Clarifying role scope and priorities | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 그 역할은 설명에서 제시된 것보다 범위가 더 넓어 보이네요.

   The role sounds broader than the description suggested.

   그

   that/the

   역할

   role

   설명

   description

   제시된

   presented

   것보다

   than what …

   범위

   scope

   더 넓어

   broader

   보이네요

   seems

   More detail

   그 modifies 역할 here, giving the noun the meaning “the role” or “that role.” Korean demonstratives such as 그 do not vary for gender or number. Its specific reference is understood from the supplied meaning and context; the form itself does not identify a particular person or object. 역할 means “role.” It is a noun and can be followed by particles or noun-modifying expressions, as in 역할의 범위 (“the scope of the role”) in the following context. 설명 means “description” or “explanation.” With 에서, 설명에서 marks the description as the source or setting in which something is presented. The relevant meaning here is “in the description.” 제시된 comes from 제시되다, “to be presented” or “to be put forward.” The ending -ㄴ makes the verb modify the following dependent noun 것, so 제시된 것 means “what was presented” or “the thing that was presented.” 제시되다 is passive: the presented item is treated as the subject of presentation, without saying who presented it. 것보다 consists of the dependent noun 것 (“thing/what”) and the comparison particle 보다 (“than”). Thus 제시된 것보다 means “than what was presented.” A useful comparison pattern is A보다 B가 …, meaning that B is … compared with A. Here, 설명에서 제시된 것 is the comparison standard. 범위 means “scope,” “range,” or “extent.” In this sentence it is the scope associated with 역할, as shown by the relationship 역할은 … 범위가 …; it is not a claim about a separate physical area. 더 넓어 expresses “be broader/wider.” The adjective is 넓다 (“to be broad/wide”); 넓어 is its connective form. 더 means “more,” so 더 넓어 marks a comparison in which the scope is broader than the stated standard. A useful comparison chain is 넓다 “be broad” → 더 넓다 “be broader” → 가장 넓다 “be the broadest.” 보이네요 comes from 보이다, which here means “to seem” or “to appear,” not simply “to be visible.” It consists of the stem 보이- and the sentence ending -네요; it is not formed by attaching -네요 to the separate form 보여. -네요 presents the speaker’s observation or assessment, often with a nuance of noticing or sharing that impression. Thus 더 넓어 보이네요 means “seems broader.” Putting the pieces together, 그 역할은 sets “the role” as the topic. 설명에서 제시된 것보다 supplies the comparison standard, “than what was presented in the description.” 범위가 더 넓어 says that its scope is broader, and 보이네요 frames this as the speaker’s impression. The complete meaning is: “The role sounds broader than the description suggested.” The following sentence is compatible with this reading because it also says that the role’s scope has become broader.

2. 팀 구조를 개편하고 있어서 역할의 범위가 넓어졌습니다.

   It has grown because the team structure is being revised.

   팀

   team

   구조

   structure

   개편하고 있어서

   because it is being revised

   역할

   role

   범위

   scope; range

   넓어졌습니다

   has become broader

   More detail

   팀 means “team.” It is a noun that can be used directly before another noun to specify its group or organizational connection, as in 팀 구조 (“team structure”). Example: 팀이 바뀌었습니다. — “The team changed.” 구조 means “structure,” especially the way something is organized or arranged. In 팀 구조, it refers to how the team is organized. Example: 조직 구조를 바꿉니다. — “We are changing the organizational structure.” 개편하고 있어서 contains 개편하다 (“to reorganize or revise”), the connective form 개편하고, and -고 있다 plus -어서. 개편하고 있다 describes an ongoing reorganization, while -어서 links that situation as the reason for what follows: “because it is being reorganized.” The Korean subject is omitted here; the fixed translation supports understanding the team structure as the thing undergoing revision, without requiring an explicit actor. Example: 제도를 개편하고 있어서 시간이 필요합니다. — “Because the system is being revised, time is needed.” 역할 means “role,” meaning the function or set of responsibilities assigned to someone or something. Its possessive-marked form 역할의 means “of the role” or “the role’s.” Example: 역할이 분명합니다. — “The role is clear.” 범위 means “scope” or “range,” the limits of what is included. In 역할의 범위, it is the scope of the role. Example: 업무 범위를 정합니다. — “We define the scope of the work.” 넓어졌습니다 is the formal-polite past form of 넓어지다, “to become wider or broader.” The adjective 넓다 means “wide” or “broad”; -어지다 forms a change-of-state verb, and -었습니다 marks a completed change in formal-polite speech. Thus, 범위가 넓어졌습니다 says that the scope has become broader, not merely that it is broad. Example: 선택의 폭이 넓어졌습니다. — “The range of choices has become wider.” Together, 팀 구조를 개편하고 있어서 gives the reason, 역할의 범위가 identifies the role’s scope as the changing subject, and 넓어졌습니다 states the completed result. The whole utterance means: “The scope of the role has become broader because the team structure is being revised.”

