Letting Someone with a Baby Go First | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 실례합니다, 아기와 유모차를 데리고 이 줄에서 기다리기 힘드시겠어요.

   Excuse me, this line must be hard to manage with a baby and a stroller.

   실례합니다

   Excuse me

   아기

   baby

   유모차

   stroller

   데리고

   taking along; having with you

   이

   this

   줄

   line; queue

   기다리기

   waiting

   힘드시겠어요

   must be hard for you

   More detail

   실례합니다 is the polite form used to say “Excuse me,” often when addressing someone before speaking or interrupting. It is a fixed polite expression rather than a description of the situation. 아기 means “baby.” In 아기와, -와 links this noun to the next noun: “a baby and …” The form -와 follows a noun ending in a vowel; -과 is the corresponding form after a consonant. Example: 친구와 와요 means “I come with a friend.” 유모차 means “stroller.” Here 유모차를 marks it as the object associated with 데리고; -를 is an object particle after a vowel-final noun. The noun itself does not mean “baby stroller” specifically; the fixed sentence identifies it as the stroller being taken along. 데리고 comes from 데리다, “to take or bring someone along.” Its connective form is 데리고, and it commonly appears before another verb to show that someone is accompanying the subject or is being kept with them while the next action happens. In this sentence, together with 아기와 유모차를, it presents managing the line while having the baby and stroller with you. Example: 아이를 데리고 공원에 가요 means “I go to the park with the child.” 이 means “this” and modifies the following noun. It is the demonstrative form used directly before a noun; 그 and 저 are useful contrasts for “that” and “that over there.” The fixed sentence identifies the line as the one being indicated, but 이 itself does not encode the noun’s number or gender. 줄 means “line” or “queue.” In 이 줄에서, -에서 marks the place where the action occurs, so 줄에서 기다리기 means “waiting in the line.” Example: 줄에서 기다려요 means “I wait in the line.” 기다리기 is the noun-like form of 기다리다, “to wait”: 기다리다 + -기 gives 기다리기, “waiting.” This form lets the action function as the thing that is difficult. Example: 기다리기가 어려워요 means “Waiting is difficult.” 힘드시겠어요 is based on 힘들다, “to be hard” or “to be difficult.” The observed form contains the honorific marker -시-, producing the respectful form 힘드시다, and -겠어요, which presents a polite conjecture or assessment. Here the assessment is directed respectfully at the person being addressed, so the fixed meaning is “must be hard for you.” -시- is not carried by the noun; it marks respect toward the person associated with the predicate. Example: 많이 힘드시겠어요 means “That must be very hard for you.” Together, 아기와 유모차를 데리고 means “with a baby and a stroller,” 이 줄에서 기다리기 means “waiting in this line,” and 힘드시겠어요 presents that situation as difficult for the person addressed. With the polite opening 실례합니다, the whole utterance means: “Excuse me, this line must be hard to manage with a baby and a stroller.”

2. 조금 힘들었어요.

   It has been tricky.

   조금

   a little; slightly

   힘들었어요

   was difficult; was tricky

   More detail

   조금 means “a little” or “slightly.” It is an adverb, so it softens the following description rather than naming a small quantity of an object. Example: 조금 추워요. — “It is a little cold.” 힘들었어요 comes from 힘들다, “to be difficult, hard, or tricky.” The observed form is the polite past form: 힘들다 → 힘들었어요. In Korean, 힘들다 is a descriptive predicate and can describe a situation, task, or experience; here it describes the situation as tricky. The ending -어요 gives a polite conversational style, while the past marking presents the difficulty as experienced before the speaking moment. Example: 어제 일이 힘들었어요. — “Yesterday’s work was difficult.” Together, 조금 + 힘들었어요 means “It was a little tricky” or, in the supplied translation’s natural context, “It has been a little tricky.” The sentence does not state what the difficult situation is by itself; the surrounding context supplies that situation. The polite past form makes this a complete, gently worded assessment of the experience.

