Preparing for a Stormy Commute | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 출근하는 동안 폭풍우가 올 수도 있어요.

   A storm may hit during my commute.

   출근하는

   commuting to work

   동안

   during; over a period

   폭풍우

   storm

   올

   come; arrive

   수도 있어요

   marks possibility

   More detail

   출근하는 comes from 출근하다, “to go to work.” The ending -는 makes the verb modify the following noun, so 출근하는 동안 means “during the time spent going to work” or “during the commute.” A reusable pattern is verb stem + 는 + noun, as in 운동하는 시간 (“time for exercising”). 동안 refers to a period in which something happens. N 동안 means “during/for N”; here, 출근하는 동안 means “during the commute to work.” With a duration, it can mean “for,” as in 두 시간 동안 (“for two hours”). 폭풍우 is a noun meaning “storm,” especially stormy weather involving strong wind and rain. Here it is marked with 가 as the subject of the possible event. 비 (“rain”) is a related weather noun, but 폭풍우 describes more severe weather. 올 is the form of 오다, “to come,” used before the following construction. It consists of the verb stem 오- plus -ㄹ, producing 올; in 폭풍우가 올 수도 있어요, it presents the storm’s arrival as a possible event. With weather, 오다 can describe rain or a storm arriving: 비가 와요 means “It is raining.” 수도 있어요 completes the possibility pattern verb stem + 을/ㄹ 수도 있다. Together with 올, 올 수도 있어요 means “may come” or “may arrive.” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다 in this expression. This pattern presents the event as possible rather than asserting that it will happen. Together, 출근하는 동안 sets the time period, and 폭풍우가 올 수도 있어요 says that a storm may arrive during that period. The complete meaning is “A storm may hit during my commute.”

2. 이동해야 한다면 일찍 출발하고 경로를 바꿀 수 있게 준비하세요.

   If you have to travel, leave earlier and keep your route flexible.

   이동해야 한다면

   if you have to travel

   일찍

   early

   출발하고

   leave and

   경로

   route

   바꿀 수 있게

   so you can change

   준비하세요

   get ready

   More detail

   이동해야 한다면 means “if you have to travel.” 이동하다 is the base verb “to travel/move.” In 이동해야 하다, -아/어야 하다 expresses necessity: “have to travel.” The ending -다면 forms a conditional, so the whole chunk sets the condition “if that is the case.” 일찍 means “early” and modifies the following action. It is an adverb, so it does not change for person or number. For example, 일찍 도착하세요 means “Arrive early.” 출발하고 comes from 출발하다, “to depart/leave.” The ending -고 connects this action to the next one: “leave and …” Here it is not the final command form; the polite command appears at the end of the sentence. 경로 means “route” or “path,” especially the route used for travel. It is a noun. For example, 경로를 확인하세요 means “Check the route.” The object marker 를 is attached in the sentence because the route is what may be changed. 바꿀 수 있게 expresses “so that [someone] can change [it].” The base verb is 바꾸다, “to change,” and 바꿀 is its form before 수, in the pattern -(으)ㄹ 수 있다, which expresses ability or possibility. -게 here makes a purpose or intended-result expression: “so that it is possible to change.” Together with 경로를, it means “so that you can change the route.” 준비하세요 means “get ready” or “prepare.” Its base verb is 준비하다; -세요 is a polite command/request ending. The subject is understood from the situation rather than stated in this sentence. Unlike 출발하고, this is the final command form and supplies the sentence’s main instruction. Together, 이동해야 한다면 gives the condition, 일찍 출발하고 gives the first recommended action, and 경로를 바꿀 수 있게 준비하세요 gives the preparation to make route changes possible. The complete meaning is: “If you have to travel, leave earlier and keep your route flexible.”

3. 사무실에 가야 해요.

   I need to go to the office.