3. 우선순위가 명확하다면 폭넓은 역할도 맡을 수 있습니다.

   I can handle a broad role if the priorities are clear.

   우선순위가

   priorities

   명확하다면

   if clear

   폭넓은

   broad

   역할

   role

   맡을 수 있습니다

   can take on

   More detail

   우선순위가 means “the priorities” here. 우선순위 is a noun meaning a priority or level of importance, and -가 marks it as the subject of the condition. Korean nouns do not normally change form for singular versus plural; the English number comes from context. For example, 우선순위가 바뀌었습니다 means “The priority/priorities changed.” 명확하다면 means “if [they] are clear.” 명확하다 is the descriptive verb meaning “to be clear” or “to be definite.” Here -다면 makes a conditional meaning from the declarative form 명확하다; it is not the -(ㄴ/는)다면 pattern used after many ordinary action verbs. A useful contrast is 명확하지 않다면, “if they are not clear.” The subject is understood from 우선순위가, so the condition is that the priorities are clear. 폭넓은 describes 역할 as broad in scope or range. Its base form is 폭넓다, and 폭넓은 is the form used before a noun. The ending -은 here is an attributive form of the descriptive verb; it is not an ending on 역할. For example, 폭넓은 경험 means “broad experience.” 역할 means “role.” It can refer to a person’s duties, function, or area of responsibility. In this sentence it is the object of taking on, and the indefinite article in the English translation does not itself assert a numerical count. 맡을 수 있습니다 means “can take on” or “can handle.” The lexical verb is 맡다, “to take responsibility for, be entrusted with, or handle”; 맡을 is its form before 수 있다. The pattern 동사-(으)ㄹ 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility: 맡을 수 있습니다 is the polite present form “can take on.” The final -습니다 is on 있습니다 and gives a formal polite style. For example, 이 일을 맡을 수 있습니다 means “I can take on this work.” Together, 우선순위가 명확하다면 sets the condition, “if the priorities are clear.” 폭넓은 역할도 means “even a broad role” or “a broad role as well”; 도 is attached to 역할 in the target sentence. 맡을 수 있습니다 states the speaker’s ability to take on that role. The whole utterance therefore means: “I can handle a broad role if the priorities are clear.”

4. 첫 번째 우선순위는 내부 조율을 개선하는 것입니다.

   The first priority would be improving internal coordination.

   첫 번째

   first

   우선순위

   priority

   내부

   internal

   조율

   coordination

   개선하는

   improving

   것입니다

   is

   More detail

   첫 번째 means “first.” It is the ordinal form used to mark position in an order: 첫 번째 우선순위 is “the first priority.” It is not simply a statement that there is one priority; it identifies the priority’s position. 우선순위 means “priority.” The same noun appears in the preceding sentence as 우선순위가, where the subject marker 가 is attached. In this sentence, 우선순위는 sets “priority” as the topic. 내부 means “internal” or “within the organization.” Here it describes 조율, so 내부 조율 means coordination carried out within the organization. 내부 is a noun used attributively before another noun; it is not the word that expresses “coordinate.” 조율 means “coordination” or “alignment.” It is a noun. A useful related verb is 조율하다, “to coordinate” or “to align.” For example, 팀 간 일정을 조율합니다. means “We coordinate the schedules between teams.” 개선하는 comes from the verb 개선하다, “to improve.” The ending -는 makes the present-tense form modify a following noun or noun-like expression: 개선하는 방법 means “a method that improves” or “the method of improving.” In this sentence, it modifies 것, so 개선하는 것 means “improving” or “the act of improving.” The form does not itself mark the subject as singular or plural. 것입니다 consists of 것 (“thing,” or a nominalized act) and the formal copula form 입니다 (“is”). After 개선하는, it completes the nominal expression 개선하는 것입니다, literally presenting “improving” as what something is. In this formal sentence, the topic and predicate combine as 첫 번째 우선순위는 ... 것입니다: “the first priority is ...” The fixed translation renders this as “The first priority would be improving internal coordination.” Putting the parts together, 첫 번째 우선순위는 establishes “the first priority” as the topic, 내부 조율을 marks “internal coordination” as the object of improvement, and 개선하는 것입니다 presents “improving” it as the priority. The complete meaning is: “The first priority would be improving internal coordination.”