3. 저는 저희가 기다리는 동안 유모차를 가만히 두고 아기를 진정시키려고 하고 있어요.

   I am trying to keep the stroller still and the baby calm while we wait.

   저는

   I (topic)

   저희가

   we

   기다리는

   waiting

   동안

   while; during

   유모차를

   stroller

   가만히

   still; quietly

   두고

   leave; keep

   아기를

   baby

   진정시키려고

   to calm

   하고 있어요

   am doing

   More detail

   저는 marks “I” as the topic. 저 is the humble first-person singular pronoun; 는 marks the topic. The form is polite and does not itself indicate whether “I” is male or female. 저희가 means “we” as the subject. 저희 is a humble form of “we,” and 가 marks the subject. In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies the group as the people who are waiting. 저희 is commonly used when referring modestly to one’s own group, especially in relation to someone outside that group. 기다리는 동안 expresses “while waiting.” 기다리다 means “to wait,” and its present attributive form 기다리는 modifies 동안, “the time during which.” A reusable pattern is 동사-는 동안, “while doing [the verb].” For example, 요리하는 동안 음악을 들어요. means “I listen to music while cooking.” 유모차를 means “the stroller” as the object. 유모차 is “stroller,” and 를 marks it as the object of 두고. The object marker does not by itself specify whether the stroller is definite in every context; here the translation supplies the intended stroller. 가만히 means “still” or “without moving.” Here it describes how the stroller is kept. It can also describe remaining quietly or motionlessly, but in this sentence the relevant idea is that the stroller should not move. 두고 comes from 두다, “to put, leave, or keep,” and connects this action to what follows with -고. In this sentence, 유모차를 가만히 두고 means “keeping the stroller still.” The form 두고 is not the progressive form; it links the keeping action with the later purpose. 아기를 means “the baby” as the object of 진정시키다. 아기 means “baby,” and 를 marks it as the object. Because 진정시키다 is a causative verb, the baby is the one whose state is being made calm; the sentence does not say that the baby is calming someone else. 진정시키려고 expresses the purpose “in order to calm.” It is based on 진정시키다, “to calm someone or something,” with -(으)려고, a form used for an intended action or purpose. 진정하다 means “to become calm,” whereas 진정시키다 means “to make someone or something calm.” Thus 아기를 진정시키려고 means “in order to calm the baby.” 하고 있어요 is the polite present form of 하고 있다, literally “is doing.” After the preceding purpose expression, 진정시키려고 하고 있어요 means “is trying to calm [the baby].” -고 있다 commonly presents an action as in progress. The polite ending -어요 makes the statement suitable for ordinary respectful conversation. Together, 저는 sets the speaker as the topic, and 저희가 기다리는 동안 gives the time setting: “while we wait.” The speaker is 유모차를 가만히 두고—keeping the stroller still—and is 아기를 진정시키려고 하고 있어요—trying to calm the baby. The complete meaning is: “I am trying to keep the stroller still and the baby calm while we wait.”

4. 저보다 먼저 가시겠어요?

   Would you like to go before me?

   저보다

   than me

   먼저

   first; before

   가시겠어요?

   would you go?

   More detail

   저보다 combines 저 (“I/me,” in the humble form used when referring to oneself) with 보다, a particle meaning “than” in a comparison. Here it sets the reference point: going earlier than the speaker. 보다 can also be a verb meaning “to see,” but its role here is the comparison particle. Example: 저보다 커요. — “It is bigger than me.” 먼저 is an adverb meaning “first” or “before,” and here it means “before [the speaker].” It modifies the act of going rather than naming the person who goes. Example: 먼저 가세요. — “Please go first.” 가시겠어요? is built from 가다 (“to go”) with the honorific marker -시- and the polite question ending -겠어요?. -시- shows respect toward the person understood as the subject; the translation identifies that person as “you.” In this question, -겠어요? asks about the addressee’s willingness or intention, so the natural meaning is “Would you go?” rather than a firm prediction. The respectful form 가시다 is used when describing someone’s going in an honorific context. Example: 먼저 가시겠어요? — “Would you like to go first?” Together, 저보다 (“than me”), 먼저 (“before/first”), and 가시겠어요? (“would you go?”) produce: “Would you like to go before me?” The subject “you” is not separately written, but the respectful verb form and the fixed translation support addressing the listener. This is a polite way to offer or ask whether the other person would go ahead of the speaker.

