Clarifying Dependencies and Priorities | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 사람들이 모두의 우선순위에 순위를 매기기 시작하자 논의가 긴장되기 시작했어.

   The discussion got tense once people started ranking everyone's priorities.

   사람들

   people

   모두의

   everyone’s

   우선순위

   priority

   순위

   rank

   매기기

   ranking

   시작하자

   once they started

   논의

   discussion

   긴장되기

   becoming tense

   시작했어

   started

   More detail

   사람들 means “people” here. 사람 means “person,” and -들 marks a plural group. The following subject marker 이 makes this group the subject of the first clause. 모두의 means “everyone’s” here. 모두 can mean “everyone” or “all,” and 의 marks possession or association. It identifies whose priorities are being ranked; it does not itself assert a numerical count. 우선순위 means “priority” or “priority level.” It is the noun receiving an assigned rank in this sentence. 순위 means “rank.” In the construction 순위를 매기다, it is the thing being assigned: the construction means “to assign ranks” or simply “to rank.” 매기기 comes from 매기다, meaning “to assign, give, or determine”; here it specifically means “to rank.” The ending -기 makes the verb noun-like, so 매기기 시작하다 means “to start ranking.” 시작하자 is 시작하다 with the connective ending -자. In this clause, -자 means “when,” “as soon as,” or “once,” rather than “let’s.” Thus 매기기 시작하자 means “once they started ranking.” The subject is omitted in Korean and is understood from the already introduced people, consistent with the fixed translation. 논의 means “discussion.” The following subject marker 가 makes it the subject of the change described next. 긴장되기 comes from 긴장되다, meaning “to become tense” or “to be tense,” plus -기. The pattern 긴장되기 시작하다 means “to start becoming tense,” with the discussion as the entity whose state changes. 시작했어 comes from 시작하다. The ending -었어 marks past time in an informal, familiar conversational style. In 긴장되기 시작했어, it says that the discussion began becoming tense. Together, 사람들이 모두의 우선순위에 순위를 매기기 시작하자 means “once people started ranking everyone’s priorities.” Here 에 marks the priorities as the target to which ranks are assigned, while 순위 is the assigned rank. 논의가 긴장되기 시작했어 means “the discussion started becoming tense.” The complete utterance is: “The discussion got tense once people started ranking everyone’s priorities.”

2. 몇몇 팀이 자기들 일이 뒷전으로 밀려난다고 느낀 것 같아.

   It sounded like some teams felt their work was being pushed aside.

   몇몇

   some; several

   팀

   team

   자기들

   their own

   일

   work; matter

   뒷전으로

   to the back burner; aside

   밀려난다고

   that [something] is being pushed aside

   느낀

   felt

   것 같아

   it seems like

   More detail

   몇몇 means “some” or “several.” It indicates an unspecified subset, without stating the exact number. Example: 몇몇 학생이 왔어. — “Some students came.” 팀 means “team.” In 팀이, the particle 이 marks 팀 as the subject. The phrase 몇몇 팀이 therefore means “some teams” as the subject of the sentence. 자기들 refers back to a plural third-person subject or group and means “their own” here. 자기 is the reflexive form, and 들 marks plurality. In 자기들 일, it identifies the work as belonging to that group rather than to someone else. Korean reflexive reference depends on the sentence structure and context; the form itself does not name the group independently. 일 can mean “work,” “task,” or “matter.” With 자기들 here, 자기들 일 means “their work.” The particle 이 after 일 is omitted in the written string because 일 is part of the larger phrase 자기들 일이. 뒷전으로 means “to the back burner” or “aside.” 뒷전 is the place or status of being treated as less important, and -으로 marks the resulting direction or status. Example: 안전이 뒷전으로 밀리면 안 돼. — “Safety must not be pushed aside.” 밀려난다고 comes from 밀려나다, “to be pushed aside, pushed back, or relegated.” The observed form combines 밀려나- with -ㄴ다고, which reports a declarative proposition: “that it is being pushed aside.” Here 밀려나다 presents 자기들 일 as undergoing the action, rather than as the actor pushing something else. The form does not by itself add a separate English progressive ending; the context supplies the sense of work being relegated. 느낀 is the past attributive form of 느끼다, “to feel.” 느끼다 becomes 느낀 before 것, so 밀려난다고 느낀 것 means “the thing/event of feeling that [it] was being pushed aside,” naturally rendered as “felt that [it] was being pushed aside.” The past marking is on 느끼다, not on 일 or 밀려나다. 것 같아 is the conversational form of 것 같다, used when the speaker gives an impression or inference: “it seems like” or “it sounds like.” Here it places the speaker slightly outside the teams’ experience: the speaker infers that they felt this way, rather than directly asserting their internal feeling as independently verified. Putting the parts together: 몇몇 팀이 makes “some teams” the subject; 자기들 일이 뒷전으로 밀려난다고 says that their work was being pushed aside; 느낀 says they felt that; and 것 같아 presents the whole interpretation as an impression. The complete meaning is: “It sounded like some teams felt their work was being pushed aside.”