   사무실

   office

   에

   to; at

   가야 해요

   need to go

   More detail

   사무실 means “office.” It is a noun; the plural is not marked here, so the sentence does not specify how many offices are meant. A useful related contrast is 집 (“home”), another place noun. 에 marks a destination with a movement verb such as 가다 (“to go”). It can also mark a location with a non-movement verb, but here its concrete effect is “to the office,” not merely “at the office.” 가야 해요 expresses necessity: “need to go” or “have to go.” Its base verb is 가다 (“to go”). The pattern -아/어야 하다 means that an action is required; in this sentence, 가다 becomes 가야, followed by the polite form 해요 of 하다. For example, 지금 가야 해요. means “I need to go now.” Together, 사무실 + 에 identifies the destination, and 가야 해요 says that going there is necessary: “I need to go to the office.”

4. 하지만 더 세지기 전에 돌아올 수 있어요.

   But I can come back before it gets stronger.

   하지만

   but

   더

   more; further

   세지기 전에

   before getting stronger

   돌아올

   come back

   수 있어요

   can; be able to

   More detail

   하지만 means “but” and marks a contrast with what came before. It is a conjunction placed at the start of this utterance. 더 means “more” or “further.” Here it increases the degree of 세지기, so 더 세지기 means “becoming stronger.” It does not itself express a quantity. 세지기 전에 means “before becoming stronger.” The base form is 세다, “to be strong” or, depending on the thing described, “to be intense.” 세지다 combines 세다 with -어지다 to mean “become strong(er)”; 세어지다 is realized here as 세지다. The ending -기 turns this change into the event named before 전에. 전에 means “before,” so the event described by 세지기 happens earlier than the main event. Example: 비가 더 세지기 전에 떠나요. — “Let’s leave before the rain gets stronger.” 돌아올 is the form of 돌아오다, “to come back” or “to return,” used before 수 있다. The ending -ㄹ in 돌아올 is the adnominal form used in this possibility construction; it does not by itself mean that the return has already happened. Example: 내일 돌아올 수 있어요. — “I can come back tomorrow.” 수 있어요 expresses ability or possibility in a polite present form. The pattern 동사-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요 means “can” or “be able to” do the verb: 돌아올 수 있어요, “can come back.” The subject is omitted in Korean here; the fixed translation identifies it as “I.” Together, 하지만 더 세지기 전에 돌아올 수 있어요. means “But I can come back before it gets stronger.” The contrast marker 하지만 connects this statement to the preceding situation, while 더 세지기 전에 sets the time condition for 돌아올 수 있어요: the return can happen before the described change in strength.

5. 방수 신발을 신고 보통 물에 잠기는 길은 피하세요.

   Wear waterproof shoes and avoid any streets that usually flood.

   방수

   waterproof

   신발

   shoes

   신고

   wear and

   보통

   usually

   물에 잠기는

   gets flooded

   길은

   as for roads

   피하세요

   avoid

   More detail

   방수 means “waterproof.” It is a useful modifier before a noun: 방수 신발 means “waterproof shoes.” The related noun 물 means “water,” but 방수 specifically describes protection against water. 신발 means “shoes.” Korean commonly uses this noun in compounds and phrases such as 운동화 (“sneakers”) and 구두 (“dress shoes”), but this sentence uses the general word 신발. 신고 is the connective form of 신다, “to put on or wear” footwear. The ending -고 links this action to the next one: 신고 피하세요 means “wear [them] and avoid [it].” In Korean, 신다 is used especially for shoes, socks, and similar items worn on the feet; it is not the general verb for every kind of clothing. 보통 means “usually” here. It describes what happens regularly, not what is happening at this exact moment. For example, 그 길은 보통 조용해요 means “That road is usually quiet.” 물에 잠기는 comes from 물에 잠기다, “to become submerged in water” or, for a road, “to flood.” The verb 잠기다 is in its present attributive form 잠기는, so it modifies the following noun: 물에 잠기는 길 means “a road that becomes flooded.” The particle 에 marks the water in which something becomes submerged. 길은 consists of 길, “road” or “street,” plus the topic particle 은. It presents roads as the topic: 물에 잠기는 길은 means “as for roads that flood.” The particle does not itself mean plural; the noun can be understood according to the situation. 피하세요 comes from 피하다, “to avoid.” The ending -세요 makes a polite request or imperative, so this form means “please avoid.” For example, 이 길을 피하세요 means “Please avoid this road.” Together, 방수 신발을 신고 means “wear waterproof shoes,” with 을 marking 방수 신발 as the object of 신다. Then 보통 물에 잠기는 길은 피하세요 means “avoid roads that usually flood.” The complete utterance is therefore: “Wear waterproof shoes and avoid any streets that usually flood.”