5. 정말 배려해 주시네요. 정말 괜찮으세요?

   That is very considerate. Are you sure?

   정말 … 정말

   really; very

   배려해 주시네요

   you are being considerate

   괜찮으세요?

   Are you sure?

   More detail

   정말 appears twice. In the first position, it intensifies the speaker’s positive assessment: “very/really.” In the second sentence, it intensifies the question’s assurance: “really/sure.” Its spelling does not change here. 배려해 주시네요 is a respectful, appreciative way to say that someone is being considerate. The lexical verb is 배려하다, “to consider someone’s needs” or “to be considerate.” Its 하다 form becomes 해 before the auxiliary 주다: 배려해 주다 means “to do something considerately for someone.” Here 주시네요 contains 주다 with subject honorific -시- and the ending -네요, which presents the situation as something the speaker is noticing or appreciatively recognizing. The omitted subject is understood as “you” from the fixed translation. Example: 배려해 줘서 고마워요. — “Thank you for being considerate.” Here 배려해 줘서 means “because you were considerate / for being considerate.” 괜찮으세요? uses the adjective 괜찮다, “to be okay” or, in this context, “to be sure that something is acceptable.” The form 괜찮으세요 contains the subject-honorific marker -으시- and a polite question ending; the form is used because the question addresses the other person respectfully. In this fixed sentence, the intended meaning is “Are you sure?” rather than a general question about physical or emotional well-being. Example: 저는 괜찮아요. — “I’m okay.” The less formal form 괜찮아요 lacks the honorific subject marker used when respectfully asking about another person in 괜찮으세요?. Together, 정말 배려해 주시네요 means “That is very considerate,” with 정말 strengthening the appreciative evaluation. 정말 괜찮으세요? means “Are you really sure?” or naturally, “Are you sure?” The respectful forms 주시네요 and 괜찮으세요 address the other person politely.

6. 네, 정말 괜찮아요.

   I am sure.

   네

   yes

   정말

   really

   괜찮아요

   I’m sure

   More detail

   네 is a polite way to say “yes.” It can answer a preceding question or confirm what someone has said. Example: 네, 맞아요. means “Yes, that’s right.” 정말 means “really” or “truly.” It commonly strengthens the word or expression that follows it. Here it emphasizes 괜찮아요, giving the reassurance extra force. 괜찮아요 is the polite present-style form of 괜찮다. In this utterance, it is used as reassurance in response to “Are you sure?”, so the fixed translation is “I am sure.” Korean does not require an overt subject here; the understood speaker is identified by the fixed translation. 괜찮다 can also mean “to be okay” or “to be fine” in other contexts, but this exchange selects the reassurance meaning. Example: 이제 괜찮아요. means “It’s okay now.” Together, 네 confirms the response, 정말 strengthens it, and 괜찮아요 supplies the polite reassurance: “Yes, I am sure.”

7. 저는 급하지 않아요.

   I am not in a hurry.

   저는

   as for me

   급하지

   being in a hurry

   않아요

   not

   More detail

   저는 presents the speaker as the topic: “as for me” or “I.” 저 is the humble first-person pronoun, and 는 marks the topic. Example: 저는 학생이에요. — “I am a student.” 급하지 comes from 급하다, meaning “to be urgent” or, in this sentence, “to be in a hurry.” Here -지 connects it to 않아요 in the negative pattern -지 않아요; by itself, 급하지 does not complete the sentence’s negation. 않아요 is the polite present-style form of 않다. In -지 않아요, it supplies the negation. Example: 늦지 않아요. — “I am not late.” Together, 급하지 않아요 means “am not in a hurry” here. Combined with the topic 저는, the whole utterance means: “I am not in a hurry.”