3. 아무도 그렇게 하려던 게 아니었더라도, 그러면 신뢰가 상할 수 있어.

   That can hurt trust, even if nobody meant it that way.

   아무도

   nobody

   그렇게 하려던 게 아니었더라도

   even if [someone] did not intend to do so

   그러면

   in that case

   신뢰

   trust

   상할 수 있어

   can be hurt

   More detail

   아무도 means “nobody.” 아무 means “anyone/anybody” in this type of negative expression, and -도 adds the inclusive sense “even/any.” With a negative predicate, 아무도 produces “nobody”: 아무도 오지 않았어 means “Nobody came.” 그렇게 하려던 게 아니었더라도 expresses “even if [someone] did not intend to do it that way.” 그렇게 means “that way,” referring to the manner already understood in context. 하려던 comes from 하다 (“to do”) with the intention-related form -려던, meaning “had intended to do” or “was intending to do.” 게 is the conversational contraction of 것이, and 아니었더라도 means “even if it was not.” The ending -더라도 marks a condition that remains true despite the result: 늦더라도 와 means “Come even if you are late.” Here, combined with 아무도, the clause conveys “even if nobody intended it that way.” 그러면 means “in that case” or “then.” It links the preceding condition to the consequence that follows. It is different from 그렇게: 그렇게 describes a manner (“that way”), while 그러면 introduces a result or next step (“in that case”). 신뢰 is the noun “trust.” It refers to confidence in a person, group, or relationship. A useful related expression is 신뢰를 쌓다, “to build trust”; the particle 를 marks 신뢰 as the object of that action. 상할 수 있어 means “can be hurt” or “can be damaged” here. The base form is 상하다, which can describe something becoming damaged or spoiled; with 신뢰, it means that trust may be damaged. -을 수 있다 expresses possibility, and its conversational form here is 수 있어: 문제가 생길 수 있어 means “A problem can arise.” The form does not assert that the damage definitely happens. Together, 그렇게 하려던 게 아니었더라도 sets the concessive condition “even if nobody meant it that way.” 그러면 connects that condition to the consequence, and 신뢰가 상할 수 있어 says that trust can nevertheless be damaged. The whole utterance means: “That can hurt trust, even if nobody meant it that way.”

4. 다음 회의 전에 의존 관계와 중요도를 구분해 보는 게 좋을 것 같아.

   Maybe we should separate dependencies from importance before the next meeting.

