Listening
Choose the correct reply
Seemile Easy TOPIK I · listening · pp. 34–41
Understand the task
A reply must answer the particular question, not merely repeat a familiar word. The book separates yes/no questions, question-word questions and everyday conversational pairs. First decide which of these three jobs the reply needs to do. Then check whether its information and positive or negative meaning fit the first speaker.
Identify the question word or yes/no cue first. Match the reply to the information requested and listen for negatives in both the question and answer.
How to solve this question type
- For a yes/no question, match the statement after 네 or 아니요 to the question. A familiar noun alone does not make an answer correct.
- For 누구, 어디, 언제, 뭐 or 몇 시, name the missing person, place, time, thing or hour. Other facts may be sensible but still fail to answer the question.
- For a request or greeting, use the conventional response. 연필 좀 주세요 calls for handing over a pencil, whereas 미안해요 calls for accepting an apology.
Grammar and expressions
N이에요 / 예요
Use 이에요 after a consonant and 예요 after a vowel. Intonation helps distinguish a question from a statement.
학생이에요. / 의사예요.
I am a student. / I am a doctor.
N이/가 있어요 / 없어요
Express existence or possession. A negative reply normally changes 있어요 to 없어요.
책이 있어요? 아니요, 책이 없어요.
Do you have a book? No, I do not.
V-았/었어요
A past-tense question needs an answer about a completed event. 하다 becomes 했어요.
어제 뭐 했어요? 한국어를 공부했어요.
What did you do yesterday? I studied Korean.
Vocabulary for this type
- 누구
- who
- 어디
- where
- 언제
- when
- 몇 시
- what time
- 주말
- weekend
- 여기 있어요
- here you are
A worked example
친구를 몇 시에 만나요? → 두 시에 만나요.
What time are you meeting your friend? → At two o’clock.
- 몇 시 asks for clock time; the object 친구를 is background information.
- 두 시에 supplies exactly that time. 세 명 gives a number of people, not an hour.
- Read the whole answer, including 에 and 만나요, to confirm the relationship.
Try it yourself
Practice 1
주말에 어디에 가요?
Where are you going at the weekend?
Choose the best reply.
- 토요일에 가요.
- 친구하고 가요.
- 도서관에 가요.
- 버스로 가요.
Answer and explanation
3. 도서관에 가요.
어디에 asks for a destination. 도서관에 names the place.
- 토요일에 names a day. It would answer 언제, not 어디에.
- 친구하고 names a companion. It would answer 누구하고.
- 도서관에 gives the destination requested by 어디에. This is the best reply.
- 버스로 gives transport. It would answer 어떻게 or 무엇을 타고.
Review your reasoning
- Option 1: 토요일에 names a day. It would answer 언제, not 어디에.
- Option 2: 친구하고 names a companion. It would answer 누구하고.
- Option 3: 도서관에 gives the destination requested by 어디에. This is the best reply.
- Option 4: 버스로 gives transport. It would answer 어떻게 or 무엇을 타고.
Try the question again with the explanation closed. Identify the exact phrase that supports the answer, then explain which detail makes each other option unsuitable.