Borrowing a Pen and Notebook | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: In a shared space, one person borrows a pen and notebook for a short list and agrees where to put them back..

EN → KO / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a Pen and Notebook to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

펜을 써도 돼요?

pehn-ul ssuh-doh DWEH-yoh? Can I use a pen?
B

컵에서 검은색 펜을 하나 가져가세요.

KUHP-eh-suh guh-muhn-sehk pehn-ul ha-na ga-juh-ga-SEH-yoh. Take the black one from the cup.
A

공책도 필요해요.

gong-chehk-ttoh pihl-LYUH-heh-yoh. I need a notebook too.
B

서랍에 오래된 공책이 하나 있어요.

suh-RAH-beh oh-reh-dehn gong-cheh-gee ha-na ee-SSUH-yoh. There is an old one in the drawer.
A

짧은 목록만 쓰면 돼요.

JJAL-buhn mong-nong-man SSUH-myuhn DWEH-yoh. I only need to write a short list.
B

다 쓰고 둘 다 돌려주세요.

dah SSUH-goh tool TTAH dohl-LYUH-joo-SEH-yoh. Bring both back when you finish.
A

네 책상 위에 놓을게요.

neh chaek-SSANG wee-eh noh-eul-KK EH-yoh. I will put them on your desk.
B

그러면 찾기 쉬워요.

kuh-ruh-myuhn CHAT-kkee SHWEE-wuh-yoh. That makes them easy to find.

