Borrowing Cleaning Supplies | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 사용할 청소용 천 있어요?

   Do you have a cleaning cloth I can use?

   사용할

   to use

   청소용

   for cleaning

   천

   cloth

   있어요?

   do you have ...?

   More detail

   사용할 is the form of 사용하다 (“to use”) that modifies a following noun. Here it means “to use” in the sense of a cloth intended or available for the speaker’s use. A useful pattern is [verb-(으)ㄹ] + noun, meaning “a noun to [verb]” or “a noun that someone will [verb].” Example: 읽을 책 — “a book to read.” 청소용 adds the purpose “for cleaning.” It is formed from 청소 (“cleaning”) plus -용, a noun-modifying element meaning “for use in” or “intended for.” Example: 여행용 가방 — “a travel bag” or “a bag for traveling.” 천 means “cloth” or “rag.” In this utterance it is the item being requested, specifically a cloth for cleaning. Example: 천으로 닦아요. — “I wipe it with a cloth.” 있어요? is the polite present form of 있다, used for existence, presence, or availability. In this context, with an item as the subject, it naturally asks whether the listener has or can provide that item. Korean expresses this meaning with “exist/be available” rather than a separate verb equivalent to English “have.” Example: 시간 있어요? — “Do you have time?” Together, 사용할 청소용 천 means “a cleaning cloth to use,” and 있어요? asks whether one is available from the listener. The complete utterance therefore means: “Do you have a cleaning cloth I can use?” The following context’s 하나 (“one”) treats the requested item as available in a quantity of one, but the question itself does not state a number.

2. 상자 안에 하나 있어요.

   There is one in the box.

   상자

   box

   안에

   inside; in

   하나

   one

   있어요

   is present; exists

   More detail

   상자 means “box.” It is a noun; the plural is not marked here, so the context supplies the intended number. Example: 상자 — “a box.” 안에 means “inside/in.” It is 안 (“inside”) plus 에, a particle marking a location. The pattern 장소 + 에 can mark where something is: 방에 있어요 — “It is in the room.” 하나 means “one” here: one item, with the item itself left unspecified. It is the standalone form of the native Korean number one; before a counting unit, the related form is 한, as in 한 개 — “one item.” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, used here to say that something is present or located somewhere. Korean commonly leaves the subject unspoken when it is understood from context. The pattern 장소에 있어요 means “It is/there is in [a place].” Together, 상자 안에 sets the location, 하나 identifies the quantity as one, and 있어요 states existence there: “There is one in the box.”

3. 청소용 스프레이도 있어요?

   Do you have cleaning spray too?

   청소용

   for cleaning

   스프레이

   spray

   도

   too; also

   있어요?

   is there?; do you have?

   More detail

   청소용 means “for cleaning.” It is built from 청소 (“cleaning”) plus -용, a suffix meaning “for use in” a particular purpose. The same pattern is reusable in forms such as 여행용 가방 (“a travel-use bag”) and 어린이용 의자 (“a chair for children”). Here, -용 describes the intended use of the spray; it does not mean that the spray is currently being used for cleaning. 스프레이 is the noun “spray,” a loanword. In this sentence, 청소용 스프레이 is a noun phrase meaning “cleaning spray”: 청소용 specifies the type or purpose, and 스프레이 is the head noun. The noun itself does not change form for number in this expression. 도 is an additive particle meaning “too” or “also.” It attaches directly after the noun or noun phrase being added to the discussion, so 청소용 스프레이도 means “cleaning spray too.” The particle does not mean that the spray is a particular quantity; the “too” indicates addition to something already under consideration. 있어요? is a polite present-tense question based on 있다, “to exist” or “to be present.” 있어요 is the polite conversational form, and the question intonation turns it into “is there?” or, with an understood location or person, “do you have?” Korean commonly uses this existence verb for possession: 물 있어요? can mean “Do you have water?” The form 있어요 itself does not identify who possesses the item; the context supplies that reading. Together, 청소용 스프레이 identifies the item, 도 adds it as another item, and 있어요? asks whether it is available or present. The whole utterance therefore means, “Do you have cleaning spray too?”

4. 스프레이는 그 옆에 있어요.

   The spray is beside it.

   스프레이

   spray

   그

   that; it

   옆에

   beside; next to

   있어요

   is; is located

   More detail

   스프레이 is a noun meaning “spray,” a loanword used for a spray product. In the sentence, 는 follows it and marks 스프레이 as the topic: “As for the spray…” Example: 스프레이는 여기 있어요. — “The spray is here.” The noun remains 스프레이; 는 marks the topic rather than changing the noun. 그 in 그 옆에 is a demonstrative meaning “that” and, in this sentence, is understood as “it” in the translation. Korean demonstratives include 이 for something nearer the speaker, 그 for something identified in the discourse or associated with the listener, and 저 for something distant from both. Here 그 combines with 옆 to form the expression “beside it.” 옆에 means “beside” or “next to.” 옆 is the noun “side,” and 에 marks the location: literally, “at the side.” The pattern N의 옆에 can mean “beside N,” while 그 옆에 means “beside it/that.” Example: 의자 옆에 가방이 있어요. — “There is a bag beside the chair.” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, used here for the location or existence of something. With a topic and a place, N은/는 장소에 있어요 means “N is at/in/beside the place.” It is different from the copula 이다: 있어요 locates or says that something exists, rather than equating two nouns. Example: 책이 책상 위에 있어요. — “The book is on the desk.” Putting the parts together, 스프레이는 sets “the spray” as the topic, 그 옆에 gives its location as “beside it,” and 있어요 says that it is located there. The complete utterance means: “The spray is beside it.”

