Weekly Apartment Cleaning Schedule | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 우리 아파트 청소 일정을 더 잘 정해야 해요.

   We need a better cleaning schedule for the apartment.

   우리

   our

   아파트

   apartment

   청소

   cleaning

   일정

   schedule

   더 잘

   better

   정해야 해요

   need to set

   More detail

   우리 means “our” here because it comes before a noun and identifies whose apartment is being discussed. The same form can also mean “we” when it functions as a subject, so its role in the sentence matters. 아파트 is the noun “apartment.” Korean commonly uses a noun directly before another noun to specify its type or relation: 아파트 청소 means “apartment cleaning” or “cleaning the apartment.” 청소 is the noun “cleaning” or “clean-up.” It can also appear in the verb 청소하다, “to clean.” Here it modifies 일정, so it identifies what the schedule is for rather than expressing an action by itself. 일정 means “schedule.” The compound 청소 일정 is therefore a “cleaning schedule.” 더 잘 means “better” or “more effectively.” 더 adds the meaning “more,” while 잘 means “well.” Together they compare the intended way of setting the schedule with an implied less effective way. This is an adverbial comparison, not a change to the noun 일정. 정해야 해요 expresses that someone needs to set or decide something. Its base verb is 정하다, “to decide, determine, or set.” The pattern -아/어야 하다 adds necessity: 정해야 하다 means “have to set/decide.” The ending 해요 gives the sentence a polite everyday style. In this sentence, the necessary action is setting the schedule, not merely discussing it. Putting the parts together, 우리 아파트 청소 일정 is “our apartment’s cleaning schedule,” and 더 잘 정해야 해요 says that it needs to be set or organized better. The whole utterance means: “We need a better cleaning schedule for the apartment.”

2. 우리는 집안일을 공평하게 나누지 못하고 있어요.

   We have not been dividing the chores evenly.

   우리는

   we

   집안일을

   household chores

   공평하게

   evenly; fairly

   나누지 못하고 있어요

   are not managing to divide

   More detail

   우리는 means “we” here. 우리 is the first-person plural pronoun; 는 marks the topic. Korean 우리 does not mark whether the group includes the listener, so that detail is not specified here. The topic marker can be reused in patterns such as 우리는 ...해요 (“we ...”). 집안일을 means “household chores” as the thing being divided. 집안일 is a noun, and 을 marks it as the object of the verb. The object marker is attached after a consonant-final noun; after a vowel-final noun, 를 is used instead. Example: 일을 나눠요 means “We divide the work.” 공평하게 means “evenly” or “fairly” and describes how the division is carried out. It is the adverbial form of 공평하다 (“to be fair/even”). The ending -게 commonly turns a descriptive word into an adverb: 정확하게 means “accurately.” 나누지 못하고 있어요 expresses an ongoing situation in which the speakers have not been able to divide something. 나누다 means “to divide” or “to share.” In 나누지 못하다, -지 못하다 adds inability or failure to achieve the action, rather than simple negation. -고 있다 presents the situation as continuing; in this sentence it gives the sense “have been unable to” or “are not managing to.” The polite ending is 있어요. Example: 일을 끝내지 못하고 있어요. — “I have not been able to finish the work.” Together, 집안일을 공평하게 나누다 means “divide the household chores evenly.” Adding -지 못하고 있어요 makes the whole utterance: “We have not been managing to divide the household chores evenly.” The sentence describes an ongoing difficulty, not simply a statement that the speakers never divide chores.

3. 저는 토요일 아침에 선반의 먼지를 닦을 수 있어요.

   I can dust the shelves on Saturday morning.

   저는

   as for me; I

   토요일

   Saturday

   아침

   morning

   선반

   shelf; shelves

   먼지

   dust

   닦을 수 있어요

   can dust

   More detail

   저는 combines 저 (“I,” a humble first-person pronoun) with 는, a topic marker. It presents the speaker as the person responsible for the action. 저 is the polite/humble counterpart commonly used instead of 나 in polite speech; 는 marks the topic rather than adding a separate English word. 토요일 means “Saturday.” 아침 means “morning.” Together with the following time marker 에, 토요일 아침에 means “on Saturday morning.” Korean commonly places this time expression before the main action. 선반 means “shelf.” Its plural meaning is determined by context, so in this sentence 선반 can correspond to “shelves” in the fixed translation without a separate plural ending. In 선반의, 의 marks a relation like “of” or “on/from the shelf”; here it identifies the dust associated with the shelf. 먼지 means “dust,” and the following object marker 를 marks it as what is wiped. Thus 선반의 먼지를 refers to the dust on the shelf or shelves, not to the shelves as the grammatical object themselves. 닦을 수 있어요 expresses ability: “can wipe/dust.” The lexical verb is 닦다, “to wipe” or “to clean by wiping.” In the observed form, 닦을, the verb has the -(으)ㄹ form used before 수 in the ability construction -(으)ㄹ 수 있다. 수 means a possibility or way, and 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, “to exist/be available”; together, the construction says that the possibility of doing the action exists. The verb 닦다 is therefore not simply a future form here: 닦을 수 있어요 means “can wipe,” while a negative version such as 닦을 수 없어요 means “cannot wipe.” As a reusable pattern, 저는 [time]에 [object]를 닦을 수 있어요 means “I can wipe [object] at [time].” For example, 저는 저녁에 창문을 닦을 수 있어요. means “I can wipe the windows in the evening.” This is a new practice example, not a statement from the supplied conversation. Putting the parts together, 저는 sets the speaker as the topic, 토요일 아침에 gives the time, 선반의 먼지를 identifies the dust to be wiped, and 닦을 수 있어요 states the speaker’s ability. The whole utterance means: “I can dust the shelves on Saturday morning.”

