Resolving a Double-Booked Meeting Room | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 공유 오피스 캘린더에서 회의실이 중복 예약되어 있어요.

   The meeting room is double-booked on the shared office calendar.

   공유 오피스

   shared office

   캘린더

   calendar

   회의실

   meeting room

   중복 예약되어 있어요

   is double-booked

   More detail

   공유 오피스 means “shared office.” Here 공유 is a noun meaning “sharing” or “shared use,” used before 오피스 to describe an office shared by users. 공유하다 is the related verb “to share,” but 공유 itself is the form appearing here. The same pattern appears in the example 공유 주방, “shared kitchen.” 캘린더 means “calendar.” In 캘린더에서, 에서 identifies the place or system where something is recorded or found. Here the calendar is the record showing the booking, so the phrase means “on the calendar.” For example, 앱에서 일정을 확인해요 means “I check the schedule in the app.” 회의실 means “meeting room.” It is a compound noun made from 회의 (“meeting”) and 실 (“room”), but 회의실 is the ordinary noun to learn for this type of room. In 회의실이, 이 marks the noun as the subject. After a noun ending in a consonant, use 이; after one ending in a vowel, use 가, as in 방이 (“the room”) and 의자가 (“the chair”). 중복 예약되어 있어요 describes the meeting room's current booking state as double-booked. 중복 예약 means “duplicate booking” or “double booking.” 예약되다 means “to be reserved/booked,” and 예약되어 있어요 combines that passive form with 있다 to present the resulting state as continuing now; -어요 makes the ending polite and conversational. This differs from 예약해요, “reserve/book [something],” which describes the booker's action. Example: 이 시간은 이미 예약되어 있어요 means “This time slot is already reserved.” Together, 공유 오피스 캘린더에서 identifies the shared office calendar as the record, 회의실이 makes the meeting room the subject, and 중복 예약되어 있어요 states its current double-booked condition. The complete meaning is “The meeting room is double-booked on the shared office calendar.”

2. 누가 그 방을 더 급하게 써야 해요?

   Who needs it more urgently?

   누가

   who

   그

   that

   방

   room

   더

   more

   급하게

   urgently

   써야 해요

   needs to use it

   More detail

   누가 means “who” as the subject of the question. It is the question word 누구 (“who”) with the subject marker 가; 누구 + 가 becomes 누가. For example, 누가 와요? means “Who is coming?” 그 is a demonstrative determiner meaning “that” or, in this context, “the” when the room is identifiable from the situation. 방 is the noun “room.” Together, 그 방 means “that room/the room.” The following 을 marks 그 방 as the object of the verb. 방 is a noun; it is not the base form of an adjective. 더 means “more.” Here it compares the urgency of the need to use the room with another possible need: “more urgently.” It modifies the following adverbial idea rather than meaning “additional” by itself. 급하게 means “urgently” or “in a hurried way.” It is the adverbial form related to the adjective 급하다, “to be urgent” or “to be hurried.” For example, 급하게 결정하지 마세요 means “Please do not decide hastily.” 써야 해요 expresses that someone needs to use something. The lexical verb is 쓰다, “to use” here; its form 써야 combines with -어야 하다 to express necessity, and 해요 is the polite present form of 하다. The pattern V-어야 해요 means “must/need to V.” In this sentence, the object supplied by 그 방을 is understood in the English translation as “it.” For example, 지금 가야 해요 means “I need to go now.” Putting the parts together, 누가 asks for the person, 그 방을 identifies the room being used, 더 급하게 asks whose need is more urgent, and 써야 해요 says that this person needs to use it. The whole utterance therefore means, “Who needs to use the room more urgently?” or naturally, “Who needs it more urgently?”

3. 저는 고객과 비공개 통화가 있어요.

   I have a private client call.

