Making the participants and purpose of Korean messages explicit in English
Identify who is answering before adding ‘I’
Korean can leave out a person or object already understood by the people talking. English often needs that information stated. A short reply may therefore have several reasonable English readings when it is separated from the question that prompted it. The translator’s fluent choice is not proof that the missing participant was identified correctly.
‘알겠어요’ (algesseoyo) can be ‘I understand’ as an acknowledgment of an explanation or instruction. The English subject comes from the conversational role of the speaker. When you forward such a reply to someone outside the exchange, name the person acknowledging the instruction if there could be confusion. The same caution applies to messages reporting that something was sent, received or checked: recover the responsible person from the conversation rather than assigning the action to the most recently mentioned name.
Read to the ending, then build an English clause
The main Korean predicate normally comes after its arguments. English ordinarily places the finite verb after the subject and before its object. Read the Korean clause through to its ending before deciding whether it makes a statement, asks a question or gives a request. Translating the first nouns in isolation can conceal what the whole sentence actually asks the recipient to do.
An English result should make that purpose visible. A notice telling someone to wait needs an instruction, whereas a question asking whether waiting is possible needs a question. These can involve similar vocabulary but different obligations. Keep the difference when shortening a long translated message; removing the main verb or auxiliary can turn a courteous request into an unclear fragment.
Carry courtesy across without inventing an English hierarchy
Korean has grammatical and lexical ways to express respect that English does not reproduce word for word. A polite Korean ending need not generate a long sequence of English titles or repeated apologies. Choose English phrasing appropriate to what the message does: acknowledge, request, explain or decline.
‘감사합니다’ (gamsahamnida) is naturally ‘Thank you.’ It does not need an elaborate English formula merely to account for the Korean level of courtesy. Where the source names a job title or a particular recipient, however, retain the identity that matters to the exchange. Avoid turning a respectful reference into a claim that the person has a different official position.
Interpret the counter before shortening the quantity
‘세 잔’ (se jan) means ‘three cups’ or ‘three glasses’, with the container reading settled by what is being served. In an order for drinks, the Korean counter helps identify the unit. English may not need every classifier as a separate word, but it still needs the quantity that affects the order.
Numbers in Korean use more than one naming system, so read them together with their unit rather than treating two different number words as different values. For reservations and purchases, check the final English number against what is counted: people, items, containers or periods of time. A grammatical English sentence that silently changes the unit can produce a real booking or delivery mistake.
Language references
Korean uses speech levels that reflect relationships between speakers. Review endings for the appropriate formality. Spacing can affect how a phrase is interpreted.
English words such as “bank” and “right” have several meanings. Add a full sentence to help resolve them. English “you” does not distinguish formal address or singular from plural; specify the audience when reviewing the result.