Responding to a Coffee Spill on a Laptop | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 노트북 근처에 커피를 쏟았는데, 액체가 키보드 아래로 조금 들어갔어요.

   I spilled coffee near my laptop, and some liquid went under the keyboard.

   노트북

   laptop

   근처에

   near

   커피를

   coffee

   쏟았는데

   spilled, and…

   액체가

   liquid

   키보드

   keyboard

   아래로

   under; downward

   조금

   a little

   들어갔어요

   went in

   More detail

   노트북 means “laptop” here. It is a noun. A useful related device word is 컴퓨터 (“computer”), but they are not always interchangeable: a laptop is portable, while 컴퓨터 can be more general. 근처에 means “near” or “in the vicinity of.” 근처 is the noun “vicinity,” and -에 marks the location associated with this expression. The pattern N 근처에 is a reusable way to say “near N.” Example: 학교 근처에 카페가 있어요. — “There is a café near the school.” 커피를 means “coffee” as the object of the action. 커피 is the noun, and -를 marks an object. In Korean, the object marker changes to -을 after a consonant: 물을 means “water” as an object. 쏟았는데 comes from the verb 쏟다, “to spill” or “to pour out.” The form 쏟았- marks a completed past action, and -는데 connects it to what follows, often giving a background or “and then / but” effect. Here it presents the spilling as the situation before the liquid’s movement. Example: 물을 쏟았는데 바닥이 젖었어요. — “I spilled water, and the floor got wet.” 액체가 means “liquid” as the subject of the next event. 액체 is the noun “liquid,” and -가 marks it as the subject. The liquid is the thing that moved. The person who spilled the coffee is understood from the fixed translation and context; the Korean verb form itself does not mark the person, so Korean can omit that subject when it is recoverable. 키보드 means “keyboard.” It is a noun and can be combined with location phrases, for example 키보드 아래 (“under the keyboard”). 아래로 means “under” or “downward” in this sentence. 아래 means “below” or “the underside,” and -로 marks the direction or path toward that position. The pattern N 아래로 can describe something moving down under N. Example: 공이 의자 아래로 굴러갔어요. — “The ball rolled under the chair.” 조금 means “a little” or “some.” It limits the amount of liquid without specifying an exact quantity. Example: 물이 조금 남았어요. — “A little water is left.” 들어갔어요 comes from 들어가다, “to go in” or “to enter.” 들어갔- marks completed past movement, and -어요 is a polite sentence ending. Unlike 넣었어요 (“put something in”), 들어갔어요 presents the liquid as moving or ending up inside; it does not by itself say that someone deliberately put it there. Example: 물이 틈으로 들어갔어요. — “Water went into the gap.” Together, 노트북 근처에 sets the location, and 커피를 쏟았는데 says that coffee was spilled there. The following clause, 액체가 키보드 아래로 조금 들어갔어요, says that some of the liquid went under the keyboard. The complete meaning is: “I spilled coffee near my laptop, and some liquid went under the keyboard.”

2. 즉시 플러그를 뽑고, 아직 켜져 있으면 전원을 꺼 주세요.

   Unplug it immediately and turn it off if it is still running.

   플러그

   plug

   켜져 있으면

   if it is on

   More detail

   즉시 means “immediately.” It is an adverb that specifies when the action should happen. A useful contrast is 곧 (“soon”): 즉시 emphasizes no delay, while 곧 can allow a short wait. 플러그 means “plug.” In 플러그를, 를 marks 플러그 as the object of the action; it does not by itself indicate definiteness. 플러그를 뽑다 is a reusable pattern meaning “unplug the plug,” normally translated more naturally as “unplug it” when the object is understood. 뽑고 means “unplug and” here. Its base form is 뽑다 (“to pull out”), and -고 connects this action to the following action. Thus 플러그를 뽑고 means “unplug it and …,” with the object supplied by the context. 아직 means “still” or “yet.” Here it says that the relevant device may continue to be powered on at that time. Example: 아직 비가 와요 means “It is still raining.” 켜져 있으면 means “if it is on.” 켜지다 means “become turned on,” while 켜져 있다 describes the state of being on. The conditional ending -으면 makes 켜져 있으면 mean “if it is on.” The separate word 아직 adds the meaning “still,” and this form itself does not identify the referent. 전원 means “power” or “power supply.” In 전원을, 를 marks 전원 as the object of 끄다. 전원을 끄다 is a reusable pattern meaning “turn off the power,” often naturally translated as “turn it off” when the device is understood. 꺼 주세요 means “please turn it off.” The base form is 끄다 (“to turn off”); its form before 주세요 is 꺼. 주세요, from 주다 (“to give”), forms a polite request after an action form. The observed 꺼 comes from 끄다, not from 전원. Together, 즉시 플러그를 뽑고 gives the first instruction, “unplug it immediately.” 아직 켜져 있으면 adds the condition “if it is still on,” and 전원을 꺼 주세요 gives the polite instruction “please turn it off.” The whole utterance means: “Unplug it immediately and turn it off if it is still running.”