   저는

   as for me

   고객과

   with a client

   비공개

   private

   통화

   call

   있어요

   have; there is

   More detail

   저는 marks the speaker as the topic: “as for me.” 저 is the humble first-person pronoun “I,” and -는 is a topic marker. In a reusable pattern, 저는 ... means “As for me, ...” or simply “I ...” in English. The topic marker does not itself mean that the speaker owns or performs the following action. 고객과 means “with a client.” 고객 is a noun meaning “customer” or “client,” and -과 links it to the accompanying participant. After a vowel, the corresponding form is -와; for example, 친구와 means “with a friend.” Here, the client is the other participant in the call. 비공개 means “private” or “non-public.” It describes the following noun, 통화, and indicates that the call is not public. The contrasting word 공개 means “public” or “open.” For example, 비공개 회의 means “a private meeting.” 통화 means “a phone call” or “a telephone conversation.” It is a noun, so it combines with verbs such as 하다 (“to do”): 통화하다 means “to make or have a phone call.” In this sentence, 통화 is the thing that exists for the speaker, while 고객과 identifies the other participant. 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, “to exist” or “to be present.” With a person as topic, ...이/가 있어요 can naturally express having something: 시간이 있어요 means “I have time.” The form 있어요 itself is polite and does not mark the speaker’s gender. The exact noun subject may be marked with 이 after a consonant or 가 after a vowel, as in 통화가 있어요; here, the topic 저는 frames the whole statement as information about the speaker. Together, 저는 고객과 비공개 통화가 있어요 says that, for the speaker, a private call with a client exists on their schedule or is something they have: “I have a private client call.” The pattern 저는 [person]과 [event]가 있어요 is reusable for describing a scheduled or relevant event involving the speaker, for example, 저는 선생님과 회의가 있어요 — “I have a meeting with the teacher.”

4. 하지만 다른 사람이 혼자 일하려고 그 방을 예약했어요.

   But someone else booked it for solo work.

   하지만

   but

   다른

   different; other

   사람

   person

   혼자

   alone

   일하려고

   to work; in order to work

   그

   that

   방

   room

   예약했어요

   booked; reserved

   More detail

   하지만 means “but” and marks a contrast with what came before. It is a clause-level connector, so the following statement is presented against the previous situation rather than as an isolated fact. 다른 means “other” or “different” and comes before the noun it describes. In 다른 사람, it contributes the idea of “someone else.” It is the modifier form of 다르다 (“to be different”); 다르다 is used as the predicate, while 다른 is used before a noun. This expression does not by itself state a numeric count. 사람 means “person” or “people,” depending on context. Here, the singular reading “person” is supported by the translation “someone else.” With 다른, 다른 사람 forms the reusable expression “another person” or “someone else.” 혼자 means “alone” or “by oneself.” It describes doing something without other people. Example: 혼자 공부해요. — “I study alone.” 일하려고 means “in order to work” or “intending to work.” It is built from 일하다 (“to work”) plus -(으)려고, a form used for a purpose or intention. Because 일하다 has a stem ending in a vowel, the form is 일하려고; after a consonant, the same pattern commonly appears as -으려고. In this sentence, the working is the purpose of booking the room. 그 means “that” before a noun. In 그 방, it identifies the room as “that room.” Korean demonstratives such as 그 have their own grammatical role as noun modifiers; they do not determine the noun’s number or gender. 방 means “room.” It is the noun modified by 그, giving 그 방 (“that room”). Example: 방을 예약했어요. — “I booked a room.” 예약했어요 means “booked” or “reserved” here. Its base form is 예약하다 (“to book; to reserve”); 예약했어요 is the polite past form, with -했- marking completed past action in the 하다 verb pattern. The polite present form is 예약해요 (“book/reserve”), while 예약했어요 says that the booking was made. Putting the parts together, 다른 사람이 means “someone else” as the actor, 혼자 일하려고 gives the purpose “to work alone,” and 그 방을 예약했어요 means “booked that room.” The whole utterance is therefore: “But someone else booked it for solo work.” The Korean wording explicitly names the object as 그 방 (“that room”), while the fixed English translation refers back to it as “it.”

5. 그럼 그 사람에게 제가 잠깐 쓰게 해 줄 수 있는지 물어보세요.

   Then ask whether they can let you use it briefly.