5. 그건 제가 여러 부서가 협력하는 프로젝트에서 쌓은 경험과 잘 맞습니다.

   That fits my experience with cross-functional projects.

   그건

   That

   제가

   I

   여러

   several

   부서

   department

   협력하는

   cooperating

   프로젝트

   project

   쌓은

   built up

   경험

   experience

   잘 맞습니다

   fits well

   More detail

   그건 is the contracted form of 그것은: 그것 (“that thing”) plus the topic marker 은. Here it corresponds to “That” in the fixed translation. The sentence does not identify exactly what 그건 refers to; the form marks that referent as the topic, while the experience later in the sentence is the comparison point. A reusable example is 그건 좋은 생각입니다 (“That is a good idea”). 제가 is 저 (“I,” humble/polite) plus the subject marker 가. It marks the person who accumulated the experience. In a less formal setting, 내가 is the corresponding plain-style form; 제가 is not simply a marker of singularity, but a speech-level choice combined with the subject role. 여러 means “several” or “multiple” and comes before the noun it describes. It does not state an exact number. In this sentence, 여러 부서 means multiple departments. For an unspecified large quantity, Korean commonly uses 많은 (“many”), as in 많은 부서 (“many departments”); that is not the same quantity as 여러. 부서 means “department.” In 여러 부서가, the subject marker 가 marks the departments as the participants in the cooperation described by the following modifier. A reusable example is 인사 부서 (“the human-resources department”). 협력하는 comes from 협력하다 (“to cooperate”): 협력하- plus the present attributive ending -는. It modifies the noun that follows, so 부서가 협력하는 프로젝트 means “a project in which departments cooperate.” The form 협력한 uses the past attributive ending and would describe a project in which departments cooperated or have cooperated. In the source, 협력하는 presents the cooperation as the project’s characteristic, without asserting a separate completion time. 프로젝트 means “project.” With the location/setting particle 에서 in 프로젝트에서, it marks the project as the setting in which the experience was accumulated. The full modifier 여러 부서가 협력하는 프로젝트 is therefore “a project where multiple departments cooperate,” matching the intended idea of a cross-functional project. 쌓은 comes from 쌓다 (“to build up; accumulate”) and uses the past attributive ending -은. It modifies 경험, giving 제가 ... 프로젝트에서 쌓은 경험: “the experience I built up in ... projects.” The past form presents the experience as accumulated before the current evaluation. For example, 현장에서 쌓은 경험 means “experience accumulated in the field.” 경험 means “experience.” Here it is the experience that 제가 accumulated. The particle 과 immediately after it links this experience to the topic as the thing that the topic fits well with; it does not make the experience the referent of 그건. Korean can also use 경험이 있다 (“to have experience”), but this sentence instead describes experience with the modifier 제가 ... 쌓은. 잘 맞습니다 is the polite formal-present form of 잘 맞다, literally “to fit well.” In this sentence it says that the topic fits well with the speaker’s experience. 잘 indicates a good degree of fit, and 맞습니다 carries the polite formal ending -습니다. For example, 이 역할은 제 경험과 잘 맞습니다 means “This role fits well with my experience.” Together, 그건 sets an unspecified “That” as the topic. 제가 여러 부서가 협력하는 프로젝트에서 쌓은 경험 identifies the speaker’s experience accumulated in projects where multiple departments cooperate, and 경험과 marks that experience as what the topic fits well with. 잘 맞습니다 then expresses a good fit. The complete meaning is: “That fits my experience with cross-functional projects.” This is a polite, professional way to connect an unspecified topic with relevant past experience.