3. 헤어드라이어로 말려 볼까요?

   Should I try to dry it with a hair dryer?

   헤어드라이어

   hair dryer

   말려 볼까요?

   Shall I try drying it?

   More detail

   헤어드라이어 means “hair dryer.” The particle 로 follows it in the sentence and marks the tool or means: “with a hair dryer.” A reusable pattern is N으로/로 (“with/by N”): use 으로 after a consonant other than ㄹ, and 로 after a vowel or after ㄹ. Since 헤어드라이어 ends in a vowel, it takes 로 here. 말려 is the connective form of 말리다, “to dry something,” used before the auxiliary 보다 in this construction. 말리다 is transitive, so it normally takes an object; that object is omitted here and is identified as “it” by the fixed translation. 보다 literally means “to see,” but after another verb in V-아/어 보다, it means “to try doing V.” Thus 말려 보다 means “try drying.” The 볼까요? in 말려 볼까요? is 보다 with -(으)ㄹ까요?; here this asks whether the speaker should make the proposed attempt, giving “Shall I try ...?” Together, 헤어드라이어로 (“with a hair dryer”) and 말려 볼까요? (“shall I try drying it?”) produce: “Should I try to dry it with a hair dryer?” In the surrounding situation, this is a proposed action, and the next sentence warns that heat may cause further damage.

4. 열 때문에 더 손상될 수 있어요. 기술자에게 점검을 맡기세요.

   Heat can cause more damage. Let a technician check it.

   열

   heat

   때문에

   because of

   더

   more; further

   손상될

   be damaged

   수 있어요

   can; be possible

   기술자

   technician

   에게

   to

   점검

   inspection; check

   맡기세요

   please leave it to

   More detail

   열 means “heat” here. It is a noun, so it can be followed by particles such as 이/가 for a subject or 때문에 to express a cause. Example: 열이 높아요. — “The heat is high.” 때문에 marks the reason or cause: 열 때문에 means “because of heat” or “due to heat.” The pattern N 때문에 can be reused with other nouns. Example: 비 때문에 늦었어요. — “I was late because of the rain.” 더 means “more” or “further” relative to an existing degree or amount. Here it indicates additional damage, not a separate kind of damage. Example: 더 조심하세요. — “Please be more careful.” 손상될 comes from 손상되다, “to be damaged.” The ending -ㄹ is the form used before 수 in the possibility pattern -ㄹ/을 수 있다. Thus 손상될 수 means “can be damaged” or “may become damaged.” The observed form is the intransitive/passive-like verb 손상되다; it is not the active verb “damage.” Example: 파일이 손상될 수 있어요. — “The file may be damaged.” 수 있어요 completes the possibility pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요, meaning “can” or “may.” In this sentence it expresses a possible result, not someone’s ability to perform an action. 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다; with 수, the whole construction expresses possibility. Example: 오늘 비가 올 수 있어요. — “It may rain today.” 기술자 means “technician.” It is a noun referring to a person with relevant technical expertise. Example: 기술자를 불렀어요. — “I called a technician.” 에게 marks the person who receives an action or is its intended target. In 기술자에게, it means “to the technician.” The pattern 사람에게 V commonly marks a person as the recipient or target of an action. Example: 친구에게 물어보세요. — “Please ask your friend.” 점검 is a noun meaning “inspection” or “check,” especially a check of equipment or a system. It can combine with 하다 as 점검하다, “to inspect/check.” In this sentence it is part of the action 점검을 맡기다, “entrust an inspection.” Example: 기계를 점검해요. — “I inspect the machine.” 맡기세요 comes from 맡기다, “to entrust” or “leave something in someone’s care.” The ending -세요 makes a polite request or instruction. Here the object of 맡기다 is 점검을: the speaker asks the listener to have the inspection done by a technician. Example: 수리를 전문가에게 맡기세요. — “Please entrust the repair to a professional.” Together, 열 때문에 더 손상될 수 있어요 means “Heat can cause more damage” or more literally “It may be damaged further because of heat.” Then 기술자에게 점검을 맡기세요 means “Please leave the inspection to a technician.” The complete utterance advises that heat may cause additional damage and requests that a technician inspect it.

