“I,” in humble/polite speech) plus the topic marker 는, presenting the speaker as the topic: “as for me, I …” The topic marker does not itself mean that there is more than one person. In less formal speech, 나는 uses 나 instead of the humble/polite 저. 여기서 means “here” as the place where the action occurs. It is 여기 (“here”) plus -서, a location marker used for an action. For example, 여기서 기다리세요. means “Please wait here.” 기다릴게요 comes from 기다리다 (“to wait”) plus -(으)ㄹ게요. This ending presents the speaker’s willingness or commitment to do something, so here it means “I’ll wait.” It is polite and commonly used when the action is offered or promised to the listener. The subject is understood as the speaker from 저는; Korean often leaves an already clear subject unspoken. For comparison, 기다릴 거예요 more neutrally describes a future plan or expectation: “I will probably wait / I’m going to wait.” Together, 확인하시는 동안 sets the time—“while you check”—and 저는 여기서 기다릴게요 states the speaker’s polite commitment—“I’ll wait here.” The complete utterance means: “I’ll wait here while you check it.”

10. 그러면 인쇄 작업을 더 추가하지 않고 문제를 해결하는 데 도움이 될 거예요.

    That will help us clear the problem without adding more print jobs.

    그러면

    then; in that case

    인쇄 작업

    print job(s)

    더

    more; additionally

    추가하지 않고

    without adding

    문제

    problem

    해결하는

    solving; resolving

    도움이 될 거예요

    will be helpful; will help

    More detail

    그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It connects this statement to a condition or situation already understood. Example: 그러면 시작할게요. — “Then I’ll start.” 인쇄 작업 means “print job(s).” 인쇄 relates to printing, and 작업 means a task or job. The noun phrase itself does not state how many jobs there are; number is supplied by context. Example: 인쇄 작업이 많아요. — “There are many print jobs.” 더 means “more” or “additionally.” Here it modifies the idea of adding print jobs, so it indicates an increase beyond the already understood amount. Example: 더 필요해요. — “We need more.” 추가하지 않고 is based on 추가하다, “to add,” followed by -지 않고, “without doing.” The form 추가하지 않고 therefore means “without adding.” This pattern can attach to a verb to describe an action that is not performed while the main action takes place. Example: 돈을 쓰지 않고 해결했어요. — “I solved it without spending money.” 문제 means “problem” or “issue.” It is the object understood with the following resolving expression. Example: 문제가 있어요. — “There is a problem.” 해결하는 is the form of 해결하다, “to solve” or “resolve.” The ending -는 makes the verb modify a following noun-like element; in 문제를 해결하는 데, it represents “resolving the problem” as an activity. Example: 문제를 해결하는 방법 — “a way to solve the problem.” 도움이 될 거예요 uses 도움, “help,” with the subject particle 이, followed by 되다, “to become,” and the prospective form -ㄹ 거예요. Literally, it is “will become help,” but naturally it means “will help” or “will be helpful.” In this sentence, the omitted beneficiary is understood from the fixed translation as “us.” Example: 이 정보가 도움이 될 거예요. — “This information will be helpful.” The pattern 문제를 해결하는 데 도움이 되다 means “to help solve the problem.” Here, -는 데 turns the activity of solving the problem into the purpose or area in which help is provided. 인쇄 작업을 더 추가하지 않고 says that this help occurs without adding more print jobs. With 그러면 at the beginning and -ㄹ 거예요 at the end, the whole utterance means: “Then, without adding more print jobs, that will help us solve the problem.”