Arriving at City Hall by Bike | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: At a city hall entrance, two adults talk about arriving by bike and going inside to find the right counter..

EN → KO / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Arriving at City Hall by Bike to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

저는 이 시청 안에 들어와 본 적이 없어요.

juh-neun ee SHEE-chuhng AH-neh duh-ruh-WAH bon JUH-gee uhp-SSUH-yoh I have never been inside this city hall before.
B

건물이 생각보다 더 좋네요.

guhn-MOOL-lee saeng-gahk-PPOH-dah duh JOHN-neh-yoh The building is nicer than I expected.
A

입구는 자전거 주차장 옆에 있어요.

eep-KKOO-neun jah-JUHN-guh joo-CHAH-jahng YUH-peh ee-SSUH-yoh The entrance is beside the bicycle parking area.
B

많은 사람들이 자전거를 타고 왔어요.

MAH-neun sah-rahm-duh-lee jah-JUHN-guh-reul TAH-goh wah-SSUH-yoh A lot of people came by bike.
A

그렇군요.

guh-ruh-KOON-nyoh That makes sense.
A

버스를 기다리는 것보다 더 쉬워요.

BUH-seul gee-dah-ree-neun guht-PPOH-dah duh SHWEE-wuh-yoh It is easier than waiting for the bus.
B

다음에는 우리도 여기까지 자전거를 타고 올 수 있겠어요.

DAH-uh-MEH-neun oo-REE-doh yuh-gee-KKAH-jee jah-JUHN-guh-reul TAH-goh ohl-SSOO eet-KKESS-uh-yoh Next time, we could ride here too.
A

그러면 자전거를 입구 가까이에 둘 수 있겠어요.

guh-ruh-myuhn jah-JUHN-guh-reul eep-KKOO gah-kkah-ee-eh dool-SSOO eet-KKESS-uh-yoh Then we can leave the bikes close to the entrance.
B

지금은 안으로 들어가서 맞는 창구를 찾아봐요.

jee-guh-meun ah-nuh-roh duh-ruh-gah-suh mahn-neun chahng-KKOO-reul chah-jah-BWAH-yoh For now, let's go inside and find the right counter.

