Finding a Wallet and Keys | Learn Korean in English

About This Lesson

Use Finding a Wallet and Keys to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

내 지갑을 못 찾겠어.

neh jee-GAH-beul moht chah-GETT-suh. I can't find my wallet.

배낭 안을 확인해 봤어?

beh-NAHNG AH-neul hwah-GIN-heh bwah-ssuh? Did you check inside your backpack?

앞주머니는 이미 확인했어.

ahp-joo-MUH-nee-neun ee-MEE hwah-GIN-hae-ssuh. I checked the front pocket already.

지퍼 근처에 있는 작은 주머니를 찾아봐.

JEE-puh geun-CHUH-eh een-neun JAH-geun joo-MUH-nee-reul chah-jah-bwah. Try the small pocket near the zipper.

거기서 찾았어.

guh-GEE-suh chah-jah-ssuh. I found it there.

가기 전에 지퍼를 닫아.

GAH-gee jun-eh JEE-puh-reul dah-DAH. Close the zipper before you go.

아직 열쇠가 필요해.

ah-JIK yuhl-SHWEH-gah PEEL-lyoh-heh. I still need my keys.

옆 주머니에 있어.

yuhp-JJOO-muh-nee-eh ee-ssuh. They're in the side pocket.

Word by Word

내 내 means “my” here and shows that the wallet belongs to the speaker. It comes before the noun it describes, as in 내 지갑. Use it when referring to something that belongs to you.

지갑을 지갑을 means “the wallet” as the object the speaker is trying to find. The ending 을 marks the wallet as the object of the search. Use the object marker after the thing being looked for or acted on.

못 못 shows that the speaker cannot successfully find the wallet in 못 찾겠어. It comes before the action word to express inability or an unsuccessful attempt. Use it when you are unable to do an action.

찾겠어 찾겠어 means “can find” or “seem able to find” in this dialogue, but 못 찾겠어 together means “I can’t find it.” This exact form expresses the speaker’s current difficulty finding the wallet. Use it after 못 when saying that you cannot manage to find something.

배낭 배낭 means “backpack” here. It names the bag whose inside is being checked. Use it as a noun when talking about a backpack in everyday situations.

안을 안을 means “the inside” as the place being checked in 배낭 안을 확인해 봤어. It identifies the inside of the backpack as the object of the checking action. Use a place noun with 을 when that place is what someone inspects.

확인해 확인해 means “check” or “inspect” here. In 확인해 봤어, it refers to checking the inside of the backpack, while 봤어 adds the idea of having tried or actually done it. Use it after naming an item or place that should be checked.

봐 봐 adds the meaning “try doing it” in 확인해 봤어. Together, 확인해 봤어 asks whether the speaker tried checking the backpack. It commonly follows an action form when suggesting or asking about trying an action.

앞주머니는 앞주머니는 means “as for the front pocket” here. It makes the front pocket the topic of the statement that it has already been checked. Use it to place an item or place at the center of the sentence.

이미 이미 means “already” and shows that the checking happened before this point. It is used with 확인했어 to say that the front pocket has been checked. Use it before an action or state that was completed earlier.

확인했어 확인했어 means “checked” here and reports that the front pocket was inspected. The form describes a completed checking action in the dialogue. Use it after the item or place that was checked.

지퍼 지퍼 means “zipper.” Here it identifies the zipper near the small pocket and the zipper that should be closed. Use it as a noun when talking about a bag or clothing zipper.

근처에 근처에 means “near” or “in the vicinity of” the zipper in 지퍼 근처에 있는 작은 주머니. The ending 에 marks the nearby location. Use a noun with 근처에 to identify something located near it.

있는 있는 means “that is located” or “that is” in 지퍼 근처에 있는 작은 주머니. It connects the location near the zipper to the pocket being described. Use it after a location phrase and before the noun located there.

작은 작은 means “small” and describes the pocket in 작은 주머니. It comes before the noun whose size it describes. Use it when identifying something by its small size.

