About This Lesson
Use Keeping a Shared Bathroom Clean to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
이 공용 화장실을 사용해도 돼요?
ee gong-yong hwah-jang-SHEE-reul sah-yong-hay-doh DWEH-yoh? Can I use this shared bathroom?
B
사용해도 돼요. 세면대 주변을 깨끗하게 해 주세요.
sah-yong-hay-doh DWEH-yoh. say-myun-day joo-byuh-neul KKEH-kkeu-TAH-geh hay joo-SEH-yoh. You can, and please keep the sink area clean.
A
종이 타월이 한 장 필요해요.
jong-EE tah-WUHL-ee han JAHNG pee-RYOH-hay-yoh. I need a paper towel.
B
세면대 근처에 몇 장 있어요.
say-myun-DAY geun-CHUH-eh MYUT-jjahng ee-SSEH-yoh. There are some near the sink.
A
이거 쓰레기통에 넣어요?
ee-guh sseu-RAY-gee-tong-eh NUH-uh-yoh? Does this go in the trash?
B
작은 쓰레기통에 넣으세요.
JAH-geun sseu-RAY-gee-tong-eh nuh-eu-SEH-yoh. Put it in the small bin.
A
저도 세면대를 빨리 닦을게요.
juh-doh say-myun-DAY-reul PPAL-lee DAHK-sseul-GEH-yoh. I will wipe the sink quickly too.
B
그러면 다음 사람에게 도움이 돼요.
geu-ruh-myun DAH-eum sah-rah-meh-geh doh-oo-MEE DWEH-yoh. That helps the next person.Word by Word
이
이 means “this” here and points to the bathroom being discussed in 이 공용 화장실을 사용해도 돼요? It comes before a noun, as in 이 공용 화장실. Use 이 before a nearby or currently identified noun when referring to “this …”.
공용
공용 means “shared” or “communal” here, describing a bathroom used by more than one person. In 이 공용 화장실을 사용해도 돼요?, it comes before 화장실. Use 공용 before places or facilities that people share, such as a shared bathroom.
화장실을
화장실을 means “the bathroom” as the object of using in 이 공용 화장실을 사용해도 돼요? The 을 marks 화장실 as the thing affected by 사용하다. Use a noun with 을 when it is the object of an action.
사용해도
사용해도 means “use, even if” in the permission expression 이 공용 화장실을 사용해도 돼요? It combines 사용하다, “to use,” with 도 to form the pattern 사용해도 돼요, meaning “Is it okay to use …?” Use this pattern when asking permission to do something.
돼요
돼요 means “is okay” or “is allowed” in 이 공용 화장실을 사용해도 돼요? Together with 사용해도, it completes the polite permission question 사용해도 돼요. Use X해도 돼요? to ask whether doing X is permitted.
세면대
세면대 means “sink” here, referring to the bathroom basin in 세면대 주변을 깨끗하게 해 주세요. It is used before 주변을 to identify the area around the sink. Use 세면대 when talking about washing or cleaning at a bathroom sink.
주변을
주변을 means “the area around” here, specifically the area around the sink in 세면대 주변을 깨끗하게 해 주세요. The 을 marks this area as the object of keeping clean. Use noun 주변을 to refer to the surrounding area of a place or object.
깨끗하게
깨끗하게 means “clean” or “cleanly” here and describes the requested state of the sink area in 세면대 주변을 깨끗하게 해 주세요. It modifies the action 해 주세요, giving the meaning “make or keep it clean.” Use 깨끗하게 before an action that makes something clean.
해
해 means “do” or “make” here in 세면대 주변을 깨끗하게 해 주세요. With 깨끗하게, it expresses making the sink area clean, while 주세요 makes this a polite request. Use adjective-style form plus 해 주세요 to ask someone to make something that way.
주세요
주세요 means “please do” here in 세면대 주변을 깨끗하게 해 주세요. It turns the preceding action into a polite request. Use action plus 주세요 when asking someone politely to do something.
종이
종이 means “paper” here and specifies the material of the towel in 종이 타월이 한 장 필요해요. It comes before 타월이 to form the noun phrase “paper towel.” Use 종이 before an item when identifying it as paper.
타월이
타월이 means “a paper towel” here because it follows 종이 in 종이 타월이 한 장 필요해요. The 이 marks the towel as the thing that is needed. Use a noun with 이 when it is the subject of a statement about what is needed.
한
한 means “one” here and comes before the counter 장 in 종이 타월이 한 장 필요해요. It specifies one sheet of paper towel rather than an unspecified amount. Use 한 before a counter when counting one item.
장
장 is the counter for flat items such as sheets, and it counts the paper towel in 종이 타월이 한 장 필요해요. 한 장 means “one sheet.” Use a number plus 장 for paper, sheets, and other flat items.
필요해요
필요해요 means “is needed” or “I need” here in 종이 타월이 한 장 필요해요. The needed item appears before it, in the pattern 종이 타월이 한 장 필요해요. Use this pattern to say that you need a particular item or amount.
근처에
근처에 means “near” or “around” here in 세면대 근처에 몇 장 있어요. It marks the location where the paper towels exist. Use a place plus 근처에 to say that something is near that place.