   다음

   next; following

   회의

   meeting

   전에

   before

   의존 관계

   dependency relationship

   중요도

   importance level

   구분해

   separate; distinguish

   보는 게 좋을 것 같아

   I think it might be good to try

   More detail

   다음 means “next” here. It modifies the noun that follows, so 다음 회의 means “the next meeting.” It can also be used as a noun when the following noun is understood. 회의 means “meeting.” Here it refers to the meeting in 다음 회의. 전에 means “before.” It consists of 전 (“before; prior to”) and 에, which marks the relevant time. The reusable pattern 명사 전에 means “before a noun”: 수업 전에 means “before class.” Thus 다음 회의 전에 means “before the next meeting.” 의존 관계 means “dependency relationship.” 의존 expresses dependence, and 관계 means “relationship.” Together, they refer to a relationship in which something depends on something else. 중요도 means “importance” or “level of importance.” Here -도 is part of the noun meaning a degree or level, as in 난이도 (“difficulty level”). It is different from 중요하다 (“to be important”); its attributive form is 중요한 (“important”). 구분해 comes from 구분하다, “to distinguish” or “separate into categories.” The form -해 is the connective form of 하다. In 구분해 보다, it connects the verb to auxiliary 보다, producing the meaning “try distinguishing” or “try separating.” 보는 게 좋을 것 같아 contains the pattern -아/어 보다 plus a softened recommendation. In 구분해 보는, 보다 is the auxiliary meaning “try doing,” and -는 is its present attributive form, which modifies 것; it does not by itself mean that the action is ongoing. 게 is the conversational contraction of 것이, so 구분해 보는 게 means “trying to distinguish” as the topic or subject. 좋을 것 같아 literally presents this as something that seems good, giving the tentative meaning “I think it might be good.” The ending is informal conversational speech. Example: 이 방법을 써 보는 게 좋을 것 같아. — “I think it might be good to try using this method.” Putting the parts together, 다음 회의 전에 sets the time: “before the next meeting.” 의존 관계와 중요도 contains two items joined by 와: dependency relationships and importance. 구분해 보는 게 좋을 것 같아 presents trying to distinguish them as a tentative recommendation. The whole utterance means: “Maybe we should separate dependencies from importance before the next meeting.”

5. 어떤 업무는 먼저 진행되어야 해.

   Some tasks need to happen first.

   어떤

   some; a certain

   업무

   task; work

   먼저

   first; beforehand

   진행되어야 해

   need to proceed

   More detail

   어떤 means “some” or “a certain” here: it selects an unspecified member or set without identifying exactly which one. It does not itself state a numeric quantity. In this sentence, the following topic is understood as a set of tasks, but 어떤 does not mean “all.” 업무 means “task” or “work,” especially work viewed as an assignment or responsibility. The form does not mark singular versus plural here; the surrounding context identifies the relevant tasks. A useful related contrast is 일, a more general word for work or a task. 먼저 means “first” or “beforehand.” It places the action of proceeding earlier in the relevant sequence. Example: 먼저 확인해 주세요. — “Please check it first.” 진행되어야 해 expresses that something needs to proceed or be carried out. 진행되다 is the base form meaning “to proceed” or “to be carried out”; 진행되어야 adds -어야 하다, the pattern for necessity or obligation, and 해 is the informal spoken form of 하다 in that pattern. Thus 진행되어야 해 is not simply “proceeds”: it says that proceeding is required. Example: 회의가 진행되어야 해. — “The meeting needs to proceed.” Together, 어떤 업무는 sets up some tasks as the topic, 먼저 says their action comes earlier, and 진행되어야 해 says that this proceeding is necessary. The whole utterance therefore means: “Some tasks need to happen first.”

6. 그렇다고 그 업무들이 더 가치 있는 것은 아니야.

   But that does not make them more valuable.

   그렇다고

   even so; that does not mean

   그

   those

   업무들이

   tasks

   더

   more

   가치 있는

   valuable

   것은 아니야

   is not the case

   More detail

   그렇다고 is a connective meaning “even so” or, in the pattern used here, “that does not mean that…”. The pattern 그렇다고 A-(으)ㄴ/는 것은 아니다 rejects an inference from something previously mentioned: “Just because that is so, it is not the case that A.” 그 is a demonstrative determiner meaning “that/those” in this context. It points to something already identifiable in the discourse and does not itself mark number or gender. Here it modifies 업무들. 업무들이 is 업무 (“work; task; duty”) plus 들, an explicit plural marker, and 이, the subject particle. The form therefore presents multiple tasks as the subject. 들 can be omitted when plurality is clear from context, but it is present here and matches “them” and “tasks” in the fixed translation. 더 means “more” and marks a comparison with some understood standard or alternative. Its comparison target is not stated in this sentence. In 더 가치 있는, it modifies the following description, giving “more valuable.” 가치 있는 means “valuable.” It comes from the expression 가치 있다, “to have value; to be valuable”; before a noun, 있다 takes the attributive form 있는, as in 가치 있는 선택 (“a valuable choice”). In this sentence, 있는 helps form 가치 있는 것, “a thing/case that is valuable.” 것은 아니야 uses 것 (“thing; matter; case”), the topic marker 은, and informal 아니야, “is not.” After a descriptive clause, 것은 아니다 is a useful way to negate a proposition or inference. It does not by itself mean that the tasks have no value; here it denies the conclusion that they are more valuable. Together, 그렇다고 introduces the rejected inference, 그 업무들이 identifies the multiple tasks, and 더 가치 있는 것은 아니야 says that being so does not make those tasks more valuable. The whole utterance is therefore: “But that does not make them more valuable.”

