Reducing Unnecessary Video Meetings | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 가능한 경우 불필요한 화상 회의를 줄이고 싶어요.

   I want to reduce unnecessary video meetings where possible.

   가능한 경우

   where possible

   불필요한

   unnecessary

   화상 회의

   video meeting

   줄이고 싶어요

   want to reduce

   More detail

   가능한 경우 means “where possible.” 가능한 is the form of 가능하다 (“to be possible”) used before a noun; 경우 means a case or situation. Together, this pattern limits the action to situations in which it can be done. Example: 가능한 경우 온라인으로 해요. — “Where possible, I do it online.” 불필요한 means “unnecessary” here. It is the noun-modifying form of 불필요하다 (“to be unnecessary”). Its useful opposite is 필요한, “necessary.” Example: 불필요한 설명은 빼 주세요. — “Please leave out unnecessary explanations.” 화상 회의 is a compound noun meaning “video meeting”: 화상 refers to video-based communication, and 회의 means a meeting. In the sentence, the following 를 appears as part of 회의를; this particle marks the noun phrase as the object being reduced. Example: 화상 회의가 있어요. — “There is a video meeting.” 줄이고 싶어요 means “want to reduce.” 줄이다 is the verb “to reduce” or “cut down”; its verb stem 줄이- combines with -고 싶다 to express the speaker’s desire to do the action: 줄이- + -고 싶어요. 싶어요 is the polite present form of 싶다 in this construction. Example: 회의 시간을 줄이고 싶어요. — “I want to reduce the meeting time.” Taken together, 가능한 경우 sets the condition “where possible,” 불필요한 describes the video meetings as unnecessary, and 줄이고 싶어요 expresses the speaker’s desire to reduce them. The whole utterance therefore means, “I want to reduce unnecessary video meetings where possible.” The polite ending -요 gives the statement a polite everyday tone.

2. 이해해요. 하지만 어떤 논의는 서로의 반응을 직접 볼 때 더 도움이 돼요.

   I understand, though some discussions benefit from visible reactions.

   이해해요

   I understand

   하지만

   but; however

   어떤

   some; certain

   논의

   discussion

   서로의

   each other’s

   반응

   reaction

   직접

   directly

   볼 때

   when seeing

   더

   more

   도움이 돼요

   is helpful; helps

   More detail

   이해해요 means “I understand” here. Its base form is 이해하다, “to understand”; 이해해요 is the polite present form. The ending -해요 is part of the common 하다-type verb pattern, as in 공부해요, “study,” and 필요해요, “be necessary.” 하지만 connects this sentence to a contrasting point and means “but” or “however.” It commonly begins a new sentence, as it does here. 어떤 is a determiner meaning “some” or “certain” before a noun. In 어떤 논의, it does not state a numerical count; it identifies discussions of an unspecified kind or selection. It is different from 모든, “all.” 논의 means “discussion” or “deliberation.” It is a noun and can be used in combinations such as 논의를 하다, “have a discussion,” or 논의하다, “discuss.” Here, 논의는 marks “some discussions” as the topic; 는 presents what is said about them. 서로의 means “each other’s.” 서로 expresses a reciprocal relation, and 의 marks possession or association. Thus, 서로의 반응 describes reactions belonging to the participants in relation to one another, without identifying any particular individuals. 반응 means “reaction” or “response.” In 서로의 반응을, 을 marks it as the object of seeing: the reactions are what are seen. A useful contrast is 반응, “reaction,” versus 의견, “opinion”; a reaction is a response to something, while an opinion is a view or judgment. 직접 means “directly” or “in person,” depending on context. Here it modifies seeing and emphasizes directly observing the reactions rather than learning about them indirectly. 볼 때 means “when seeing.” The base verb is 보다, “to see” or “to look.” Before 때, its prospective form 보다 becomes 볼: 보다 + -(으)ㄹ 때. This pattern means “when doing something” and can be reused, for example: 집에 갈 때 전화해요. “I call when I go home.” 더 means “more” or “to a greater degree.” It compares the helpfulness in this situation with an understood alternative or baseline; it does not by itself specify what that comparison is. 도움이 돼요 is the polite present form of the useful construction 도움이 되다, literally “become help” but naturally “be helpful” or “help.” 도움 is the noun “help,” 이 marks it as the subject of 되다, and 돼요 is the present polite form of 되다. For example, 이 설명이 도움이 돼요 means “This explanation is helpful.” Together, 어떤 논의는 sets up “some discussions” as the topic. 서로의 반응을 직접 볼 때 specifies the condition—when the participants can directly see one another’s reactions—and 더 도움이 돼요 says that those discussions are more helpful in that condition. With 하지만, the whole utterance means: “I understand, but some discussions are more helpful when you can directly see each other’s reactions.”