   그럼

   then

   그 사람에게

   to that person

   제가

   I

   잠깐

   briefly

   쓰게 해 줄 수 있는지

   whether [someone] can let me use [something]

   물어보세요

   please ask

   More detail

   그럼 is a common shortened form of 그러면, meaning “then” or “in that case.” It links this request to what was just said. 그 사람에게 means “to that person.” 그 사람 is “that person,” and 에게 marks the person addressed or involved as the recipient of the asking. In this sentence, the person is the one being asked about the permission. 제가 is 저 (“I,” in a humble/polite form) plus the subject marker 가. Thus, the person who would use the unspecified object is marked as “I” in the Korean sentence. The subject marker 가 can identify the subject of the embedded action without necessarily adding strong contrast. 잠깐 is an adverb meaning “briefly” or “for a moment.” It limits the duration of the using action; it does not itself specify exactly how many minutes. 쓰게 해 줄 수 있는지 contains the reusable permission pattern A가 B를 V-게 해 주다: “A lets B do V” or “A allows B to do V as a favor.” Here 쓰다 is the base verb “to use,” and 쓰게 하다 means “make/let someone use.” 해 주다 adds the sense that the action is done for the other person’s benefit. The object of 쓰다 is omitted in the Korean sentence and is supplied as “it” by the fixed translation. -ㄹ 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility, so 해 줄 수 있다 asks whether the person is able or willing to provide that permission. The ending -는지 turns the clause into an embedded yes-or-no question: ...할 수 있는지 물어보다 means “ask whether ... can.” 물어보세요 is the polite request form of 물어보다, “to ask” or “to inquire.” The ending -세요 makes it a polite directive to the listener. It is therefore a request to ask, rather than a statement that someone has already asked. Putting the parts together, the Korean sentence asks the listener to ask that person whether they can let the speaker use the omitted object briefly. The Korean form 제가 explicitly marks the prospective user as “I.” The supplied English translation says “let you use it,” which assigns that role to “you”; because those participant perspectives conflict, the exact participant intended by the fixed pair is unresolved, although the Korean grammar itself is clear.

6. 저는 제 일이 더 중요하다는 인상을 주고 싶지 않아요.

   I do not want to sound like my task is more important.

   저는

   as for me; I

   제

   my

   일

   work; task

   더

   more

   중요하다는

   being important; that it is important

   인상

   impression

   주고

   give

   싶지 않아요

   do not want to

   More detail

   저는 marks the speaker as the topic: “as for me” or “I.” The ending -는 is a topic marker, not a separate English-style pronoun. A useful contrast is 제가, which marks the speaker as the subject or focus in contexts where that role matters. 제 means “my” here. It is the commonly used contraction of 저의; 저 is the humble first-person form, and 의 marks possession. For example, 제 책 means “my book.” 일 means “work” or “task.” In this sentence, the fixed translation supports the sense “my task,” but the same noun can refer more broadly to someone’s work or affairs depending on context. For example, 일이 많아요 means “I have a lot of work.” 더 means “more” and marks a comparison. It modifies 중요하다 here: 더 중요하다 means “to be more important.” The comparison is relative to an understood standard or another matter; the sentence does not specify that standard. 중요하다는 presents the proposition “that it is more important” as the content of the following noun. It is built from 중요하다 “to be important” plus -다는, a form used to modify a noun with a stated proposition. Thus 제 일이 더 중요하다는 인상 is literally an “impression that my task is more important.” The form 중요하다 describes importance; 중요하다는 packages that description as content. 인상 means “impression.” In the pattern -다는 인상, the proposition before it identifies what impression is being conveyed. For example, 그가 바쁘다는 인상을 받았어요 means “I got the impression that he was busy.” 주고 comes from 주다, “to give,” with -고, which links it to what follows. Here it is part of the reusable pattern 인상을 주다, “to give an impression.” The form 주고 does not mean “give” by itself as a completed statement; it connects 주다 to 싶다 in 주고 싶다, “want to give.” 싶지 않아요 expresses “do not want to.” 싶다 means “to want to,” and -지 않다 negates it; 않아요 is the polite present form of 않다. The negative form is 싶지 않아요, not a negation of the preceding noun or adjective. Putting the parts together: 제 일이 더 중요하다는 gives the content of the 인상; 인상을 주고 means “give that impression”; and 싶지 않아요 means “do not want to.” The whole utterance means: “I do not want to give the impression that my task is more important,” naturally matching the fixed translation “I do not want to sound like my task is more important.”