8. 지금 많이 힘들어 보여요.

   This looks hard to manage.

   지금

   now

   많이

   a lot; very much

   힘들어

   difficult; hard

   보여요

   looks; appears

   More detail

   지금 means “now” and places the situation in the present. It is a time adverb, so it does not itself identify who is experiencing or observing the situation. 많이 means “a lot” or “very much” here. It intensifies 힘들어, making the difficulty appear considerable. For example, 많이 바빠요 means “I’m very busy” or “It is very busy,” depending on the context. 힘들어 comes from the adjective 힘들다, “to be difficult” or “to be hard.” In this sentence, its -어 form connects it to 보여요: 힘들어 보여요 means “looks difficult.” The adjective describes the apparent difficulty; it does not by itself specify exactly what is difficult. 힘들다 can also describe a person’s hardship, but the following 보여요 gives the intended appearance-based reading here. 보여요 is the polite present form of 보이다, “to look” or “to appear” in this construction. Korean commonly uses adjective + -어/아 보여요 to say that something appears to have that quality: 피곤해 보여요 means “looks tired.” This is different from simply asserting 힘들어요, “it is difficult,” because 보여요 marks the speaker’s impression or visual assessment. Together, 지금 많이 힘들어 보여요 means “This looks hard to manage.” The omitted subject is understood from the situation; the sentence presents the current situation as appearing very difficult, rather than directly asserting every detail about it.

9. 그러면 정말 큰 도움이 될 거예요.

   That would make a real difference.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   정말

   really

   큰

   big; significant

   도움이

   help; assistance

   될 거예요

   will be; will become

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It refers to a condition or situation already under discussion and introduces its consequence. Example: 그러면 시작해요. — “Then let’s start.” 정말 means “really” or “truly.” Here it strengthens the importance of the help. Example: 정말 고마워요. — “Thank you very much.” 큰 means “big” here in the extended sense “significant” or “substantial.” It is the form of 크다 (“to be big”) used before a noun: 크다 → 큰 도움 (“big/significant help”). This is an adjective form, not the noun’s form. 도움이 contains the noun 도움 (“help” or “assistance”) plus the subject particle 이. Korean commonly uses the pattern 도움이 되다, literally “become help,” to mean “be helpful” or “make a difference.” Example: 이 조언이 큰 도움이 돼요. — “This advice is a great help.” 될 거예요 comes from 되다 (“to become” or “to be”) and uses -(으)ㄹ 거예요 to express an expected or predicted future situation in polite speech. 되다 → 될 거예요. In this sentence, it completes 도움이 되다: the help is expected to have a substantial effect. Example: 곧 괜찮아질 거예요. — “It will get better soon.” Together, 그러면 sets up the consequence, 정말 큰 도움 means “a really significant help,” and 도움이 될 거예요 says that this help is expected to make a real difference. The whole utterance means: “That would make a real difference.”

10. 저는 조금만 더 기다리면 돼요.

    It will only add a short wait for me.

