Breakdown of jigeum hoeui junginde najunge iyagihaeyo.
이다ida
to be
지금jigeum
now
회의hoeui
meeting
이야기하다iyagihada
to talk
~중~jung
during
~인데~inde
but
나중에najunge
later
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Korean grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about jigeum hoeui junginde najunge iyagihaeyo.
What does the ending -인데 mean here?
- -인데 after a noun phrase (here 회의 중
- 이다) sets background context and gently leads to a related request or conclusion.
- Natural gloss: “I’m in a meeting right now, so…”
- It’s softer and less blunt than using a direct causal connector; it sounds polite and non-confrontational.
How is 회의 중 different from 회의하고 있어요?
- 회의 중(이에요) = “(I’m) in the middle of a meeting.” Feels a bit more compact/stative, slightly more formal or notice-like.
- 회의하고 있어요 = “(I’m) having/doing a meeting.” Progressive action; very natural in conversation.
- In your sentence, 회의 중인데 neatly frames the situation as a state before making the request.
Why is there a space in 회의 중 but not in 이야기해요?
- 중 is a dependent noun, so it is written separately: 회의 중.
- 이야기하다 is a verb made from noun + 하다; when conjugated it’s written together: 이야기해요, not “이야기 해요.”
Can I say 얘기해요 instead of 이야기해요?
- Yes. 얘기 is the common contracted form of 이야기 in speech and writing.
- 나중에 얘기해요 is perfectly natural and a bit more colloquial. Meaning is the same.
What’s the nuance of 나중에? Is 이따(가) better?
- 나중에 = “later (sometime in the future),” often less specific and can feel farther off.
- 이따(가) = “a bit later (today), shortly,” more immediate.
- On a call you’ll often hear: 지금 회의 중인데 이따가 얘기해요 for “I’m in a meeting—let’s talk a bit later.”
- 다음에 = “next time,” i.e., on a different occasion.
Who is the subject of 이야기해요? Is it “we” or “you”?
- It’s context-dependent because Korean often drops pronouns.
- 나중에 이야기해요 can mean “Let’s talk later (we)” or “Please talk to me later (you).”
- In a phone-call context, it’s usually understood as “Let’s talk later.”
Is 이야기해요 a suggestion, a request, or a command?
- -해요 style can be a soft suggestion or a polite directive depending on tone.
- To make a clear request: 나중에 이야기해 주세요 (please talk later).
- To promise yourself: 나중에 이야기할게요 (I’ll talk to you later).
- To be more “let’s”: 나중에 이야기하죠/합시다 (let’s talk later; more formal).
Could I end the sentence with -는데요 and stop there?
- Yes: 지금 회의 중인데요…
- Ending with -는데요 alone is a very common, polite way to hint “so I can’t talk now,” inviting the other person to understand or reschedule without stating it bluntly.
How formal/polite is this sentence, and how would I adjust it?
- Current style (-해요) is standard polite, suitable for most everyday interactions.
- More formal: 지금 회의 중이라 나중에 말씀드리겠습니다.
- Casual to a friend: 지금 회의 중인데 나중에 얘기하자.
- Polite to a senior: 지금 회의 중이라서요. 나중에 연락드릴게요.
Why no particles like 은/는 or 이/가 after 지금 or 회의?
- 지금 is an adverb (“now”), so it doesn’t take topic/subject markers here.
- 회의 중 is a fixed “N + dependent-noun” construction; no particle is needed between 회의 and 중.
- You can add a topic for contrast: 지금은 회의 중인데… (“As for now, I’m in a meeting, so…”).
What exactly is inside 중인데 morphologically?
- 중 (middle) + 이다 (to be) + connective -는데 → 중인데.
- So it literally means “(it) is in the middle (and/but)…” providing context for what follows.
Pronunciation tips for 회의, 중인데, 이야기해요?
- 회의 is typically [회이] or [훼이], both acceptable in natural speech; standard dictionary reading is close to [회의].
- 중인데 sounds like [중인데] (the ㅇ at the end of 중 links smoothly to 인).
- 이야기해요 is pronounced as written; 얘기해요 is [예기해요], one syllable shorter.
Could I use -아서/어서 or -니까 instead of -인데?
- Yes, each has a nuance:
- 지금 회의 중이라서 나중에 이야기해요. (because I’m in a meeting, let’s talk later) — gentle reason.
- 지금 회의 중이니까 나중에 이야기해요. (since I’m in a meeting…) — a bit firmer/clearer cause-effect.
- 지금 회의 중인데 나중에… — soft backgrounding; least blunt.
Is 회의하는 중 okay, or should I stick to 회의 중?
- 회의 중 is the most natural set phrase for “in a meeting.”
- 회의하는 중 is grammatical but feels wordier; in fast speech people often prefer either 회의 중(이에요) or 회의하고 있어요.