3. 복잡한 결정은 실시간으로 논의할 만하지만, 업데이트는 대개 그렇지 않아요.

   Complex decisions deserve live discussion, but updates often do not.

   복잡한

   complex

   결정

   decision

   실시간으로

   in real time

   논의할 만하지만

   worth discussing, but

   업데이트

   update

   대개

   usually

   그렇지 않아요

   is not so

   More detail

   복잡한 means “complex” here and appears before 결정 to describe it. It is the attributive form of 복잡하다 (“to be complex”): 복잡하다 → 복잡한 before a noun. Example: 복잡한 문제 — “a complex problem.” 결정 means “decision.” It is a noun; the related verb is 결정하다, “to decide.” In 복잡한 결정은, the topic marker -은 presents complex decisions as the topic; the Korean form does not itself mark the English plural. 실시간으로 means “in real time.” 실시간 is “real time,” and -으로 marks the manner or means in which an action happens. Example: 회의를 실시간으로 중계해요. — “They broadcast the meeting live.” 논의할 만하지만 contains a reusable pattern. 논의하다 means “to discuss,” and 논의할 만하다 means “to be worth discussing” or “to merit discussion.” The -ㄹ form in 논의할 connects the verb to 만하다; here it is not simply a future-tense meaning. -지만 adds a contrast: “but” or “although.” Example: 이 주제는 다시 논의할 만해요. — “This topic is worth discussing again.” 업데이트 is a noun meaning “update.” It is a loanword used for a new piece of information or a change to something. Here 업데이트는 introduces updates as the contrasting topic; the Korean form does not itself mark the English plural. 대개 means “usually” or “for the most part.” It expresses a general tendency rather than an absolute rule. 보통 is a common nearby alternative meaning “usually” or “normally,” but 대개 is the form used here. 그렇지 않아요 has the structure “is not so.” 그렇다 refers back to the relevant preceding description, and -지 않아요 negates it in a polite present-style form. Here the omitted description is that something is worth discussing in real time, so this clause says that updates generally are not so. Example: 그 방법이 항상 필요한 것은 아니에요. — “That method is not always necessary.” Together, 복잡한 결정은 실시간으로 논의할 만하지만 says that complex decisions merit discussion in real time. After 하지만, 업데이트는 대개 introduces updates as the contrasting topic and marks a general tendency. The final 그렇지 않아요 avoids repeating the earlier predicate. The complete meaning is: “Complex decisions deserve live discussion, but updates often do not.”

4. 그렇다면 의사 결정 회의와 정보 공유를 분리해야겠어요.

   Then we should separate decision meetings from information sharing.

   그렇다면

   then; in that case

   의사

   intention; will

   결정

   decision

   회의

   meeting

   정보

   information

   공유

   sharing

   분리해야겠어요

   should separate

   More detail

   그렇다면 means “then” or “in that case.” It is based on 그렇다, “to be so,” with -다면, which presents a condition or assumed situation. Here it links the preceding point to the proposal that follows. 의사 means “intention” or “will.” In the compound 의사 결정, it contributes the idea of a decision being formed. 결정 means “decision” or “determination”; its related verb is 결정하다, “to decide.” Together, 의사 결정 means “decision-making.” Example: 의사 결정이 늦어졌어요. — “Decision-making was delayed.” 회의 means “meeting.” A preceding noun can specify its purpose or type: 의사 결정 회의 means “decision-making meeting.” Example: 회의가 있어요. — “There is a meeting.” 정보 means “information.” 공유 means “sharing” and can combine with a noun to name the act of sharing it. Thus 정보 공유 means “information sharing.” Example: 정보를 공유해요. — “I share information.” 분리해야겠어요 means “should separate” here. Its base verb is 분리하다, “to separate.” The form contains -아/어야, which marks something as necessary, followed by 겠어요, which presents the speaker’s judgment or resolve in polite speech. The verb does not itself mark the subject; in this sentence, the fixed translation supports an understood “we.” Example: 이제 출발해야겠어요. — “I should leave now.” The pattern A와 B를 분리하다 means “separate A and B”: 와 joins the two items, and 를 marks them as the object of 분리하다. Here 의사 결정 회의 is A and 정보 공유 is B. The whole utterance therefore means: “Then we should separate decision meetings from information sharing.”

