Reading & Audio

A Busy Day in Seoul

Read and listen to a short Korean text about a busy day in Seoul using past tense, sequence expressions, and simple A2 grammar.

Beginner A2 Teacher audio 7-9 min City Life

Lesson Info

Level
Beginner A2
Topic
Seoul, transportation, daily schedule
Focus
-았/었어요, -고, -아/어서, -(으)ㄴ 후에, -지만, 그래서, -(으)ㄹ 때
Audio
Recorded by your teacher

Listen First

Listen to the audio first. Then read the Korean text below. Try to listen for familiar words like 서울, 지하철, 서점, and 바빴어요.

Reading & Audio
A Busy Day in Seoul
0:40
 

Korean Reading Text

어제 저는 서울에서 아주 바빴어요.
아침에 지하철을 타고 강남에 갔어요.
친구를 만나서 같이 점심을 먹었어요.
점심을 먹은 후에 우리는 서점에 갔어요.
저는 한국어 책을 사고 싶었지만 시간이 별로 없었어요.
그래서 책을 하나만 샀어요.
오후에는 카페에서 숙제를 했어요.
집에 돌아왔을 때 조금 피곤했지만 하루가 재미있었어요.

Vocabulary

Korean English
어제yesterday
서울Seoul
아주very
아침morning
지하철subway
강남Gangnam
친구friend
같이together
점심lunch
after
서점bookstore
한국어 책Korean book
시간time
별로not very, not much
그래서so, therefore
하나만only one
오후afternoon
숙제homework
home, house
하루day
바쁘다to be busy
타다to ride, to take transportation
가다to go
만나다to meet
먹다to eat
사다to buy
돌아오다to return, to come back
피곤하다to be tired
재미있다to be fun, interesting

Sentence Notes

1. 어제 저는 서울에서 아주 바빴어요.

어제 = yesterday
저는 = I / topic
서울에서 = in Seoul
아주 바빴어요 = was very busy
This sentence means: Yesterday, I was very busy in Seoul.

-았/었어요 is used to talk about the past.

2. 아침에 지하철을 타고 강남에 갔어요.

아침에 = in the morning
지하철을 타고 = take the subway and
강남에 갔어요 = went to Gangnam
This sentence means: In the morning, I took the subway and went to Gangnam.

-고 connects two actions in order or in a simple list.

3. 친구를 만나서 같이 점심을 먹었어요.

친구를 만나서 = met a friend and
같이 = together
점심을 먹었어요 = ate lunch
This sentence means: I met a friend and ate lunch together.

-아/어서 can connect two related actions naturally.

4. 점심을 먹은 후에 우리는 서점에 갔어요.

점심을 먹은 후에 = after eating lunch
우리는 = we / topic
서점에 갔어요 = went to a bookstore
This sentence means: After eating lunch, we went to a bookstore.

-(으)ㄴ 후에 means “after doing something.”

5. 저는 한국어 책을 사고 싶었지만 시간이 별로 없었어요.

저는 = I / topic
한국어 책을 = Korean book / object
사고 싶었지만 = wanted to buy, but
시간이 별로 없었어요 = did not have much time
This sentence means: I wanted to buy a Korean book, but I did not have much time.

-지만 means “but” and connects two contrasting ideas.

6. 그래서 책을 하나만 샀어요.

그래서 = so, therefore
책을 = book / object
하나만 = only one
샀어요 = bought
This sentence means: So I bought only one book.

그래서 shows a result or consequence.

7. 오후에는 카페에서 숙제를 했어요.

오후에는 = in the afternoon / as for the afternoon
카페에서 = at a cafe
숙제를 했어요 = did homework
This sentence means: In the afternoon, I did homework at a cafe.

에서 can show the place where an action happens.

8. 집에 돌아왔을 때 조금 피곤했지만 하루가 재미있었어요.

집에 돌아왔을 때 = when I came back home
조금 피곤했지만 = was a little tired, but
하루가 재미있었어요 = the day was fun
This sentence means: When I came back home, I was a little tired, but the day was fun.

-(으)ㄹ 때 means “when.” You will see this pattern often in A2 Korean.

English Translation

Yesterday, I was very busy in Seoul.
In the morning, I took the subway and went to Gangnam.
I met a friend and ate lunch together.
After eating lunch, we went to a bookstore.
I wanted to buy a Korean book, but I did not have much time.
So I bought only one book.
In the afternoon, I did homework at a cafe.
When I came back home, I was a little tired, but the day was fun.

Practice Questions

Try answering these questions in Korean. You can find all the answers in the reading text above.

  1. 저는 어제 어디에서 바빴어요?
  2. 저는 아침에 무엇을 탔어요?
  3. 저는 친구를 만나서 무엇을 먹었어요?
  4. 점심을 먹은 후에 우리는 어디에 갔어요?
  5. 저는 무엇을 사고 싶었어요?
  6. 왜 책을 하나만 샀어요?
  7. 오후에는 어디에서 숙제를 했어요?
  8. 집에 돌아왔을 때 저는 어땠어요?