6. 서로 상충하는 기대를 가진 팀들에는 어떻게 대응하시겠습니까?

   How would you handle teams with conflicting expectations?

   서로

   with each other; mutually

   상충하는

   conflicting

   기대

   expectation(s)

   가진

   having; with

   팀들

   teams

   어떻게

   how

   대응하시겠습니까?

   would you respond or deal with [it]?

   More detail

   서로 means that the relevant parties affect one another: here, the expectations conflict with one another. It is useful for reciprocal or mutual relations, as in 서로 도와요 (“They help each other”). 상충하는 comes from 상충하다, “to conflict” or “to be incompatible.” The ending -는 makes the verb modify a noun in the present or general sense: 상충하는 의견 means “conflicting opinions.” 상충한 is a different attributive form that can present the conflict as completed or viewed as a past event. 기대 means “expectation” or “expectations.” It is a noun; the plural meaning here is supplied by context rather than by a required plural ending. 상충하는 기대 therefore means expectations that conflict with one another. 가진 is the noun-modifying form of 가지다, “to have” or “to possess,” used here in the pattern “having …” or “that have ….” 기대를 가진 팀들 means “teams that have expectations.” Example: 경험을 가진 지원자 means “an applicant with experience.” 팀들 means “teams.” 팀 is the base noun, and -들 marks a plural group here. Korean can sometimes leave number to context, but this form explicitly presents more than one team. 어떻게 asks “how,” usually about a method or manner. Example: 어떻게 해결할까요? means “How shall we solve it?” It does not itself specify the solution. 대응하시겠습니까? asks whether the addressed person would respond or deal with the situation. 대응하다 means “to respond,” “deal with,” or “handle”; -시- is the honorific marker for the person being addressed or referred to; and -겠습니까? forms a formal question about intended, expected, or hypothetical action. Together, this is a respectful interview-style question, naturally rendered as “Would you respond?” or, with the preceding 어떻게, “How would you handle …?” In 팀들에는, -에는 marks the teams as the relevant target or context, with -는 adding a topic or contrast nuance. The structure is 서로 상충하는 기대를 가진 팀들에는 (“for teams that have expectations conflicting with one another”) + 어떻게 대응하시겠습니까? (“how would you respond or deal with [the situation]?”). The complete utterance asks the addressee to describe a way of handling teams whose expectations conflict with one another.

7. 먼저 의사결정 사항과 담당자, 그리고 아직 해결되지 않은 가정을 정리해 보겠습니다.

   I'd start by mapping the decisions, owners, and unresolved assumptions.

   먼저

   first

   의사결정 사항

   decision matters

   담당자

   person responsible; owner

   아직 해결되지 않은

   still unresolved

   가정

   assumption

   정리해 보겠습니다

   I’ll try to organize

   More detail

   먼저 means “first” here and places the organizing step at the beginning. It can introduce the first step in a sequence; it does not by itself mean that the speaker will do everything first. 의사결정 사항 refers to decision-related items: matters or points that have been decided or need to be recorded as decisions. 의사결정 is the noun “decision-making,” while 사항 is a broad noun for a matter, item, or point. Together, they form a reusable noun phrase rather than a verb phrase. 담당자 means the person responsible for a task or area. It is a useful role noun for an “owner” in project or work contexts. Unlike a general word for a person, it specifically highlights responsibility for handling something. 아직 해결되지 않은 modifies the noun that follows it. 아직 means “still” or “yet”; 해결되다 means “to be resolved”; and -지 않은 makes a negative modifier, “that has not been resolved.” Thus, 해결되지 않은 describes something remaining unresolved, while 아직 emphasizes that this remains true at the relevant time. The observed form is not the same as saying that someone did not resolve it: 해결되다 presents the matter as becoming resolved, whereas an active form would present a person as resolving it. 가정 means an assumption: something being treated as true for the purpose of reasoning or planning. The modifier before it gives the specific meaning “unresolved assumptions.” As a simple example, 이 가정은 아직 검증되지 않았습니다. means “This assumption has not yet been verified.” This is a new example, not a fact from the supplied conversation. 정리해 보겠습니다 combines 정리하다, “to organize or arrange,” with -아/어 보다, which presents trying or attempting an action, and -겠습니다, a formal polite ending expressing the speaker’s intention or proposed course of action. 정리해 보겠습니다 therefore means “I’ll try to organize” or, naturally in this context, “I’ll start by organizing.” The subject is understood from the verb ending as the speaker; Korean commonly omits such a recoverable subject. -겠습니다 is not the past tense, and 보다 here is part of the construction rather than the independent verb “to see.” Putting the chunks together, the speaker proposes beginning with an organized mapping of three kinds of items: the decision matters, the responsible owners, and the assumptions that remain unresolved. The formal polite ending makes this a professional, courteous proposal: “I’d start by mapping the decisions, owners, and unresolved assumptions.”