5. 업데이트를 글로 공유하면 사람들이 더 신중하게 답할 수 있을 거예요.

   Written updates would let people respond more thoughtfully.

   업데이트

   update

   글로

   in writing

   공유하면

   if someone shares

   사람들이

   people

   더

   more

   신중하게

   thoughtfully

   답할

   respond

   수 있을 거예요

   will be able to

   More detail

   업데이트 means “update” here, referring to an update or piece of updated information. It is a noun, and it can be used with Korean particles or with a modifier: 새 업데이트 means “a new update.” 글로 means “in writing” or “in written form.” The noun 글 means “writing” or “a written text,” and -로 marks the means or form used. Thus, 글로 공유하다 is a reusable pattern meaning “to share in writing.” 공유하면 comes from the verb 공유하다, “to share.” The ending -면 makes a condition: “if/when [someone] shares.” Korean does not show the subject inside this verb form, so the relevant subject is understood from the sentence or context. 공유하면 does not itself mean “someone shares” as a separate pronoun; it means “if/when [someone] shares.” 사람들이 means “people” as the subject of the following clause. 사람 is “person,” and -들 marks a plural group; -이 is the subject marker after 사람들. The plural marking identifies a group here, rather than a single person. 더 means “more” and increases the degree of the following description. Here it makes the manner of responding more thoughtful: “more thoughtfully.” 신중하게 means “carefully,” “thoughtfully,” or “with deliberation.” It is the adverbial form of 신중하다, “to be careful/thoughtful,” and it describes how the people respond. A useful related contrast is 성급하게, “hastily”; this is a different word, not another form of 신중하다. 답할 comes from 답하다, “to answer” or “to respond.” The form 답할 is the prospective/attributive form used before 수 in the ability construction -ㄹ 수 있다: literally, “there is a possibility/way of responding.” The verb stem ends in a vowel, so this form uses -ㄹ; with a consonant-final stem, Korean commonly uses -을, as in 먹을 수 있다 (“can eat”). 수 있을 거예요 completes the construction -ㄹ/을 수 있다, “can/be able to,” with 것이다 in the polite conversational form 거예요, giving a future or predicted reading. In this sentence, -ㄹ 수 있을 거예요 means “will be able to” or “would be able to,” not simply “will respond.” The ability construction is 답할 수 있다; 있을 거예요 expresses the speaker’s expectation about that ability. Together, 글로 공유하면 sets the condition “if the updates are shared in writing.” The subject 사람들이 is “people,” and 더 신중하게 답할 수 있을 거예요 says that they will be able to respond more thoughtfully. The whole utterance therefore means: “Written updates would let people respond more thoughtfully.”

6. 그런 업데이트는 기록도 남겨서 나중에 유용해요.

   They also create records, which is useful later.

   그런

   such; like that

   업데이트

   update

   기록

   record

   남겨서

   leave or create, and then

   나중에

   later

   유용해요

   is useful

   More detail

   그런 means “such” or “like that.” It is a demonstrative modifier placed before a noun; here it characterizes 업데이트 by referring to the kind of update under discussion. A useful contrast is 이런 “this kind of” versus 그런 “that kind of/such.” 업데이트 is a noun meaning “update,” including a written or shared update in this context. The ending 는 in 업데이트는 marks this noun phrase as the topic. Korean topic marking does not itself mean that the update is a single item; the sentence discusses this type of update generally. 기록 means “record” or “written record.” Its plural or generic interpretation is supplied by context rather than by a separate plural ending here. In 기록도, 도 adds the meaning “also/as well”: records are an additional result of the updates. 남겨서 comes from the verb 남기다, “to leave” or “to create/preserve” something as a record. The observed form combines the verb stem with -어서: 남기다 → 남겨서. This form links the action to what follows, often with a meaning like “leaving/creating ..., and then” or “by leaving/creating ... .” In this sentence, the intended result is that the updates also create records. 나중에 means “later” or “at a later time.” It is a time expression and does not itself specify exactly when. For example, 나중에 다시 확인해요 means “I check it again later.” 유용해요 comes from the descriptive verb 유용하다, “to be useful.” The -해요 ending is a polite present-style ending; it is not a past form. 유용하다 describes something as useful, while 필요하다 means “to be necessary,” so they are related but not interchangeable. Here, the records are presented as useful later. Putting the parts together, 그런 업데이트는 introduces such updates as the topic, 기록도 남겨서 says that they also leave or create records, and 나중에 유용해요 says that those records are useful later. The complete intended meaning is: “Such updates also create records, which is useful later.”