7. 다시 만나기 전에 의존 관계 지도를 만들어 볼게.

   I can put together a dependency map before we meet again.

   다시

   again

   만나기 전에

   before meeting

   의존 관계

   dependency relationship

   지도

   map

   만들어 볼게

   I’ll put together

   More detail

   다시 means “again,” indicating a repeated event. It can be reused with many verbs: 다시 읽어요 means “I read it again.” 만나기 전에 means “before meeting.” The base verb is 만나다, “to meet.” Here -기 turns the verb into an event-like expression, and 전에 places the main event before that event. The subject of 만나기 is not stated in the utterance; the fixed translation supports the reading “before we meet again.” Example: 출발하기 전에 확인하세요 means “Check before departing.” 의존 관계 means “dependency relationship.” 의존 is “dependence” or “dependency,” and 관계 is “relationship” or “relation”; together they identify the type of relationship being mapped. Example: 두 요소의 의존 관계를 분석해요 means “I analyze the dependency relationship between the two elements.” 지도 means “map.” In this utterance it is a map or diagram used to represent relationships, not necessarily a geographic map. Example: 구조 지도를 그려요 means “I draw a structure map.” 만들어 볼게 combines 만들다, “to make,” with -어 보다, which presents trying or carrying out an action, and -ㄹ게, which marks the speaker’s intention or commitment regarding a future action. The observed form 만들어 is the connective form of 만들다; 볼게 is not the main meaning “see” here. Together, the expression means “I’ll put together” or “I’ll try making.” Example: 제가 정리해 볼게요 means “I’ll try organizing it.” As a whole, 다시 만나기 전에 sets the time: before the participants meet again. 의존 관계 지도 is the object, a map showing dependency relationships, and 만들어 볼게 presents the speaker’s commitment to put it together. Thus the utterance means: “I can put together a dependency map before we meet again.”

8. 그러면 논의가 개인적인 문제로 흐르지 않고 구체적인 내용에 집중하게 될 거야.

   That should keep the discussion concrete instead of personal.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   논의

   discussion

   개인적인

   personal

   문제

   problem; issue

   흐르지 않고

   does not drift; without drifting

   구체적인

   concrete; specific

   내용

   content

   집중하게 될 거야

   will come to focus

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It links the sentence to a condition or preceding plan and presents the result that follows. Example: 그러면 시작하자. — “Then, let’s start.” 논의 is “discussion” or “deliberation.” In the source, 논의가 is the subject phrase: the subject particle -가 is attached to 논의. 논의하다 means “to discuss,” but the observed form is the noun 논의, not that verb. 개인적인 means “personal” in the sense of relating to an individual rather than the shared subject matter. It is the modifier form of 개인적이다 / 개인적, placed before 문제. The ending -인 lets this descriptive form modify a noun. Example: 개인적인 의견 — “a personal opinion.” 문제 means “problem” or “issue.” Here it is part of 개인적인 문제, “a personal issue.” The following particle -로 marks the direction or resulting domain of 흐르다: moving into or becoming oriented toward personal issues. 흐르지 않고 comes from 흐르다, “to flow” or, figuratively, “to drift in a direction.” The observed form combines -지 않다 (“not do”) with -고 (“and/while”), so it means “not drifting” while connecting to the next action. In this sentence, the figurative use says that the discussion does not move into personal issues; 문제로 supplies that direction. Example: 대화가 다른 주제로 흐르지 않았다. — “The conversation did not drift to another topic.” 구체적인 means “concrete” or “specific.” It is the modifier form of 구체적이다 / 구체적, placed before 내용. As with 개인적인, -인 makes this descriptive form suitable before a noun. 구체적인 내용 therefore means content stated with definite details rather than something vague. Example: 구체적인 계획이 필요해. — “We need a concrete plan.” 내용 means “content” or “substance.” In 구체적인 내용, it refers to the specific substance of the discussion. The particle -에 marks what the following verb is directed toward: the discussion comes to focus on that content. 집중하게 될 거야 is built from 집중하다 (“to focus”), -게 되다 (“come to/end up doing”), and the conversational future or prediction ending -(으)ㄹ 거야. The -게 되다 part presents focusing as the resulting state or development, rather than simply giving a direct command. Example: 이제 일에 집중하게 될 거야. — “Now you’ll come to focus on the work.” Putting the parts together, 그러면 sets up the result: 논의가 means “the discussion” and marks it as the subject; 개인적인 문제로 흐르지 않고 means “does not drift into personal issues,” while 구체적인 내용에 집중하게 될 거야 means “will come to focus on concrete content.” The whole utterance is therefore: “Then the discussion should stay concrete instead of becoming personal.”