Word by Word

펜을 펜을 means “the pen” as the object being used in 펜을 써도 돼요? The 를 marks 펜 as the object of the action. Use an object followed by 를 before an action.
써도 써도 presents using as the action being asked about in 써도 돼요? It comes from 쓰다, and the full expression asks whether using the pen is permitted. This form is useful when asking permission for an action.
돼요 돼요 means that something is okay or permitted in 써도 돼요? Together with 써도, it asks whether the speaker may use the pen. Use it in a question when checking whether an action is allowed.
컵에서 컵에서 means “from the cup” in 컵에서 검은색 펜을 하나 가져가세요. 에서 identifies the place from which the pen is taken. Use a place followed by 에서 when an action starts there or something is taken from there.
검은색 검은색 means “black” and describes the pen in 검은색 펜. It identifies the pen by its color. Use a color word before a noun when specifying which item you mean.
하나 하나 means “one” in 펜을 하나 가져가세요, referring to one pen. It gives the quantity of the item being taken. Use 하나 when selecting a single item.
가져가세요 가져가세요 means “please take it” or “please take it with you” in this dialogue. It comes from 가져가다 and is a polite request for someone to take an item away from the current place. Use it when asking someone to take a specified object.
공책도 공책도 means “a notebook too” in 공책도 필요해요. 도 adds the notebook as another needed item, after the pen has been mentioned. Attach 도 to a noun when adding that noun to the previous item or situation.
필요해요 필요해요 means “is needed” or “I need” in 공책도 필요해요. The notebook is the thing the speaker says is needed. Use it after naming something that is required.
서랍에 서랍에 means “in the drawer” in 서랍에 오래된 공책이 하나 있어요. 에 marks the drawer as the place where the notebook exists. Use a place followed by 에 when saying where something is located.
오래된 오래된 means “old” in 오래된 공책, describing the notebook in the drawer. It comes from 오래되다 and appears before the noun it describes. Use it before a noun when identifying something as old.
공책이 공책이 means “the notebook” as the thing that exists in 서랍에 오래된 공책이 하나 있어요. The 이 marks 공책 as the subject of 있어요. Use 이 after a noun when that noun is the subject of the sentence.
있어요 있어요 means “there is” or “exists” in 서랍에 오래된 공책이 하나 있어요. With the place 서랍에, it says that an old notebook is located in the drawer. Use it to state that something is present in a place.
짧은 짧은 means “short” in 짧은 목록, describing the list the speaker plans to write. It comes from 짧다 and appears before the noun 목록. Use it before a noun when describing its short length.
목록만 목록만 means “only a list” in 짧은 목록만 쓰면 돼요. 만 limits what is needed to the list. Attach 만 to a noun when saying that only that item or category is included.
쓰면 쓰면 means “if or when [someone] writes” in 쓰면 돼요. It comes from 쓰다 and presents writing as the action that is enough in the full expression 쓰면 돼요. Use this expression when explaining that completing an action is sufficient.
다 다 indicates completion or “all” in 다 쓰고, meaning after finishing with the writing or use. It shows that the action should be completed before the next action. Use it before a verb when emphasizing doing something completely.
쓰고 쓰고 connects the writing or use with the next action in 다 쓰고 둘 다 돌려주세요, meaning “after finishing with them, return both.” It comes from 쓰다 and links the first action to what follows. Use it to connect actions that happen in sequence.
둘 둘 means “two” and refers to the pen and notebook in 둘 다 돌려주세요. With 다, it means both items together. Use 둘 다 when referring to two items as a complete group.
돌려주세요 돌려주세요 means “please return them” in 둘 다 돌려주세요. It comes from 돌려주다 and is a polite request to give borrowed items back. Use it when asking someone to return an item or items.
네 네 means “your” in 네 책상, identifying the desk as belonging to the person being addressed. It comes before the noun 책상. Use it before a noun when referring to something that belongs to the listener.
책상 책상 means “desk” in 네 책상 위에 놓을게요. Here it names the surface where the pen and notebook will be placed. Use it with a location expression when describing where something is put.
위에 위에 means “on top of” in 책상 위에, specifying the surface where the items will be placed. 에 marks 위 as the location of the action. Use it after a noun when indicating that something is on or placed on top of it.
놓을게요 놓을게요 means “I will put them there” in 네 책상 위에 놓을게요. It comes from 놓다 and expresses the speaker’s intention or promise to place the items on the desk. Use it when telling someone where you will leave or place something.
그러면 그러면 means “then” or “in that case” in 그러면 찾기 쉬워요. It connects the suggested placement on the desk with the resulting convenience. Use it to introduce a result based on what was just said.
찾기 찾기 means “finding” in 찾기 쉬워요. It comes from 찾다 and turns the action of finding into the activity being described as easy. Use it when describing the difficulty of finding something.
쉬워요 쉬워요 means “is easy” in 찾기 쉬워요, so the full expression says that the items will be easy to find. It comes from 쉽다 and describes the activity of finding. Use it after an action expressed as an activity when saying that the action is easy.

Grammar Points

-아/어도 돼요?

써도 돼요?

SSUH-doh DWEH-yoh?

May I use it?

Attach -아/어도 돼요? to ask politely for permission to do something.

-(으)ㄹ게요

놓을게요

noh-eul-KK EH-yoh

I’ll put it down.

Use -(으)ㄹ게요 to show the speaker’s intention or promise to do something.

Korean Vocabulary

가져가다 verb
ga-juh-GA-dah to take 가져가세요
검은색 noun
guh-muhn-SEHK black
공책 noun
gong-CHEHK notebook
목록 noun
mong-NOK list
서랍 noun
suh-RAHP drawer
써도 돼요? phrase
SSUH-doh DWEH-yoh? May I use it?
쓰다 verb
SSUH-dah to use; to write 써
오래되다 adj
oh-reh-DWEH-dah to be old 오래된
짧다 adj
JJAL-ttah to be short 짧은
컵 noun
kuhp cup
펜 noun
pehn pen
필요하다 adj
pihl-LYOH-ha-dah to need 필요해요

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Can I use a pen?

Show Answer펜을 써도 돼요?

Take the black one from the cup.

Show Answer컵에서 검은색 펜을 하나 가져가세요.

I need a notebook too.

Show Answer공책도 필요해요.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to take

Show Answer가져가세요

to need

Show Answer필요해요

black

Show Answer검은색

to be old

Show Answer오래된