Schedule a Meeting Like a K-Drama Pro in Korean!
Hello! This is Maeil Hangeul, here to upgrade your Korean skills!
Have you ever wanted to suggest a plan or a meeting in Korean, but didn’t know how? Whether it’s for a school project, a work meeting, or just a coffee chat with a friend, knowing how to propose a time is a super useful skill! Lately in Korea, with so many cool collaborations and fast-paced projects, being able to schedule things smoothly is more important than ever. You see it all the time in popular K-dramas where characters are constantly setting up important meetings to launch their next big idea. Today, you’ll learn how to do it just like them!
Let’s get started!
Core Expressions You Need to Know
Here are three essential expressions for suggesting a meeting.
1. 회의 (hoe-ui)
- Pronunciation [Romanized]: hwe-ui
- English Meaning: Meeting
- Detailed Explanation: This is the most common word for a “meeting,” especially in a work or formal setting. You can use it for team meetings, project discussions, or any official gathering. If you want to say “to have a meeting,” you can say 회의하다 (hoe-ui-ha-da).
2. ~(으)ㄹ까요? (~(eu)l-kka-yo?)
- Pronunciation [Romanized]: ~(eu)l-kka-yo?
- English Meaning: Shall we…? / Should I…?
- Detailed Explanation: This is a super friendly and polite grammar pattern used to make a suggestion or ask for someone’s opinion. You attach it to a verb stem.
- If the verb stem ends in a vowel, you add ~ㄹ까요? (e.g., 만나다 -> 만날까요? Shall we meet?)
- If the verb stem ends in a consonant, you add ~을까요? (e.g., 먹다 -> 먹을까요? Shall we eat?)
- It’s much softer and more collaborative than saying “Let’s do this!”
3. 시간 괜찮으세요? (si-gan gwaen-chan-eu-se-yo?)
- Pronunciation [Romanized]: si-gan gwaen-chan-eu-se-yo?
- English Meaning: Is this time okay for you? / Are you free?
- Detailed Explanation: This is a very polite and considerate way to ask about someone’s availability.
시간(sigan) means “time,” and괜찮으세요?(gwaenchan-euseyo?) is the polite form of “Is it okay?”. Using this phrase shows that you respect the other person’s schedule. You can use it for friends too, in a slightly less formal way: 시간 괜찮아? (si-gan gwaen-chan-a?).
Example Conversation
Let’s see how these expressions are used in a real conversation! Imagine two colleagues, A and B, planning a meeting to discuss a new webtoon project.
A: 이 대리님, 새 웹툰 프로젝트에 대해 이야기하고 싶은데, 내일 오후에 잠깐 회의할까요?
(i dae-ri-nim, sae wep-tun peu-ro-jek-teu-e dae-hae i-ya-gi-ha-go si-peun-de, nae-il o-hu-e jam-kkan hoe-ui-hal-kka-yo?)
(Assistant Manager Lee, I’d like to talk about the new webtoon project. Shall we have a quick meeting tomorrow afternoon?)
B: 네, 좋아요. 몇 시가 편하세요?
(ne, jo-a-yo. myeot si-ga pyeon-ha-se-yo?)
(Yes, that sounds good. What time are you comfortable with?)
A: 3시 어떠세요? 시간 괜찮으세요?
(se-si eo-tteo-se-yo? si-gan gwaen-chan-eu-se-yo?)
(How about 3 PM? Is that time okay for you?)
B: 네, 3시 괜찮아요. 그럼 내일 회의실에서 봬요.
(ne, se-si gwaen-chan-a-yo. geu-reom nae-il hoe-ui-sil-e-seo bwae-yo.)
(Yes, 3 PM is fine. Then I’ll see you in the meeting room tomorrow.)
Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive
In Korean work culture, being considerate of others’ time is very important. That’s why simply saying “Let’s meet at 3” can sometimes sound too direct. Using the ~(으)ㄹ까요? pattern is key because it turns a command into a gentle suggestion.
You’ll notice in many recent K-dramas set in offices, like Start-Up or King the Land, characters often schedule meetings quickly through messenger apps like KakaoTalk. Even in text, they use polite phrases like “내일 시간 괜찮으세요?” (Are you free tomorrow?). This shows respect for the other person’s schedule, even in a fast-paced environment.
Pro-Tip: When you suggest a meeting, it’s a great idea to propose a specific time first (like “How about 3 PM?”) and then immediately follow up with “시간 괜찮으세요?”. This makes you sound both efficient and polite—a true Korean pro!
Let’s Review and Practice!
Great job today! We learned how to suggest a meeting using key expressions like 회의 (meeting), the suggestion grammar ~(으)ㄹ까요? (shall we…?), and the polite question 시간 괜찮으세요? (Are you free?).
Now it’s your turn to practice!
- Fill in the blank: You want to suggest having a coffee with a friend.
우리 커피 한잔 _______? (uri keo-pi han-jan _______?)
(Hint: The verb is 마시다, “to drink”) - Make a sentence: How would you politely ask a colleague if they are available on Friday?
(Words to use: 금요일에 [geum-yo-il-e / on Friday], 시간 괜찮으세요?)
Leave your answers in the comments below! Try making your own sentences to suggest a meeting. I’ll check them for you. See you next time