7. 예를 들어 통화에 사용한 뒤 바로 나가겠다고 타협안을 제안해 보세요.

   Offer a compromise, like using it for the call and leaving right after.

   예를 들어

   for example

   통화

   call

   사용한 뒤

   after using

   바로

   right away

   나가겠다고

   that someone will leave

   타협안

   compromise proposal

   제안해 보세요

   try offering

   More detail

   예를 들어 means “for example.” It introduces one possible case or arrangement rather than saying that it is the only option. 통화 is the noun “call” or “phone call.” In 통화에 사용한 뒤, 에 marks the purpose here: using it for the call. 통화하다 is the related verb “to make a call”; 통화 itself is the noun. 사용한 뒤 means “after using.” The base verb is 사용하다, “to use.” The form V-(으)ㄴ 뒤 places the action before the next event and means “after doing V.” The thing being used is understood from the situation and is rendered as “it” in the fixed translation. 바로 means “right away” or “immediately.” Here it modifies the leaving, so the intended sequence is to leave immediately after the call-related use. 나가겠다고 combines 나가다, “to go out” or “to leave,” with -겠- and -다고. In this sentence, -겠- presents the leaving as a prospective intention or commitment, while -다고 packages that proposition as quoted content: “that someone will leave.” The Korean form does not identify the subject as “you”; the source and fixed translation only support the leaving itself. 타협안 is a noun meaning “compromise proposal” or “compromise.” It refers to an arrangement intended to balance competing needs. 타협 means “compromise,” and 안 in this compound means a proposal or plan. 제안해 보세요 means “try proposing” and, in this context, naturally “offer.” The base verb is 제안하다, “to propose.” -아/어 보다 adds trying an action, and -세요 makes the prompt polite. Thus this is a polite suggestion to make the proposal, not a statement that it has already been made. Together, 예를 들어 introduces one possible arrangement: use it for the call and then leave immediately afterward. 나가겠다고 presents the leaving as the proposed commitment, while 타협안 identifies the arrangement as a compromise. The whole utterance means: “Offer a compromise, like using it for the call and leaving right after.”

8. 그게 공평한 것 같아요. 저도 그 사람이 다른 업무 공간을 찾도록 도와줄 수 있어요.

   That feels fair. I can also help them find another workspace.