    저는

    as for me; I

    조금만

    just a little

    더

    more; longer

    기다리면 돼요

    I only need to wait

    More detail

    저는 uses 저, the polite first-person pronoun, followed by the topic marker 는. It sets the speaker as the topic: “as for me” or “for me.” 저 is a humble/polite alternative to the less formal 나; 는 marks the topic rather than adding a separate meaning such as “is.” 조금만 combines 조금 (“a little”) with 만 (“only/just”). Together, they limit the amount: “only a little.” The limitation applies to the small amount of waiting expressed by the following words. 더 means “more” or “longer” here. With a time-related verb such as 기다리다 (“to wait”), it means continuing beyond the current point: “wait a little longer.” Its meaning is not “again” in this sentence. 기다리면 돼요 is the reusable pattern [verb stem]면 돼요, meaning “it is enough to …,” “all that is needed is …,” or “one only needs to ….” 기다리다 is the base form “to wait”; its stem is 기다리-, and 기다리면 adds -면 to form the condition-like “if/when [someone] waits.” 돼요 is the polite present form of 되다 in this construction. The full pattern does not simply mean that waiting causes something to become possible; it presents the action as sufficient or required. Example: 여기서 기다리면 돼요. — “You only need to wait here.” The omitted subject is supplied by context in the example; the pattern itself does not encode a specific person. Putting the parts together, 저는 identifies the speaker as the topic, 조금만 더 limits the additional duration to a small amount, and 기다리면 돼요 says that waiting is all that is needed. The utterance therefore means that, for the speaker, it will only involve waiting a little longer—a short additional wait.

11. 아기가 더 보채기 전에 저희가 먼저 가면 도움이 될 거예요.

    Going ahead of you would help us before the baby gets more restless.

    아기

    baby

    더

    more

    보채기 전에

    before getting restless

    저희

    we; us

    먼저

    first; ahead

    가면

    if we go

    도움이

    help

    될 거예요

    will be; will become

    More detail

    아기 means “baby” here. It is a noun and can be used with a subject marker: 아기가 means “the baby” as the subject of what follows. Example: 아기가 자요. — “The baby is sleeping.” 더 means “more” or “to a greater degree.” Here it increases the degree of restlessness described by 보채다; it does not mean that the baby is a second baby or assert a separate quantity. Example: 조금 더 기다려요. — “Let’s wait a little longer.” 보채기 전에 means “before getting restless.” The useful base form is 보채다, “to be fussy or restless,” and -기 turns the verb into an event or activity. 전에 means “before,” so the pattern 동사-기 전에 means “before doing ...” or “before ... happens.” In this sentence, the baby is the understood subject of 보채기, matching 아기가. 저희 means “we” or “us” in the speaker’s humble group reference. It is a pronoun, and the exact membership of that group is not specified by this sentence. In the fixed meaning, that group is the one that will go ahead and receive the help. Example: 저희가 먼저 갈게요. — “We’ll go first.” 먼저 means “first” or “ahead.” It modifies the going action here, so 먼저 가다 means “to go first” or “to go ahead.” Example: 먼저 가세요. — “Please go first.” 가면 is the conditional form of 가다, “to go”: 가다 → 가면, “if/when [someone] goes.” The ending -면 presents a condition. The subject is 저희, so this part means “if we go first,” rather than merely “if someone goes.” 도움이 is 도움, “help,” with the subject marker 이. In the pattern 도움이 되다, help is the thing that “becomes” or “is” helpful; this is a common Korean way to say “to be helpful” or “to help.” The noun 도움 is separate from the verb 되다, whose base form means “to become” or “to be.” 될 거예요 comes from 되다 and expresses an expected or predicted result in a polite style. In 도움이 될 거예요, it means “will be helpful.” The form 될 is the future-oriented modifier of 되다, and 거예요 completes the conversational prediction. Example: 이 설명이 도움이 될 거예요. — “This explanation will be helpful.” Together, 저희가 먼저 가면 gives the condition “if we go first/ahead,” and 도움이 될 거예요 gives the result “it will be helpful.” 아기가 더 보채기 전에 sets the time limit “before the baby gets more restless.” The whole utterance therefore means: “Going ahead of you would help us before the baby gets more restless.” In natural reusable pattern form: A가 V-(으)면 도움이 될 거예요 means “It will be helpful if A does V.”

12. 저도 누군가가 저에게 같은 도움을 주면 좋겠어요.

    I would hope someone would offer the same help to me.