주머니를 주머니를 means “the pocket” as the object to look for in 작은 주머니를 찾아봐. The ending 를 marks the pocket as the object of the search. Use the object marker after the item someone should look for or handle.

찾아봐 찾아봐 means “try looking for it” or “look for it.” In this line, it is a suggestion to search the small pocket near the zipper. Use it after naming the thing to search for when asking someone to try finding it.

거기서 거기서 means “there” or “at that place” in 거기서 찾았어. The ending 서 marks the place where the finding happened. Use it to refer to a previously mentioned location where an action occurs.

찾았어 찾았어 means “found” here and reports that the speaker located the wallet there. It describes the completed discovery in the dialogue. Use it when telling someone that a missing item has been found.

가기 가기 means “going” in 가기 전에, referring to leaving or going away. It turns the action of going into the action named before 전에. Use an action form with 기 before 전에 to say “before doing” something.

전에 전에 means “before” in 가기 전에. It places closing the zipper before the action of going. Use it after an action expression when giving a reminder about what should happen first.

지퍼를 지퍼를 means “the zipper” as the object that should be closed. The ending 를 marks the zipper as the object of 닫아. Use it after the thing that someone is told to close or move.

닫아 닫아 means “close” here and gives an informal instruction to close the zipper. In the dialogue, the instruction is to do this before going. Use it after naming the object that should be closed.

아직 아직 means “still” here and shows that the need for the keys remains. It comes before 필요해 in 아직 열쇠가 필요해. Use it when something is still needed or has not yet changed.

열쇠가 열쇠가 identifies the keys as what is needed in 열쇠가 필요해. The ending 가 marks the thing that is necessary. Use an item with 가 before 필요해 to say that the item is needed.

필요해 필요해 means “need” or “be necessary” here. Together with 열쇠가, it says that the keys are still needed. Use it after the item that is necessary in a situation.

옆 옆 means “side” and describes the location of the pocket in 옆 주머니에. It comes before 주머니 to identify the side pocket. Use it before a noun when specifying that something is at the side.

주머니에 주머니에 means “in the pocket” in 옆 주머니에 있어. The ending 에 marks the pocket as the location of the keys. Use a place noun with 에 to say where something is located.

있어 있어 means “is located” or “is in” here. In 옆 주머니에 있어, the omitted subject is understood to be the keys, so the sentence says they are in the side pocket. Use it after a location phrase to say that something is there.

Grammar Points

V-지 못하다

지갑을 못 찾겠어.

jee-GAHP-eul moht chah-GETT-suh.

I can't find my wallet.

못 before a verb expresses inability or that something cannot be done.

V-아/어 보다

앞주머니를 확인해 봤어.

ahp-joo-MUH-nee-reul hwah-GIN-heh bwah-ssuh.

I checked the front pocket.

-아/어 보다 means to try doing something or to have the experience of doing it.

Korean Vocabulary

근처 noun

geun-CHUH near; vicinity 근처에

내 det

neh my

내 지갑을

못 찾겠어 phrase

moht chah-GETT-suh can't find

내 지갑을 못 찾겠어.

배낭 noun

beh-NAHNG backpack

안 noun

ahn inside 안을

배낭 안을

앞주머니 noun

ahp-joo-MUH-nee front pocket

이미 adv

ee-MEE already

작다 adj

JAHK-ttah to be small 작은

지갑 noun

jee-GAHP wallet

지퍼 noun

JEE-puh zipper

찾다 verb

CHAHT-ttah to look for; to find 찾아봐

확인하다 verb

hwah-GIN-hah-dah to check 확인해 봤어

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I can't find my wallet.

Show Answer

내 지갑을 못 찾겠어.

Did you check inside your backpack?

Show Answer

배낭 안을 확인해 봤어?

I checked the front pocket already.

Show Answer

앞주머니는 이미 확인했어.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

front pocket

Show Answer

앞주머니

backpack

Show Answer

배낭

to look for; to find

Show Answer

찾아봐

to be small

Show Answer

작은