   그게

   that; it

   공평한

   fair

   것 같아요

   seems; feels like

   저도

   I also

   그

   that

   사람

   person

   다른

   another; different

   업무

   work; business

   공간

   space

   찾도록

   to find

   도와줄

   help

   수 있어요

   can

   More detail

   그게 is the shortened form of 그것이: 그것 (“that thing/it”) plus the subject marker 이, reduced in ordinary speech. Here it refers to the proposed compromise as the thing being evaluated; the translation confirms the intended meaning “That.” 공평한 comes from the descriptive verb 공평하다, “to be fair.” The form 공평한 is its noun-modifying form, used before 것 (“thing”): 공평한 것 means “a fair thing.” Do not treat 공평한 as the base form; the base is 공평하다. 것 같아요 literally uses 것 (“thing”) with 같다 (“to be like/seem”). After a clause or descriptive phrase, -는/은 것 같아요 expresses the speaker’s impression or tentative assessment. Here 공평한 것 같아요 means “it feels/seems fair,” rather than asserting the judgment as an absolute fact. Example: 비가 오는 것 같아요. — “It seems to be raining.” 저도 means “I also/too.” 저 is the humble first-person pronoun “I,” and 도 adds “also.” It introduces the speaker as another person able to help; it does not itself identify any additional helper. 그 is a demonstrative modifier meaning “that” or “the.” It does not carry the noun’s number or gender. In this sentence it modifies 사람, but the specific person is understood from the situation and is rendered as “them” in the fixed translation. 사람 means “person” or “people,” depending on context. In 그 사람, it forms the noun phrase “that person/them.” Korean does not mark this noun for grammatical gender, and the English singular “them” is the translation’s chosen neutral reference. 다른 comes from 다르다, “to be different,” and is the noun-modifying form used before 업무 공간: 다른 업무 공간 means “another/different workspace.” The contrast is with the workspace already under discussion, not with a stated number of spaces. Example: 다른 방법을 찾아요. — “I look for another method.” 업무 means “work” or “business duties.” It specifies the type or purpose of the following noun. 공간 means “space,” so 업무 공간 is a compound noun meaning “workspace” or “work area.” Each word is independently useful: 업무 can modify other work-related nouns, while 공간 can describe other kinds of spaces. 찾도록 is 찾다 (“to find/look for”) plus -도록. In this construction, -도록 links the goal of helping with the action the person is to carry out: 그 사람이 ... 찾도록 means “so that that person finds ...” or, naturally here, “to help that person find ...” The form 찾도록 itself is not a command to the learner; it is part of the 돕다 + -도록 pattern. 도와줄 comes from 돕다, “to help,” together with auxiliary 주다, “to do/give for someone,” in 도와주다 (“to help someone”), followed by the future or attributive form -ㄹ: 도와줄. The spelling reflects the irregular change in 돕다 when followed by a vowel-initial ending: 돕다 → 도와요, 도와주다. Here it modifies the following 수, preparing the ability construction. 수 있어요 is the ability/possibility pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수 있다, literally “there is a way/possibility to V.” With 도와줄, 도와줄 수 있어요 means “can help.” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다; the pattern does not by itself say that the action has already happened. Together, 그게 공평한 것 같아요 means “That feels fair.” Then 저도 marks the speaker as also able to act, and 그 사람이 다른 업무 공간을 찾도록 도와줄 수 있어요 means “I can help that person find another workspace.” The complete utterance is therefore: “That feels fair. I can also help them find another workspace.”

9. 그러면 그 사람의 예약도 존중한다는 것을 보여 줄 수 있어요.

   That shows you respect their booking too.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   그 사람의

   that person’s; their

   예약

   booking; reservation

   도

   also; too

   존중한다는 것을

   that someone respects it

   보여 줄 수 있어요

   can show

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It links the statement to the situation already established. Example: 그러면 지금 시작해요. — “Then let’s start now.” 그 사람의 means “that person’s” or “their” here. 그 사람 means “that person,” and 의 marks possession or a close relationship. This form does not itself specify the person’s gender or number. 예약 means “booking” or “reservation.” Example: 예약이 있어요. — “There is a reservation.” 도 is a particle meaning “also” or “too.” Here it attaches to 예약, indicating that the booking is included as an additional thing being respected. 존중한다는 것을 contains 존중하다, “to respect.” The form -다는 것 presents the content of a statement or belief as a noun-like unit, and 를 marks that unit as the object of 보여 주다. In this sentence, the omitted object of 존중하다 is understood from the fixed meaning as the person’s booking, while the understood subject is “you.” A useful contrast is 존중하는 것, “respecting” or “the act of respecting,” which does not present the content as a quoted proposition in the same way. 보여 줄 수 있어요 means “can show.” 보여 주다 is the expression “to show” something to someone. In 보여 줄 수, 줄 is the adnominal form of 주다, modifying 수 in the ability pattern -을/ㄹ 수 있다; it is not a connective form or a future marker. 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility, and 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다. Example: 사진으로 보여 줄 수 있어요. — “I can show it with a picture.” Together, 그러면 means “then/in that case,” 그 사람의 예약도 identifies that person’s booking as an additional item, and 존중한다는 것을 보여 줄 수 있어요 means “can show that [you] respect it.” The complete meaning is: “That shows you respect their booking too.”

10. 지금 그 사람에게 메시지를 보내고 상황을 설명할 수 있어요.

    I can message them now and explain the situation.