9. 그러면 사람들은 각자의 답답함에만 기대지 않고, 같은 정보를 바탕으로 논의할 수 있어.

   Then people can base the discussion on the same information, not just their frustrations.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   사람들은

   people

   각자의

   each person’s; their respective

   답답함

   frustration

   기대지 않고

   without relying on

   같은

   same

   정보

   information

   바탕으로

   based on; using as a basis

   논의할 수 있어

   can discuss

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It connects this statement to a condition or situation already being discussed. In a reusable pattern, 그러면 + sentence introduces a consequence or next step. 사람들은 means “people” as the topic. 사람 is “person,” 들 marks a plural group, and 은 marks the topic. The form 사람은 can refer to a person or people as a general topic, while 사람들은 explicitly presents people as a group here. 각자의 means “each person’s” or “their respective.” It is built from 각자 (“each person; individually”) plus 의, which marks possession or association. It emphasizes that the frustrations belong individually to the people concerned, rather than being one shared frustration. 답답함 means “frustration” or “a feeling of being stifled.” It is the noun form of the descriptive word 답답하다, “to feel frustrated, stifled, or constricted.” Korean can form nouns describing a state or feeling with -ㅁ, as in 답답하다 → 답답함. The exact English choice depends on context; here, “frustrations” matches the fixed translation. 기대지 않고 means “without relying on.” The verb is 기대다, “to lean on” or “rely on”; in this context it has the figurative meaning “rely on.” -지 않고 connects a verb to the meaning “without doing it” or “not doing it and instead ….” For example, 도움에 기대지 않고 해결했어요 means “I solved it without relying on help.” 같은 means “same” and modifies the following noun, 정보. It is the attributive form of 같다 (“to be the same”): 같다 → 같은 before a noun. This form identifies the information as shared or identical in the intended comparison; it does not mean merely “similar.” 정보 means “information.” It is a noun that can be used with 같은 to form 같은 정보, “the same information.” 바탕으로 means “using as a basis” or “based on.” 바탕 means “basis” or “foundation,” and -으로 marks the basis or means used for an action here. The pattern N을/를 바탕으로 means “on the basis of N” or “using N as a basis.” In this sentence, 같은 정보를 바탕으로 means “using the same information as a basis.” 논의할 수 있어 means “can discuss.” The lexical verb is 논의하다, “to discuss” or “deliberate.” Its form 논의할 is the future/attributive form used before 수 in the ability or possibility pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수 있다; here, the informal ending 있어 gives 논의할 수 있어, “can discuss.” This pattern expresses ability or possibility, not a guarantee that the discussion actually happens. A reusable example is 이 자료를 바탕으로 논의할 수 있어요, “We can discuss it based on this material.” Taken together, 사람들은 각자의 답답함에만 기대지 않고 sets up the contrast: people do not rely only on their individual frustrations. 같은 정보를 바탕으로 논의할 수 있어 gives the alternative basis and the possibility: they can discuss using the same information as a basis. The whole utterance therefore means, “Then people can base the discussion on the same information, not just their frustrations.”