hoeui dongan memohaeyo.

I take notes during the meeting.

Breakdown of hoeui dongan memohaeyo.

• 회의: meeting
• 메모하다: to take notes
• 동안: during

Questions & Answers about hoeui dongan memohaeyo.

Does 메모해요 mean I am taking notes now, I usually take notes, or I will take notes?

All are possible. 메모해요 is the polite present form and is time-neutral; context decides:

• Habit: I take notes during meetings.
• Right now: I’m taking notes during the meeting.
• Future/plan: I’ll take notes during the meeting. To make “right now” explicit, you can say 메모하고 있어요.

Is this a statement or a command? How do I clearly tell someone to take notes?

As written, it’s most naturally a statement. To give a polite instruction:

• Polite imperative: 메모하세요.
• More “please” nuance: 메모해 주세요.
• Very formal announcement: 메모하시기 바랍니다.
• Casual to a friend: 메모해.

Why is there no subject? Who is taking notes?

Korean often drops obvious subjects. 회의 동안 메모해요 could mean I/you/we take notes. You can add one for clarity:

• I: 저는 회의 동안 메모해요.
• You (instruction): 회의 동안 메모하세요.
• We: 우리는 회의 동안 메모해요.

Why use 동안? What’s the difference between 동안, 중(에), and 때?

• 동안 emphasizes the whole span: during the (entire) meeting.
• 중(에) focuses on the time while something is in progress; very common in signs/announcements.
  • 회의 중입니다 = I’m in a meeting.
  • 회의 중(에) 메모해요 = I take notes while the meeting is going on.
• 때 is more casual/neutral “at the time (of)”:
  • 회의 때 메모해요 = I take notes at meetings. All are fine; nuance and formality differ.

Can I say 회의에서 instead of 회의 동안?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

• 회의에서 메모해요 = I take notes at the meeting (locative “at”).
• 회의 동안 메모해요 = I take notes during the meeting (temporal span). Use 에서 for location, 동안 for time span.

Do I need 에 after 동안? Is 회의 동안에 also correct?

Both 회의 동안 and 회의 동안에 are correct. Adding 에 can slightly highlight “within that period,” but in everyday speech there’s little difference.

Can I say 회의하는 동안 instead of 회의 동안?

Yes:

• 회의하는 동안 메모해요 = while the meeting is being held, I take notes. Using V-는 동안 explicitly ties it to an action. With nouns like 회의, 회의 동안 is already natural and concise.

Is the word order flexible? Can I put 동안 at the end?

Time expressions typically come before the verb. 회의 동안 메모해요 is natural. Placing it at the end (메모해요 회의 동안) is unnatural in standard Korean.

What’s the difference among 메모하다, 적다, 기록하다, and 필기하다?

• 메모하다: to jot down notes; quick, brief notes.
• 적다: to write down (anything), very common and general.
• 기록하다: to record; formal/official, for records or logs.
• 필기하다: to take notes (esp. in class/exams); academic context. All can work depending on context: 회의 동안 적어요/메모해요/기록해요.

Should I write 메모해요 or 메모를 해요? Are both correct?

Both are correct. With light-verb nouns, the object particle is optional:

• More common/compact: 메모해요.
• Also fine, sometimes a bit heavier or contrastive: 메모를 해요. With modifiers, the object marker is natural: 중요한 메모를 해 주세요.

How do I make it more formal or suitable for announcements?

• Formal polite: 회의 동안 메모합니다.
• Announcement/notice: 회의 중에는 메모해 주시기 바랍니다.
• Signage/brief notice: 회의 중 메모 부탁드립니다.

Can I emphasize “only during the meeting”?

Add the particle 만 or a contrastive 에는:

• 회의 동안에만 메모해요.
• 회의 동안에는 메모해요. (implies contrast with other times)

How do I say “throughout the entire meeting”?

Use 내내:

• 회의 내내 메모해요. = I take notes throughout the whole meeting.

What about pronunciation of 회의?

Standardly 회의 is pronounced like [회-의] (often sounding close to “hwe-ui”). In fast speech, many speakers pronounce it close to [회이]. Don’t worry—both are commonly heard.

Why is 메모해요 written as one word and not 메모 해요?

Verbs formed with -하다 are written as one word (메모하다 → 메모해요). The stem 메모- and 하다 combine into a single verb.

There’s no “the” in Korean. How do I specify “this/the meeting”?

Korean doesn’t use articles. Use demonstratives or context:

• 이 회의 동안 = during this meeting
• 그 회의 동안 = during that meeting
• 내일 회의 동안 = during tomorrow’s meeting