Word by Word

저는 “저는” means “as for me” or “I” and presents the speaker as the topic. Here it introduces the speaker’s personal experience with the city hall. Use it when stating your own situation or opinion politely.
이 “이” means “this” and identifies the city hall as the one near the speaker. It comes directly before the noun it describes. Use it before a nearby or currently relevant noun.
시청 “시청” means “city hall,” the public building the speakers are entering. Here it names the place whose inside the speaker has not experienced before. Use it when referring to the local government office or building.
안에 “안에” means “inside” or “in” and marks the inside area of the city hall. In “시청 안에,” it identifies where the experience took place. Use it after a place noun to describe something located or happening inside it.
들어와 “들어와” means “come inside” and describes movement into the place toward the current viewpoint. Here it appears in “들어와 본 적이 없어요,” describing the experience of coming inside. Use this form when referring to entering toward the speaker or the relevant place.
본 “본” contributes the meaning of having experienced or tried the action in “들어와 본 적이 없어요.” It appears before “적이” to talk about whether the speaker has ever had that experience. Use “본 적이 없어요” after an action when saying that you have never experienced it.
적이 “적이” means an experience or occasion in “들어와 본 적이 없어요.” Together with the surrounding words, it says that there has been no occasion when the speaker came inside. Use it in the pattern “본 적이 없어요” to describe an experience that has never happened.
없어요 “없어요” means that something does not exist or is not present. Here it completes “들어와 본 적이 없어요,” meaning the speaker has no experience of having come inside. Use it to say that something is absent or that an experience has not occurred.
건물이 “건물이” means “the building” and marks the building as the thing being described. Here it is the subject of the positive observation that follows. Use this form when talking about a building as the subject of a sentence.
생각보다 “생각보다” means “than expected” or “than I thought.” It sets up a comparison between the speaker’s earlier expectation and the actual building. Use it before a description when something is different from what you expected.
더 “더” means “more” or “even more” and strengthens the comparison in “생각보다 더 좋네요.” It shows that the building is nicer than the speaker expected. Use it before an adjective or other description when expressing a greater degree.
좋네요 “좋네요” means “it is nice” or “it seems good” as a newly noticed or shared observation. Here the speaker reacts positively to the building after seeing it. Use it when commenting politely on something that you have just noticed.
입구는 “입구는” means “as for the entrance” and makes the entrance the topic of the location statement. Here the speaker explains where the entrance is in relation to the bicycle parking area. Use it when giving information about the location of an entrance.
자전거 “자전거” means “bicycle.” Here it identifies the type of parking area beside the entrance. Use it when referring to a bicycle or to something connected with bicycle travel.
주차장 “주차장” means “parking area” or “parking lot.” In “자전거 주차장,” it refers specifically to the place where bicycles are parked. Use it after the type of vehicle to identify its parking area.
옆에 “옆에” means “beside” or “next to” and marks the location next to another place or object. Here it says that the entrance is next to the bicycle parking area. Use it after a noun when giving a nearby location.
있어요 “있어요” means “is located” or “there is” when describing the existence or position of something. Here it says where the entrance is located. Use it to state that a person or thing is in a particular place.
많은 “많은” means “many” or “a lot of” and describes the large number of people who came. It comes directly before “사람들이” to modify that noun. Use it before a noun when referring to a large amount or number.
사람들이 “사람들이” means “people” and marks the people as the ones who came. Here it refers to many visitors arriving at city hall. Use it when people are the subject of an action or event.
자전거를 “자전거를” means “a bicycle” as the object used with the riding action. In “자전거를 타고 왔어요,” it identifies what the people rode to get there. Use it with riding expressions when saying that someone rides a bicycle.
타고 “타고” means “by riding” and connects riding the bicycle with coming to the city hall. Here it shows the means of travel in “자전거를 타고 왔어요.” Use it after a vehicle or means of transport when explaining how someone goes or comes.
왔어요 “왔어요” means “came” and describes arrival at the city hall. Together with “자전거를 타고,” it says that the people came by bicycle. Use it when someone has arrived at the relevant place from another location.
그렇군요 “그렇군요” means “I see” or “that makes sense” and acknowledges information just heard. Here the speaker accepts the explanation about why many people came by bicycle. Use it as a polite response when understanding or recognizing someone’s point.
버스를 “버스를” means “the bus” as the object of the waiting action. Here it identifies the transport option that would require waiting. Use it when the bus is the object of an action such as waiting for it.
기다리는 “기다리는” means “waiting for” and describes the action connected with the bus. In “버스를 기다리는 것보다,” it turns that waiting action into the activity being compared. Use it before “것” when describing an ongoing action as an activity or option.
것보다 “것보다” means “than doing that” or “rather than” and marks the activity being used for comparison. Here it compares riding a bicycle with waiting for the bus. Use it after an action described with “것” when comparing one activity with another.
쉬워요 “쉬워요” means “is easy,” and in this sentence the comparison makes it mean “is easier.” It describes bicycle travel as easier than waiting for the bus. Use it when evaluating how easy a task, method, or choice is.
다음에는 “다음에는” means “next time” and sets the time for a possible future plan. Here it introduces the idea of coming by bicycle on another visit. Use it at the beginning of a sentence when discussing what to do on a later occasion.
우리도 “우리도” means “we too” or “us too.” Here it says that the speakers could also come by bicycle, like the people just mentioned. Use it when adding yourself or your group to something another person or group does.
여기까지 “여기까지” means “up to here” and identifies the current place as the destination point. Here it says that the speakers could ride as far as this city hall. Use it to mark the endpoint reached by movement or an activity.
올 “올” means “come” in the form used before “수” in “올 수 있겠어요.” It describes coming to the current place as a possible future plan. Use this form before “수” when expressing whether an action can be done.
수 “수” expresses possibility or the ability to do something. In “올 수 있겠어요,” it helps form the idea that coming here by bicycle would be possible. Use it after an action form when talking about whether that action can happen.
있겠어요 “있겠어요” means “could be possible” or “would be possible” in this context. It makes the idea of coming by bicycle sound like a tentative suggestion rather than a fixed plan. Use it when politely considering or proposing a possible plan.
그러면 “그러면” means “then” or “in that case” and connects the previous possibility with its consequence. Here it introduces what the speakers could do if they come by bicycle. Use it to begin a response that follows logically from what was just said.
가까이에 “가까이에” means “close to” or “near” and marks a nearby location. Here it describes the place where the bicycles could be left in relation to the entrance. Use it after a place or object when describing something positioned nearby.
둘 “둘” means “leave” or “put” in “자전거를 입구 가까이에 둘 수 있겠어요.” It describes placing the bicycles in a location, within a construction expressing possibility. Use it when talking about leaving or putting an object somewhere.
지금은 “지금은” means “for now” or “as for now” and sets the current moment as the topic. Here it contrasts the immediate action with the possible plan for next time. Use it when directing attention to what should happen at the present time.
안으로 “안으로” means “inside” or “inward” and marks the direction of movement. Here it describes going from the entrance into the building. Use it with a movement verb when emphasizing movement toward the inside.
들어가서 “들어가서” means “go inside and” and links entering the building with the next action. Here the speakers go inside and then look for the correct counter. Use it to connect two actions in sequence, especially when the first action leads to the next one.
맞는 “맞는” means “correct,” “right,” or “suitable” and describes the counter that serves their needs. It comes directly before “창구를.” Use it before a noun when identifying the suitable or correct choice.
창구를 “창구를” means “the counter” as the object being looked for. In this city hall scene, it refers to the service counter the speakers need to find. Use it when a service counter is the object of an action such as finding.
찾아봐요 “찾아봐요” means “let’s look for it” or “let’s try to find it” in this suggestion. It proposes finding the suitable counter after going inside. Use it when politely suggesting that someone try to find or check something.