몇
몇 means “some” or “a few” here in 세면대 근처에 몇 장 있어요. It comes before 장 to indicate an unspecified small number of sheets. Use 몇 before a counter when the exact number is not known or not important.
있어요
있어요 means “there are” or “exist” here in 세면대 근처에 몇 장 있어요. With the location 세면대 근처에, it says that several sheets are located near the sink. Use place plus noun plus 있어요 to say that something is in a place.
이거
이거 means “this thing” or “this” here in 이거 쓰레기통에 넣어요? It points to the item the speaker is holding or indicating. Use 이거 when asking or talking about a nearby item in an informal but polite conversation.
쓰레기통에
쓰레기통에 means “in or into the trash bin” here in 이거 쓰레기통에 넣어요? The 에 marks the destination where the item is put. Use a container plus 에 with 넣다 to say where something should be placed.
넣어요
넣어요 means “put” or “place” here in 이거 쓰레기통에 넣어요? It describes placing the item into the trash bin and appears as a polite question. Use 넣어요 with a destination marked by 에, as in 쓰레기통에 넣어요.
작은
작은 means “small” here and describes the bin in 작은 쓰레기통에 넣으세요. It comes before 쓰레기통에 to identify which trash bin to use. Use 작은 before a noun when specifying a small item or place.
넣으세요
넣으세요 means “please put” or “please place” here in 작은 쓰레기통에 넣으세요. It is a polite request telling the listener to put the item into the small bin. Use a destination plus 넣으세요 when politely instructing someone where to place something.
저도
저도 means “I also” here in 저도 세면대를 빨리 닦을게요. 도 adds the meaning “also” to the polite word 저, “I,” showing that the speaker will do this as well. Use 저도 when joining or matching another person’s action.
세면대를
세면대를 means “the sink” as the object of wiping in 저도 세면대를 빨리 닦을게요. The 를 marks the sink as the thing being wiped. Use 세면대를 with cleaning actions when referring to wiping the bathroom sink.
빨리
빨리 means “quickly” here and describes how the speaker will wipe the sink in 저도 세면대를 빨리 닦을게요. It comes before 닦을게요 to modify the action. Use 빨리 before an action when saying that it will happen quickly.
닦을게요
닦을게요 means “I will wipe” or “I’ll clean” here in 저도 세면대를 빨리 닦을게요. It presents the speaker’s intention or offer to wipe the sink. Use 닦을게요 when volunteering or promising to wipe or clean something.
그러면
그러면 means “then” or “in that case” here in 그러면 다음 사람에게 도움이 돼요. It connects the cleaning action with its result for the next person. Use 그러면 at the start of a sentence when explaining what follows from the previous action or situation.
다음
다음 means “next” here in 다음 사람에게 도움이 돼요. It comes before 사람 to identify the person who will use the bathroom after the current person. Use 다음 before a noun for the next person, time, or item in a sequence.
사람에게
사람에게 means “to the person” here in 다음 사람에게 도움이 돼요. The 에게 marks the person who receives the benefit of the help. Use a person plus 에게 when saying who receives something or benefits from an action.
도움이
도움이 means “help” or “assistance” here in 다음 사람에게 도움이 돼요. The 이 marks 도움 as the subject of the expression meaning “be helpful to the next person.” Use 사람에게 도움이 돼요 to say that something helps a person.
Grammar Points
-아/어도 돼요
공용 화장실을 사용해도 돼요?
gong-yong hwah-jang-SHEE-reul sah-yong-hay-doh DWEH-yoh?Can I use the shared bathroom?
This pattern asks for permission or says that an action is allowed.
-(으)ㄹ게요
빨리 닦을게요.
PPAL-lee DAHK-sseul-GEH-yoh.I’ll wipe it quickly.
This ending expresses the speaker’s intention or promise to do something.
Korean Vocabulary
공용
adj
gong-yong
shared; common
근처
noun
geun-chuh
nearby area; vicinity
깨끗하게 해 주세요
phrase
KKEH-kkeu-TAH-geh hay joo-SEH-yoh
Please keep it clean.
몇 장
phrase
MYUT-jjahng
several sheets; a few pieces
사용하다
verb
sah-yong-hah-dah
to use
사용해도
사용해도 돼요
phrase
sah-yong-hay-doh DWEH-yoh
Can I use it?; It is okay to use it.
세면대
noun
say-myun-day
sink; washbasin
종이 타월
noun
jong-EE tah-WUHL
paper towel
주변
noun
joo-byuhn
surroundings; area around something
필요하다
adj
pee-RYOH-hah-dah
to need; to be necessary
필요해요
한 장
phrase
han JAHNG
one sheet; one piece
화장실
noun
hwah-jang-shil
bathroom; restroom
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
Can I use this shared bathroom?
Show Answer
이 공용 화장실을 사용해도 돼요?I need a paper towel.
Show Answer
종이 타월이 한 장 필요해요.There are some near the sink.
Show Answer
세면대 근처에 몇 장 있어요.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to use
Show Answer
사용해도to need; to be necessary
Show Answer
필요해요shared; common
Show Answer
공용sink; washbasin