    지금

    now

    그 사람에게

    to that person; to them

    메시지

    message

    보내고

    send and

    상황

    situation

    설명할

    explain

    수 있어요

    possibility or ability is available

    More detail

    지금 means “now,” placing the action at the present time. It is a time adverb and can move for emphasis: 지금 메시지를 보내요 means “I’m sending a message now.” 그 사람에게 means “to that person” or, as the fixed translation makes clear here, “to them.” 그 사람 is a noun phrase meaning “that person,” and 에게 marks the recipient of an action such as sending, giving, or saying something. The form 에게 does not itself specify the person’s gender or number. 메시지 means “message.” In this sentence it appears with the object marker in 메시지를, because the message is what is sent. Example: 친구에게 메시지를 보내요. — “I send a message to a friend.” 보내고 is the form of 보내다, “to send,” with the connective ending -고. It links this action to the next verb: A를 보내고 B를 설명하다 means “send A and explain B.” The observed -고 form does not by itself mark past time; the time and ability meaning come from the surrounding sentence. 상황 means “situation” or “circumstances.” Here it is the object of 설명하다, so 상황을 설명하다 means “to explain the situation.” Example: 상황을 설명해요. — “I explain the situation.” 설명할 comes from 설명하다, “to explain.” The ending -(으)ㄹ here is the form used before 수 있다, creating the possibility/ability pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수 있다: “can V” or “be able to V.” Thus 설명할 수 있어요 means “can explain.” 수 있어요 completes the pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요. 수 is used in this expression, and 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다; together with the preceding verb form, they express possibility or ability. In this sentence, 보내고 설명할 수 있어요 presents sending the message and explaining the situation as actions the speaker can do. The polite ending -어요 makes the statement suitable for ordinary courteous conversation. Putting the parts together, 지금 sets the time, 그 사람에게 메시지를 보내고 gives the first connected action, and 상황을 설명할 수 있어요 gives the ability construction for the coordinated actions: “I can message them now and explain the situation.”

11. 메시지는 짧게 쓰고 그 타협안을 제안해 보세요.

    Keep the message brief and suggest that compromise.

    메시지는

    the message

    짧게

    briefly

    쓰고

    write and

    그

    that

    타협안

    compromise

    제안해 보세요

    please try suggesting

    More detail

    메시지는 combines 메시지 (“message”) with the topic marker 는. It sets the message as the item being discussed; 는 does not itself state a numeric quantity or uniquely identify a referent. The previous sentence also uses 메시지 in 메시지를, where 를 marks it as the object of “send.” 짧게 is the adverbial form of the adjective 짧다 (“to be short”). It describes how the writing should be done: briefly. A useful pattern is adjective stem + 게 for making many descriptive words function adverbially. For example, 천천히 말하세요 means “Please speak slowly.” 쓰고 is the connective form of 쓰다 (“to write”): 쓰다 → 쓰고. Here -고 links this action to the following action, so the instruction is to write briefly and then also make the suggestion. It is not the polite ending of the sentence; the polite directive appears at the end. 그 is a demonstrative meaning “that” before a noun. It modifies 타협안, identifying the compromise proposal intended in the fixed translation. Its form does not change for number or grammatical gender. 타협안 is a noun meaning “compromise proposal” or “compromise plan.” It is the object associated with the following verb, although Korean commonly leaves the object marker out when the intended object is clear. This is a useful noun pattern for referring to a proposed compromise rather than to compromise as an abstract process. 제안해 보세요 is a polite directive built from 제안하다 (“to suggest/propose”) and the construction -아/어 보다, which means “try doing.” 제안하다 becomes 제안해, and 보세요 completes the polite request; here 보다 is part of the “try” construction, not the ordinary verb “see.” The whole expression therefore politely asks the listener to try suggesting it. For example, 읽어 보세요 means “Please try reading it.” Together, 메시지는 짧게 쓰고 gives the first coordinated instruction, “write the message briefly,” and 그 타협안을 제안해 보세요 gives the second, “try suggesting that compromise proposal.” The omitted subject is understood from the directive context, and the complete utterance politely instructs the listener to keep the message brief and suggest that compromise.