Grammar Points

V-(으)ㄴ 적이 있다

시청에 들어와 본 적이 있어요.

SHEE-chuhng-eh duh-ruh-WAH bon JUH-gee ee-SSUH-yoh

I have been inside city hall before.

This pattern expresses experience of having done something before. The verb comes before 적이 있다.

생각보다 + adjective

건물이 생각보다 좋네요.

guhn-MOOL-lee saeng-gahk-PPOH-dah JOHN-neh-yoh

The building is nicer than I expected.

생각보다 means “than expected” and comes before an adjective to compare reality with an expectation.

Korean Vocabulary

건물 noun
guhn-mool building 건물이
들어오다 verb
duh-ruh-oh-dah to come in 들어와
본 적 phrase
bon juhk experience of having done something

들어와 본 적이 없어요

생각보다 phrase
saeng-gahk-PPOH-dah than expected
시청 noun
SHEE-chuhng city hall
안 adv
ahn inside

시청 안에

옆에 phrase
YUH-peh beside; next to
입구 noun
eep-KKOO entrance 입구는
자전거 noun
jah-JUHN-guh bicycle; bike
저 pron
juh I; me

저는

좋다 adj
joh-TAH to be good; nice 좋네요
주차장 noun
joo-CHAH-jahng parking area; parking lot

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

The building is nicer than I expected.

Show Answer건물이 생각보다 더 좋네요.

The entrance is beside the bicycle parking area.

Show Answer입구는 자전거 주차장 옆에 있어요.

A lot of people came by bike.

Show Answer많은 사람들이 자전거를 타고 왔어요.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

than expected

Show Answer생각보다

parking area; parking lot

Show Answer주차장

building

Show Answer건물이

city hall

Show Answer시청