5. 프로젝트 파일이 그 노트북에 있어서 걱정돼요.

   I am worried because my project files are on it.

   프로젝트

   project

   파일

   file(s)

   그

   that

   노트북

   laptop

   있어서

   because ... is/are there

   걱정돼요

   I’m worried

   More detail

   프로젝트: This means “project” and is used here as a noun modifier in 프로젝트 파일, “project files.” Korean can place one noun directly before another to show its type or association, as in the example 학교 파일, “school file.” 파일: This means “file.” The form itself does not mark singular versus plural here; the fixed translation identifies the intended meaning as plural, “files.” 그: This is a demonstrative determiner meaning “that” before a noun. In 그 노트북, it identifies the laptop referred to in the fixed meaning as “it.” It is not used alone as a pronoun here. 노트북: This means “laptop.” With the location particle -에, 노트북에 identifies the laptop as the place or device where the files are located. 있어서: The base form is 있다, “to exist” or “to be located.” Here it describes the files as being on the laptop, and -어서 connects that situation as a reason: “because they are there.” This connective can also join events in a simple sequence, but its function here is causal. 걱정돼요: The base form is 걱정되다, “to be worried” or “to become a concern.” 돼요 is its polite present-style form in this expression. Korean can omit the experiencer, and the fixed translation identifies that experiencer as the speaker: “I am worried.” For example, 내일이 걱정돼요 means “I’m worried about tomorrow.” Together, 프로젝트 파일이 marks the project files as the subject of the clause, 그 노트북에 있어서 says that they are located on that laptop and gives this as the reason, and 걱정돼요 states the speaker’s worry. The whole utterance means: “I’m worried because my project files are on it.”

6. 다시 노트북을 만지기 전에 다른 기기에서 클라우드 백업을 확인해 보세요.

   Check your cloud backup from another device before you touch the laptop again.

   다시

   again

   노트북

   laptop

   만지기 전에

   before touching

   다른

   another; different

   기기

   device

   클라우드

   cloud

   백업

   backup

   확인해 보세요

   please check

   More detail

   다시 means “again” here: it places the action in a repeated sequence. It is an adverb, so it does not change form. For example, 다시 읽어 보세요 means “Please read it again.” 노트북 means “laptop.” It is a noun, and Korean nouns do not take plural marking here; the context determines whether one laptop or laptops are meant. In this sentence, the translation identifies the relevant laptop as the one being touched again. 만지기 전에 means “before touching.” The base verb is 만지다, “to touch.” Its -기 form turns the verb into an action noun, and -기 전에 is the reusable pattern “before doing …”: 집에 가기 전에 전화하세요 means “Call before going home.” The subject of 만지기 is understood from the instruction, so the listener is being told what to do before touching the laptop. 다른 means “another” or “different.” It is the form used directly before a noun, as in 다른 방법 (“another method”). It modifies 기기, not 노트북. 기기 means “device.” It is a noun that can refer broadly to an electronic device. In this sentence, 다른 기기 means “another device,” contrasting with the laptop mentioned earlier in the sentence. 클라우드 means “cloud” in the technology sense. It is a noun used as a modifier in 클라우드 백업, “cloud backup.” 백업 means “backup.” Together, 클라우드 백업 refers to the backup stored through cloud technology. This is a noun-noun combination; Korean often places a noun before another noun to specify its type or function. 확인해 보세요 means “please check.” The base verb is 확인하다, “to check” or “to verify.” Here, 확인해 combines with 보다 in the pattern -아/어 보다, which presents trying or carrying out an action to see its result; with 확인하다, it naturally means to check something. 보세요 carries the polite request ending -세요: 확인해 보세요 is a polite suggestion or instruction. For example, 주소를 확인해 보세요 means “Please check the address.” The sentence assembles as 다시 (“again”) + 노트북을 만지기 전에 (“before touching the laptop”) + 다른 기기에서 (“from/on another device”) + 클라우드 백업을 확인해 보세요 (“please check the cloud backup”). The object marker -을 marks 노트북 as the object of 만지다 and marks 클라우드 백업 as the object of 확인하다; -에서 marks the device used as the place or means of checking. Overall, it politely instructs the listener to check the cloud backup on another device before touching the laptop again.

