Listening
Match the situation to a picture
Seemile Easy TOPIK I · listening · pp. 56–61
Understand the task
For picture questions, small differences matter: the object, its position, the people involved and the action happening now. A café picture might show ordering, making a drink, drinking or paying. Recognizing the café is only the first step; you must identify which stage of the interaction the speakers describe.
Scan the pictures first and note what changes. Pay attention to objects, position words and the action the speakers settle on.
How to solve this question type
- Before listening, compare the pictures and describe one difference in each using a short phrase.
- Listen for position words such as 위, 아래, 옆 and 뒤, and check which object each position is relative to.
- Distinguish a proposed action from the action agreed on. A later request can replace the first suggestion.
Grammar and expressions
N 위/아래/옆에
Attach 에 to a location expression when specifying where something is or should go.
가방은 의자 아래에 있어요.
The bag is under the chair.
V-고 있다
Express an action in progress. Match it to what the person is doing now.
지금 버스를 기다리고 있어요.
I am waiting for the bus now.
N 주세요
Request an item, often at the ordering stage of a shop or café interaction.
따뜻한 커피 한 잔 주세요.
One cup of hot coffee, please.
Vocabulary for this type
- 위
- above or on top
- 아래
- below or under
- 옆
- beside
- 뒤
- behind
- 주문하다
- to order
- 계산하다
- to pay the bill
A worked example
가방을 어디에 놓을까요? / 의자 아래에 놓아 주세요.
Where shall I put the bag? / Please put it under the chair.
- The object being moved is the bag, so do not follow the position of an unrelated object.
- 의자 is the reference object, and 아래 is the relationship to it.
- Choose a bag below the chair, not above it or beside a different piece of furniture.
Try it yourself
Practice 1
가방을 어디에 놓을까요? 의자 아래에 놓아 주세요.
Where shall I put the bag? Please put it under the chair.
Which description matches the bag’s position?
- Bag above the chair
- Bag under the chair
- Bag beside the door
- Bag above a box
Answer and explanation
2. Bag under the chair
의자 아래 means under the chair. In the second picture, the bag is below the chair.
- The bag is above the chair, contradicting 아래.
- The bag is below the chair, matching 의자 아래.
- This shows a bag by a door; the required reference object is the chair.
- This shows the bag above a box; both the object relationship and direction are wrong.
Review your reasoning
- Option 1: The bag is above the chair, contradicting 아래.
- Option 2: The bag is below the chair, matching 의자 아래.
- Option 3: This shows a bag by a door; the required reference object is the chair.
- Option 4: This shows the bag above a box; both the object relationship and direction are wrong.
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.