8. 그 말씀을 들으니 행동하기 전에 문제를 이해하는 데 시간을 들이시겠다는 뜻이군요.

   That tells me you'd take time to understand the problem before acting.

   그

   that

   말씀

   words; remark

   들으니

   on hearing

   행동하기 전에

   before acting

   문제

   problem

   이해하는 데

   for understanding

   시간

   time

   들이시겠다는

   would spend

   뜻이군요

   meaning; I see

   More detail

   그 points to the remark being referred to: “that.” As a demonstrative, it identifies something in the discourse rather than marking gender or number. Here the fixed translation supports reading it as the remark the speaker has heard. 말씀 means “words” or “remark” here. It is the honorific form associated with 말 “words/speech,” used respectfully for someone’s words. The phrase 그 말씀 therefore refers respectfully to “that remark,” while 말씀 itself does not mean “that”; 그 supplies that pointing meaning. 들으니 comes from 듣다 “to hear.” The ㄷ changes to ㄹ before the vowel-initial ending -으니, giving 들으니. In this sentence it means “on hearing” and sets up the speaker’s conclusion. This form is different from 들어요, the polite present form “hear/listen.” 행동하기 전에 means “before acting.” 행동하다 “to act” becomes 행동하기 by adding -기, a form that lets the verb function as a noun-like activity; 전에 then places the next event before that activity. The reusable pattern is V-기 전에 “before doing V.” For example, 출발하기 전에 확인해요 means “I check before leaving.” 문제 means “problem” here. It is a noun and is the object of understanding: the utterance refers to understanding the problem, not merely understanding in general. 이해하는 데 means “for understanding.” 이해하다 “to understand” becomes 이해하는 in the present-modifying form, and -는 데 presents the activity as the purpose or task for which something is used. The pattern V-는 데 시간이 들다 means “to take time to do V.” For example, 새 시스템을 이해하는 데 시간이 걸려요 means “It takes time to understand the new system.” 시간 means “time.” In this utterance it is the thing being spent, marked in the full sentence by 을: 시간을. The expression 시간(을) 들이다 means “to spend time,” especially on an activity or task; it is not a statement that a particular numerical amount of time is involved. 들이시겠다는 contains the verb 들이다 “to spend/use,” the honorific marker -시-, the -겠- form, and -다는. The honorific marker shows respect toward the person understood as the subject of spending time. Here -겠다는 packages that person’s anticipated or intended action as “that [the person] would spend.” It is not the base form of 시간; 시간 is the noun, and 들이다 is the verb. Compare 시간을 들이다 “spend time” with 시간을 쓰다, another common way to say “use/spend time.” 뜻이군요 means “meaning; I see” in this construction. 뜻 means “meaning” or “intention,” and 이군요 is the noun-predicate ending 이다 plus -군요, which marks the speaker’s recognition or realization. Because 뜻 is a noun, the copular part appears as 이군요; -군요 can attach differently after other kinds of forms. Together, 그 말씀을 들으니 means “on hearing that remark.” The following action order is 행동하기 전에 “before acting,” and the object and purpose are 문제를 이해하는 데 “for understanding the problem.” 시간을 들이시겠다는 means “that you would spend time,” and 뜻이군요 presents this as the speaker’s conclusion. The complete meaning is: “That tells me you’d take time to understand the problem before acting.”