6. 역 근처 지하도는 비가 많이 오면 자주 물에 잠겨요.

   The underpass near the station often floods in heavy rain.

   역

   station

   근처

   nearby area

   지하도

   underpass

   비가 많이 오면

   when it rains heavily

   자주

   often

   물에 잠겨요

   gets flooded

   More detail

   역 means “station” here. It is a noun and can combine directly with a location word: 역 근처 means “near the station” or “in the area near the station.” Example: 학교 근처 means “near the school.” 근처 means “nearby area” or “vicinity.” In 역 근처, it identifies the area associated with the station; it does not itself express a specific distance. 지하도 means “underpass,” a passage below a road or another route. In this sentence, 역 근처 지하도 is the noun phrase “the underpass near the station.” Korean places modifiers before the noun they describe, so 역 근처 comes before 지하도. 비가 많이 오면 means “when it rains heavily.” 비 is “rain,” 오다 is the base verb “to come,” and Korean commonly uses 비가 오다 for “rain falls” or “it rains.” 많이 means “a lot” and modifies the amount or intensity of the raining here. The ending -면 marks a condition or recurring time: “if/when ….” Example: 눈이 오면 길이 미끄러워요. — “When it snows, the roads are slippery.” 자주 is the adverb “often.” It says that the event happens repeatedly, not just once. It modifies 물에 잠겨요 in this sentence. 물에 잠겨요 means “gets flooded” in this context. The base form is 잠기다, “to be submerged” or “to become covered by water.” With 물에, the phrase 물에 잠기다 describes something being submerged in water; for a place such as an underpass, “flood” is the natural translation. 잠겨요 is the polite present-style form used for a general or recurring situation. Example: 이 길은 비가 오면 물에 잠겨요. — “This road gets flooded when it rains.” Together, 역 근처 지하도 identifies the underpass near the station. 비가 많이 오면 sets heavy rain as the condition, 자주 says the event happens often, and 물에 잠겨요 states that the underpass becomes flooded. The whole utterance therefore means: “The underpass near the station often floods in heavy rain.”

7. 시간이 조금 더 걸리더라도 대신 큰길로 가세요.

   Take the main road instead, even if it adds a little time.

   시간

   time

   조금 더

   a little more

   걸리더라도

   even if it takes longer

   대신

   instead

   큰길

   main road

   가세요

   please go

   More detail

   시간 means “time.” In 시간이, the particle 이 marks time as the subject of 걸리다: Korean commonly expresses duration with a pattern like 시간이 걸리다, “time is taken” or “it takes time.” Example: 시간이 좀 걸려요. — “It takes a little time.” 조금 더 means “a little more” here, with 더 increasing the amount or duration expressed by the surrounding phrase. It does not state an exact amount. Example: 조금 더 기다려 주세요. — “Please wait a little longer.” 걸리더라도 comes from 걸리다, “to take time” in this sentence. The ending -더라도 attaches to the verb stem and introduces a condition that does not change the main recommendation: “even if” or “even though.” Thus 시간이 조금 더 걸리더라도 means “even if it takes a little longer.” Example: 비가 오더라도 가세요. — “Go even if it rains.” 대신 marks an alternative: “instead.” Here it tells the listener to choose a different route rather than the route under consideration. Example: 버스 대신 지하철을 타세요. — “Take the subway instead of the bus.” 큰길 is the noun “main road” or “main street.” It is a useful road-related word; 길 by itself means “road” or “way.” In 큰길로, the particle 로 marks the route or direction, so the phrase means “by way of the main road.” Example: 큰길로 가세요. — “Please take the main road.” 가세요 is the polite request or directive form of 가다, “to go.” The ending -세요 makes the instruction polite; it is not part of the lexical meaning “go.” Example: 천천히 가세요. — “Please go slowly.” Putting the parts together, 시간이 조금 더 걸리더라도 sets aside the possible extra time, 대신 큰길로 selects the main road as the alternative route, and 가세요 gives the polite instruction. The whole utterance means: “Take the main road instead, even if it adds a little time.”