5. 이 책상을 청소해야 해요.

   I need to clean this desk.

   이

   this

   책상을

   desk

   청소해야 해요

   need to clean

   More detail

   이 means “this” and appears before the noun it specifies. In this sentence, it identifies the desk as the nearby or contextually indicated one. The pattern 이 + noun is reusable: 이 책 means “this book.” 책상을 contains the noun 책상, “desk,” followed by the object marker 을. The marker shows that the desk receives the action of cleaning. 을 is used after a consonant-final noun; after a vowel-final noun, the corresponding object marker is 를. For example, 물을 마셔요 means “I drink water.” 청소해야 해요 expresses a need or obligation to clean. The lexical verb is 청소하다, “to clean.” In the pattern 동사-아/어야 하다, the -아/어야 part marks something that must be done, and 하다 supplies the “have to” construction. Here, 청소하다 becomes 청소해야, followed by polite 해요, the present-style form of 하다 in this construction. Compare 쉬어야 해요, “I have to rest.” Together, 이 책상을 means “this desk” as the object, and 청소해야 해요 means “need to clean.” The whole utterance therefore means “I need to clean this desk.”

6. 조금만 사용하세요.

   Use only a small amount.

   조금만

   only a small amount

   사용하세요

   please use

   More detail

   조금만 means “only a small amount” here. 조금 refers to a small quantity, and 만 restricts the quantity to that amount: 조금만 = “just a little” or “only a small amount.” It does not state an exact numerical quantity. For example, 물은 조금만 주세요. means “Please give me only a little water.” 사용하세요 means “please use.” Its base form is 사용하다, “to use.” The form 사용하세요 uses the polite request/command ending -세요, so it is a courteous instruction to the listener. The person being asked is understood from the situation rather than expressed as a separate pronoun. For example, 이 버튼을 사용하세요. means “Please use this button.” Together, 조금만 limits the amount associated with 사용하세요: “Use only a small amount.” The sentence is a polite instruction, with the object or material to be used understood from the surrounding situation.

7. 책상을 닦고 둘 다 제자리에 놓을게요.

   I will wipe the desk and put both back.

   책상

   desk

   닦고

   wipe and then

   둘 다

   both

   제자리에

   in its proper place

   놓을게요

   I will put

   More detail

   책상 means “desk.” In 책상을, the ending -을 marks the desk as the object of the wiping action. The noun itself is not changed for number or gender. 닦고 comes from 닦다, “to wipe” or “to clean by wiping.” The form 닦-고 connects this action to the next one, commonly giving the sequence “wipe … and then ….” Example: 손을 닦고 앉으세요. — “Wipe your hands and sit down.” 둘 다 means “both,” referring here to two already understood things. 둘 means “two,” and 다 adds the meaning “both/all of them.” It is a quantity expression, not a form that changes according to the objects’ gender. 제자리에 is 제자리 (“the proper place” or “original place”) plus -에, which marks the place where something is put. The phrase therefore means “in their proper place” in this sentence. 제자리 is a noun; it is not an adjective modifying an omitted noun. 놓을게요 comes from 놓다, “to put” or “to place.” The pattern -을게요 presents the speaker’s willingness or intention to do something: 놓을게요 means “I’ll put [them]” here. The form is future-oriented, but it also commonly sounds like a commitment or offer by the speaker. Example: 여기에 놓을게요. — “I’ll put it here.” Together, 책상을 닦고 means “wipe the desk and then,” while 둘 다 제자리에 놓을게요 means “I’ll put both in their proper place.” The complete utterance means: “I will wipe the desk and put both back.”

8. 상자 안에 둘 다 같이 두세요.

   Keep them together in the box.

   상자

   box

   안에

   inside; in

   둘 다

   both

   같이

   together

   두세요

   keep; place

   More detail

   상자 means “box.” It is a noun and can combine with location expressions: 상자 안 means “the inside of the box,” while 상자 밖 means “outside the box.” 안에 means “inside; in.” Here, 안 is the location noun “inside,” and 에 marks the place where something is located or placed. Example: 가방 안에 책이 있어요. — “There is a book in the bag.” 둘 다 means “both,” referring to two items together as a complete set. 다 adds the meaning “all,” so 둘 다 is specifically “both of the two.” Example: 두 사람 둘 다 왔어요. — “Both people came.” 같이 means “together.” It describes doing something jointly or keeping things with one another, rather than separately. Example: 이것들을 같이 놓으세요. — “Please put these together.” 두세요 is the polite request or command form of 두다, “to put, leave, or keep.” The form -세요 makes it a polite directive; the exact English choice depends on the action and context. In this sentence, it asks the listener to leave or keep the items in the stated place. Example: 여기에 두세요. — “Please put it here.” Together, 상자 안에 sets the destination or location as “in the box,” 둘 다 identifies the two items as a pair, 같이 says that they should be together, and 두세요 politely asks the listener to put or keep them there. The whole utterance means: “Keep both of them together in the box.”