    저도

    I too

    누군가가

    someone

    저에게

    to me

    같은

    same

    도움

    help

    주면

    if/when giving

    좋겠어요

    would be good; would be nice

    More detail

    저도 combines 저, the humble first-person pronoun “I,” with 도, an additive particle meaning “also” or “too.” Here it adds the speaker’s wish to the situation. Example: 저도 가고 싶어요. — “I want to go too.” 누군가가 means “someone” as the subject. 누군가 is an indefinite pronoun, and 가 marks it as the subject of the conditional clause. Example: 누군가가 도와줄 거예요. — “Someone will help.” 저에게 means “to me.” 저 refers to the speaker, and 에게 marks the recipient or target of an action such as giving. Example: 저에게 메시지를 보내 주세요. — “Please send me a message.” 같은 is the modifier form of 같다, “to be the same.” It comes before the noun it describes, so 같은 도움 means “the same help.” Example: 같은 책을 읽었어요. — “I read the same book.” 도움 is the noun “help” or “assistance.” Here it is the thing being given. Example: 도움이 필요해요. — “I need help.” 주면 comes from 주다, “to give,” plus -면, which forms an “if/when” condition. The subject is supplied by 누군가가, and the recipient is expressed by 저에게: “if someone gives the same help to me.” Example: 친구가 도와주면 좋겠어요. — “It would be nice if a friend helped me.” 좋겠어요 is a polite form used here to express that a situation would be desirable. It is based on 좋다, “to be good,” with -겠- and the polite ending -어요. In this sentence it expresses a wish rather than simply describing something as good now. Together, 누군가가 저에게 같은 도움을 주면 means “if someone gives the same help to me,” and 좋겠어요 adds the speaker’s wish that this happen. With 저도 at the beginning, the whole utterance means: “I would hope someone would offer the same help to me.”

13. 정말 감사해요. 이렇게 하니 기다리는 동안 스트레스가 훨씬 덜해요.

    I appreciate it. This makes the wait much less stressful.

    정말

    really

    감사해요

    I appreciate it

    이렇게

    like this; this way

    하니

    doing so; since doing so

    기다리는

    waiting

    동안

    during; while

    스트레스

    stress

    훨씬

    much; far

    덜해요

    is less; is reduced

    More detail

    정말 intensifies what follows: 감사해요 means “I appreciate it” here. It is a common polite everyday form. The base verb is 감사하다 (“to be grateful”); 감사해요 uses the polite -해요 style. The omitted subject is understood from the situation, so this form can naturally express thanks without naming the person being thanked. 이렇게 means “in this way” or “like this.” It points to the manner of an action rather than naming the action itself. A useful reusable pattern is 이렇게 하다, “to do it this way.” 하니 is the form of 하다 (“to do”) with the connective ending -니. In 이렇게 하니 ..., it links doing something this way with the result described afterward: “doing it this way, ...” or “when I do it this way, ...” The exact relation is supplied by the whole sentence; here it introduces the reason or circumstance for the reduced stress. 기다리는 comes from 기다리다 (“to wait”) with the modifier ending -는. This form describes an action as ongoing or associated with the present situation and modifies the following noun. For example, 기다리는 사람 means “a person who is waiting.” 동안 means “during” or “for the period when.” With 기다리는, the pattern 기다리는 동안 means “while waiting” or “during the wait.” 동안 is a noun, so the preceding modifier specifies which period is meant. 스트레스 is the noun “stress,” a common loanword in Korean. In this sentence it is the thing whose intensity is being compared. 훨씬 is an adverb meaning “much” or “far,” used to strengthen a comparison. It commonly appears with a comparative expression, as in 훨씬 더 쉽다, “be much easier,” or with 덜하다 here, “be much less.” 덜해요 is the polite -해요 form of the adjective 덜하다, “to be less” or “to be reduced.” It describes 스트레스 as lower in intensity. 훨씬 덜해요 therefore means “is much less,” with the comparison understood from the situation: the waiting is less stressful than it otherwise would be. Together, 이렇게 하니 presents doing something in this way as the circumstance producing the result. 기다리는 동안 identifies the period, 스트레스 identifies what is affected, and 훨씬 덜해요 says that its intensity is much lower. The whole utterance means: “I appreciate it. This makes the wait much less stressful.”