7. 파일 대부분은 이미 동기화되어 있었어요.

   Most of the files were already synced.

   파일

   file(s)

   대부분은

   most of them

   이미

   already

   동기화되어 있었어요

   was/were synced

   More detail

   파일 means “file” here, and the plural meaning comes from the context and the translation; Korean nouns do not require a plural ending in every plural context. The same noun can be made explicitly plural with 파일들 when that emphasis is useful. 대부분은 means “most of them.” 대부분 expresses the greater part of a group, and -은 marks that group as the topic. In this sentence, the group is the files. Compare 모두 “all” with 대부분 “most”: 파일 대부분 means “most of the files,” not necessarily every file. The form 대부분은 is a topic-marked version of that expression. 이미 means “already.” It places the synchronization before the relevant reference time. For example, 이미 끝났어요 means “It is already finished.” 동기화되어 있었어요 describes a state that was in place at that past time. The base verb is 동기화되다, “to be synchronized” or “to become synchronized,” formed with 동기화 “synchronization” and 되다 “become/be made.” Here, 동기화되어 connects to 있다; -어 있다 presents the resulting state as continuing or existing. 있었어요 is the polite past form of 있다, so the whole expression means “were in a synchronized state.” This is different from simply describing an event with 동기화됐어요 (“were synchronized / became synced”). The observed form with -어 있다 focuses more clearly on the resulting condition that existed at that time. Korean does not mark the English-style plural distinction on this verb form; the subject is understood from 파일 대부분은. Together, 파일 identifies the files, 대부분은 limits the statement to most of that group, 이미 says the state was established beforehand, and 동기화되어 있었어요 says that they were in the resulting synced state. Thus the utterance means: “Most of the files were already synced.”

8. 노트북 전원은 계속 꺼 두고, 너무 빨리 켜려고 하지 마세요.

   Keep the laptop off, and do not try to start it too soon.

   노트북

   laptop

   전원

   power; power state

   계속 꺼 두고

   keep it off and

   너무 빨리

   too soon

   켜려고 하지 마세요

   do not try to turn it on

   More detail

   노트북 means “laptop.” It is a noun and can be reused with particles such as 은/는 for the topic or 을/를 for the object. Example: 노트북을 사용해요. — “I use a laptop.” 전원 means “power” in the sense of a device’s power or power state. In this sentence, 전원은 sets the laptop’s power state as the topic; it does not mean that the word itself is a count of anything. Example: 전원을 켜세요. — “Turn on the power.” 계속 꺼 두고 combines “continuously,” 꺼 from 끄다 (“to turn off”), and 두다 (“to leave/keep something in a state”), followed by -고 to connect to the next instruction. 꺼 두다 means to leave something turned off, rather than merely switching it off at one moment. 끄다 is the base form; 꺼 is its connected form here. Example: 문을 열어 두세요. — “Leave the door open.” 너무 빨리 means “too soon” or “too quickly” here. 빠르다 is the base adjective meaning “to be fast/early,” and 빨리 is its adverbial form. 너무 marks an excessive degree in this context. Example: 너무 빨리 결정하지 마세요. — “Do not decide too quickly.” 켜려고 하지 마세요 means “do not try to turn it on.” 켜다 is the base verb “to turn on,” and 켜려고 하다 expresses trying or intending to do that action: -려고 하다 attaches to a verb stem. The negative request pattern -지 마세요 tells someone politely not to perform the action. Here 켜려고 하지 마세요 is therefore “please do not try to turn it on,” not simply “it is not on.” Example: 지금 출발하려고 하지 마세요. — “Please do not try to leave now.” Together, 노트북 전원은 계속 꺼 두고 says to keep the laptop’s power off, while 너무 빨리 켜려고 하지 마세요 says not to try turning it on too soon. The connecting -고 joins these two instructions, producing: “Keep the laptop off, and do not try to start it too soon.”