8. 방수 케이스가 제 노트북을 보호하는 데 도움이 될까요?

   Would a waterproof sleeve help protect my laptop?

   방수

   waterproof

   케이스

   case; sleeve

   제

   my

   노트북

   laptop

   보호하는

   protecting

   도움 … 될까요?

   would be helpful?

   More detail

   방수 describes resistance to water and appears before the noun it modifies: 방수 케이스 means “a waterproof case/sleeve.” It is reusable in compounds such as 방수 재킷 (“waterproof jacket”). 케이스 is a loanword meaning a case or sleeve for holding and protecting something. Here it is the item being proposed as protection for the laptop; the sentence does not specify its exact design. 제 means “my” here. It is the possessive form of the humble first-person pronoun 저 (“I”): 저의 is commonly contracted to 제. This form does not mark the gender or number of the possessed noun. 노트북 means “laptop.” In 제 노트북, it is the thing that the speaker wants to protect. Korean commonly places a possessor before the possessed noun: 제 노트북 = “my laptop.” 보호하는 comes from the verb 보호하다, “to protect.” The ending -는 makes the verb modify a following noun-like expression, so 보호하는 데 means “in protecting” or “for protecting.” The verb appears in its present descriptive form here; it does not by itself mean that the protection is happening right now. The pattern 동사-는 데 도움이 되다 means “help with doing something” or “be helpful for doing something.” Thus, 노트북을 보호하는 데 도움이 되다 means “help protect the laptop.” 노트북을 marks 노트북 as the object of 보호하다. 도움이 될까요? uses 도움 (“help”) with the verb 되다 (“become; serve as”) and the question ending -ㄹ까요?. Literally, it asks whether something will be helpful; naturally, it is “Would it help?” or “Would it be helpful?” The -ㄹ까요? form can also be used for proposals in other contexts, but here the fixed translation establishes a question about usefulness. Putting the parts together, 방수 케이스가 marks the waterproof case as the thing under discussion, 제 노트북을 보호하는 데 means “for protecting my laptop,” and 도움이 될까요? asks whether it would help. The complete meaning is: “Would a waterproof sleeve help protect my laptop?”

9. 하나 사용하세요. 지연도 답답하지만 장비가 망가지는 건 더 안 좋아요.

   Use one, because delays are frustrating, but damaged equipment is worse.

   하나

   one

   사용하세요

   please use

   지연

   delay

   도

   also; too

   답답하지만

   is frustrating, but

   장비

   equipment

   망가지는

   gets damaged; breaks

   건

   as for the fact that

   더

   more; even more

   안 좋아요

   is not good

   More detail

   하나 means “one” here. It is the native Korean numeral used on its own when the item being counted is understood. The exact noun is not stated in this sentence. 사용하세요 comes from 사용하다, “to use.” In this sentence, the polite ending -세요 makes it an instruction: “Please use” or “Use, please.” 지연 is a noun meaning “delay.” Example: 출발 지연 means “departure delay.” 도 is attached to 지연 and means “also” or “too,” adding delays to the comparison with the later topic. 답답하지만 comes from 답답하다, which here means “to be frustrating.” The ending -지만 connects this clause contrastively: “although it is frustrating” or “it is frustrating, but …” Example: 기다리기가 답답하지만 참을게요. — “Waiting is frustrating, but I’ll be patient.” 장비 means “equipment,” referring to equipment used for a task. Example: 장비를 확인하세요. — “Please check the equipment.” 망가지는 comes from 망가지다, “to break” or “to become damaged.” The ending -는 makes a present-related modifier before a noun or nominalizing expression. Here it describes the equipment becoming damaged; it does not state who caused the damage. 건 is the contracted form of 것은: 것 (“thing” or “fact”) plus the topic particle 은. In 장비가 망가지는 건, it presents “the fact that the equipment gets damaged” as the topic. 장비가 marks the equipment as what becomes damaged. 더 means “more” or “even more.” Here it strengthens the comparison with the frustrating delays. Example: 오늘은 어제보다 더 추워요. — “Today is colder than yesterday.” 안 좋아요 is 안 plus the polite form 좋아요 of 좋다, “to be good.” It means “is not good.” With 더, the phrase 더 안 좋아요 means “is worse,” because the negative evaluation is stronger in comparison. Together, 하나 사용하세요 means “Use one.” 지연도 답답하지만 means “Although delays are frustrating,” and 장비가 망가지는 건 더 안 좋아요 means “the equipment getting damaged is even worse.” The complete meaning is: “Use one. Delays are frustrating, but damaged equipment is worse.”