7. 정기 회의에 그 방식을 시범 적용해 볼 수 있을까요?

   Could we pilot that approach with a recurring meeting?

   정기

   regular; recurring

   회의

   meeting

   그

   that

   방식

   approach; method

   시범 적용해

   pilot-apply

   볼 수 있을까요?

   could ...?

   More detail

   정기 describes something that occurs at regular intervals. In 정기 회의, it modifies the noun 회의; it does not by itself specify how often the meeting occurs. Related useful forms include 정기적이다 (“to be regular”) and 비정기 (“irregular,” in contexts where that contrast is relevant). 회의 means “meeting.” The expression 정기 회의 is therefore “recurring/regular meeting.” In the sentence, 회의에 uses 에 to mark the meeting as the event or setting connected with the proposed application; the translation naturally renders this as “with a recurring meeting.” 그 is an attributive demonstrative meaning “that,” placed before the noun it determines. Here it points to the approach already identified in the fixed translation and context. Korean demonstratives distinguish distance or discourse status, but 그 does not itself tell us the approach’s gender, number, or other properties. 방식 means “approach” or “method.” The form 방식을 adds the object marker 을, showing that this approach is what will be applied. 방법 is a closely related word meaning “method” or “way,” but it is a separate noun rather than a form of 방식. 시범 적용해 combines 시범 (“pilot” or “trial”) with 적용하다 (“to apply”). 적용해 is the connective form of 적용하다, used here before the following auxiliary construction. Together, 시범 적용하다 means to apply something on a pilot basis. Example: 새 절차를 시범 적용해요. — “We apply the new procedure on a pilot basis.” 볼 수 있을까요? is the polite possibility question pattern -아/어 볼 수 있을까요?. After 적용해, 볼 comes from 보다 (“to see”), but in this construction it contributes the idea of trying an action, not literally seeing it. 수 있다 expresses possibility or ability, and -을까요? makes a polite question about whether the proposed action is possible or acceptable. Thus 적용해 볼 수 있을까요? asks, “Could we try applying it?” As a whole, 정기 회의에 sets the recurring meeting as the relevant setting, 그 방식을 identifies the approach as the object, and 시범 적용해 볼 수 있을까요? politely asks whether the speakers could try applying it on a pilot basis. The complete meaning is: “Could we pilot that approach with a recurring meeting?”

8. 그 방식을 시험해 보고 결과의 질을 비교해 볼 수 있어요.

   We can test it and compare the quality of outcomes.

   그

   that

   방식

   method; approach

   시험해 보고

   test and then

   결과

   result; outcome

   질

   quality

   비교해 볼 수 있어요

   can compare

   More detail

   그 방식 means “that method/approach.” 그 is a demonstrative used for something identified in the discourse rather than presented as near the speaker; here it points to the approach under discussion. 방식 is a noun meaning “method” or “way of doing something.” A useful pattern is 그 + noun: “that noun.” 시험해 보고 comes from 시험하다 (“to test”) with -아/어 보다 and then -고. The form 시험해 보고 presents testing as the first action and links it to what follows: “test it and then…” or “after testing it…”. In this sentence, 시험하다 means to test the approach in practice, not merely to examine it abstractly. The ending -고 connects actions; for example, 읽어 보고 말해요 means “I read it and then speak.” 결과 means “result” or “outcome.” Its base form does not change for number in this expression; the surrounding context determines whether one or more results are intended. 의 links it to the next noun: 결과의 질 is literally “the quality of the result(s).” 질 means “quality,” the standard or level of how good something is. It is a noun, so 결과의 질 forms a noun phrase in which 결과의 modifies 질. This is different from 결과 itself: 결과 names what comes out, while 질 evaluates its quality. 비교해 볼 수 있어요 means “can compare.” 비교하다 is the base form “to compare,” and 비교해 보다 adds the idea of trying or carrying out the comparison. -ㄹ/을 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility; here 볼 수 있어요 is the polite present form of that pattern. The subject is omitted in Korean and is understood here as “we,” as specified by the fixed translation. The polite ending -어요 makes the statement suitable for ordinary polite conversation. Putting the parts together, 그 방식을 시험해 보고 means “test that approach and then,” while 결과의 질을 비교해 볼 수 있어요 means “we can compare the quality of the results.” The complete utterance is therefore: “We can test it and compare the quality of outcomes.”