9. 기술자에게 가져가서 다음 단계가 무엇인지 물어볼게요.

   I will take it to a technician and ask about the next step.

   기술자에게

   to a technician

   가져가서

   take it and

   다음

   next

   단계

   step

   무엇인지

   what it is

   물어볼게요

   I’ll ask

   More detail

   기술자에게 means “to a technician.” The particle 에게 marks the recipient or person toward whom an action is directed. This form does not itself indicate whether the technician is the speaker’s only possible choice; it simply marks the intended recipient here. Example: 의사에게 물어봐요. — “Ask a doctor.” 가져가서 comes from 가져가다, “to take or carry something away,” followed by -아서, which links this action to the next one. Here the understood object is the item already being discussed, and the sequence is “take it to the technician and then ask.” -아서 can also express a connected reason or result in other sentences, so its exact relationship comes from context. Example: 책을 가져가서 읽어요. — “I take the book and read it.” 다음 means “next” and describes the noun that follows it. It is useful for ordering things: 다음 주 means “next week,” while 다음 단계 means “the next step.” 단계 means “step” or “stage” in a process. Together, 다음 단계 is the noun phrase “the next step.” Example: 다음 단계로 가세요. — “Go to the next step.” 무엇인지 means “what it is” inside an embedded question. 무엇 is “what,” and -인지 turns the question into a clause that can function inside a larger sentence: 무엇인지 알아요 means “I know what it is.” Unlike a direct question such as 무엇이에요? (“What is it?”), 무엇인지 is not asking the question independently here. 물어볼게요 is based on 물어보다, “to ask,” with -ㄹ게요. This ending presents the speaker’s intention or commitment to do something, so it gives “I’ll ask” in this sentence. The form is not merely a neutral prediction about the future. Example: 확인해 볼게요. — “I’ll check.” The sentence assembles as 기술자에게 (“to a technician”) + 가져가서 (“take it and then”) + 다음 단계가 무엇인지 (“what the next step is”) + 물어볼게요 (“I’ll ask”). Thus, the complete meaning is: “I will take it to a technician and ask about the next step.”

10. 기술자는 손상을 더 악화시키지 않고도 점검할 수 있어요.

    A technician can check it without making the damage worse.

    기술자

    technician

    손상

    damage

    더

    more; further

    악화시키지 않고도

    without making worse

    점검할

    check; inspect

    수 있어요

    can

    More detail

    기술자 means “technician.” With the topic marker 는, 기술자는 presents the technician as the person who can carry out the action. The particle marks the topic; it does not itself mean that the technician is the only possible technician. 손상 means “damage.” In 손상을, the object marker 을 shows that the damage is the object affected by the action. The form 손상 is a noun; the related verb 손상되다 means “to be damaged,” while 손상시키다 means “to damage something.” 더 means “further” or “more.” Here it increases the degree of worsening: the meaning is “make the damage worse,” not simply “make damage.” 악화시키지 않고도 means “without making [it] worse.” The base verb 악화시키다 means “to make something worse” or “to aggravate something.” Its negative form here is 악화시키지, and -고 connects this action to the next one. -지 않고 expresses doing the following action without doing the preceding one. The added 도 gives the sense “even without” or “without having to.” The object of 악화시키다 is understood from context and is rendered as “it” in the fixed translation; the sentence does not identify that object with a separate Korean noun here. 점검할 comes from 점검하다, “to inspect” or “to check.” The ending -ㄹ makes it the form used before 수 in the ability pattern; it is not a past-tense form. For example, 장비를 점검할 수 있어요 means “I/you/they can inspect the equipment,” with the subject determined by context. 수 있어요 completes the pattern 동사-(으)ㄹ 수 있다, meaning “can” or “be able to.” 수 is a dependent noun meaning a way or possibility, and 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다 (“to exist/be available”). In this sentence, the pattern expresses that the inspection is possible. The subject is 기술자는, so the technician is the person described as able to inspect it. Together, 기술자는 sets up the technician, 손상을 더 악화시키지 않고도 says that this can be done without making the damage worse, and 점검할 수 있어요 says that inspection is possible. The complete meaning is: “A technician can check it without making the damage worse.”