10. 출발하기 전에 휴대폰 배터리가 가득 찼는지 확인할게요.

    Before I leave, I will make sure my phone battery is full.

    출발하기 전에

    before leaving

    휴대폰

    mobile phone

    배터리

    battery

    가득 찼는지

    whether it is full

    확인할게요

    I’ll check; I’ll make sure

    More detail

    출발하기 전에 means “before leaving.” 출발하다 is “to depart/leave”; -기 turns the verb into an activity, and 전에 means “before.” The construction V-기 전에 is reusable: 출발하기 전에 물을 마셔요. — “I drink water before leaving.” 휴대폰 means “mobile phone.” It is a noun used here to specify which battery is meant. 배터리 is “battery,” a noun. Together, 휴대폰 배터리 means “phone battery”; the noun 배터리 is the head noun. 가득 찼는지 describes whether the battery is full. The base form is 차다, “to be full,” and 찼다 is its completed/past form; 찼는지 combines that form with -는지, which marks an embedded question such as “whether it is full.” 가득 strengthens the meaning to “fully/completely.” Example: 배터리가 가득 찼어요. — “The battery is full.” 확인할게요 means “I’ll check” or, in this sentence, “I’ll make sure.” Its base verb is 확인하다, “to check/confirm.” The ending -(으)ㄹ게요 presents the speaker’s willingness or commitment to do something, often as a helpful assurance. Example: 제가 확인할게요. — “I’ll check.” In the full sentence, 출발하기 전에 sets the time, 휴대폰 배터리가 가득 찼는지 states what is being checked, and 확인할게요 gives the speaker’s commitment to check it. Thus the sentence means: “Before I leave, I will make sure my phone battery is full.”

11. 그러면 경로가 바뀔 때 업데이트를 확인할 수 있어요.

    Then you can check updates if the route changes.

    그러면

    then; in that case

    경로

    route

    바뀔 때

    when it changes

    업데이트

    updates

    확인할 수 있어요

    can check

    More detail

    그러면 connects this sentence to a condition or situation just mentioned. Here it means “then” or “in that case.” It is a useful way to state a consequence: 그러면 + sentence = “Then …” / “In that case, …” 경로 means “route” or “path.” The particle 가 marks it as the subject of the following change. The sentence therefore presents the route as the thing that changes, without specifying who or what causes the change. 바뀔 때 means “when it changes.” The base form is 바뀌다, “to change” or “to be changed.” Before 때 (“time; when”), 바뀌다 takes the attributive form 바뀔; 바뀔 때 literally refers to the time when it changes. In this sentence, 경로가 바뀔 때 is “when the route changes.” 업데이트 is a Korean loanword meaning “update.” Korean does not mark plural number on this noun here, so the form can refer to an update or updates; the fixed translation selects “updates.” 확인할 수 있어요 means “can check.” The lexical verb is 확인하다, “to check” or “to confirm.” In 확인할 수 있다, -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility: 확인할 수 있어요 is the polite present form, “can check.” For example, 지금 확인할 수 있어요. means “You can check it now.” Together, 경로가 바뀔 때 sets the situation “when the route changes,” and 업데이트를 확인할 수 있어요 says that checking the updates is possible. With 그러면, the whole utterance means: “Then you can check updates if the route changes.”