4. 그럼 점심 후에 부엌 바닥을 닦을게요.

   Then I'll mop the kitchen after lunch.

   그럼

   then

   점심

   lunch

   후에

   after

   부엌

   kitchen

   바닥

   floor

   닦을게요

   I’ll mop

   More detail

   그럼 means “then” here. It is a connective adverb that moves from the preceding situation or suggestion to the speaker’s next action. 점심 means “lunch.” It is a noun. For example, 점심을 먹어요 means “I eat lunch.” 후에 means “after.” 후 is a noun meaning “after” or “later,” and -에 marks the time when something happens. The pattern 명사 후에 means “after [a noun].” For example, 수업 후에 만나요 means “Let’s meet after class.” 부엌 means “kitchen.” It is a noun. For example, 부엌에서 요리해요 means “I cook in the kitchen.” 바닥 means “floor.” Here it is the surface being cleaned. For example, 바닥이 깨끗해요 means “The floor is clean.” 닦을게요 means “I’ll mop” here because its object is 바닥, “floor.” Its base form is 닦다, meaning “to wipe,” “to clean,” or “to polish,” depending on the object. The form is 닦- plus -을게요: because the verb stem ends in a consonant, -을게요 is used. This ending presents the speaker’s intention or commitment to do the action. For example, 창문을 닦을게요 means “I’ll clean the window.” Together, 점심 후에 means “after lunch,” and 부엌 바닥을 identifies the kitchen floor as the object of the action; -을 marks that object. 그럼 contributes “then,” while 닦을게요 presents the speaker’s planned action. The whole utterance means, “Then I’ll mop the kitchen floor after lunch.”

5. 매주 일요일에 욕실을 청소할까요?

   Should we clean the bathroom every Sunday?

   매주

   every week

   일요일에

   on Sunday

   욕실을

   the bathroom

   청소할까요?

   shall we clean?

   More detail

   매주 means “every week.” It is built from 매- (“every”) and 주 (“week”), and expresses a repeated interval. For example, 매일 운동해요 means “I exercise every day.” 일요일에 means “on Sunday.” 일요일 is “Sunday,” and the particle -에 marks a specific time when an action occurs. Compare 일요일에 만나요 (“We meet on Sunday”) with 매주 만나요 (“We meet every week”): 매주 expresses repetition, while 일요일에 identifies the day of the action. 욕실을 means “the bathroom” as the object of the action. 욕실 is “bathroom,” and the object particle -을 follows it because 욕실 ends in a consonant. The particle marks what is cleaned. For example, 방을 청소해요 means “I clean the room.” 청소할까요? is a polite way to ask “Shall we clean?” or “Would you like us to clean?” The base verb is 청소하다 (“to clean”). Here, 청소하- combines with -(으)ㄹ까요?, a question pattern used to propose a shared action or ask about a possible action. Because the verb stem ends in a vowel, this form is 할까요?; after a consonant, the pattern uses -을까요?, as in 읽을까요? (“Shall we read?”). This is different from 청소해요?, which more directly asks “Do you clean?” or “Are you cleaning?” depending on context. Together, 매주 일요일에 sets the repeated time, 욕실을 marks the thing being cleaned, and 청소할까요? proposes the action. The whole utterance therefore means “Should we clean the bathroom every Sunday?” It is a polite proposal for a shared recurring routine.

6. 일요일이 좋겠어요. 욕실이 금방 더러워지니까요.

   Sunday makes sense because it gets dirty quickly.

   일요일

   Sunday

   좋겠어요

   would be good; sounds good

   욕실

   bathroom

   금방

   quickly

   더러워지니까요

   because it gets dirty

   More detail

   일요일 means “Sunday.” It is a noun. With the subject marker 이, as in 일요일이, it is presented as the choice that would be good here. With the time marker 에, 일요일에 means “on Sunday,” as in the preceding question. 좋겠어요 comes from 좋다 (“to be good”) with -겠어요. Here, this ending presents a tentative assessment or suggestion: “would be good” or “would work.” It does not by itself assert that the choice will definitely happen. Example: 이 시간이 좋겠어요. — “This time would be good.” 욕실 means “bathroom.” It is a noun. In this utterance, 욕실이 explicitly marks “the bathroom” as the subject of the following clause; it is not merely an understood subject. 금방 means “quickly” here, describing the short time it takes for the bathroom to become dirty. It can also mean “soon” when describing how soon an event will happen, as in 금방 끝나요. — “It will finish soon.” 더러워지니까요 means “because it gets dirty.” Its useful pattern is 더럽다 (“to be dirty”) + -어지다 (“become”) → 더러워지다 (“become dirty”) + -니까요 (“because”). 더럽다 is a Korean descriptive verb; its ㅂ changes in the form 더러워-, so 더러워지다 means “become dirty.” Example: 길이 더러워졌어요. — “The road became dirty.” The ending -니까요 gives a reason in a polite explanatory style. In 욕실이 금방 더러워지니까요, 욕실이 marks the bathroom as the subject, 금방 says the change happens quickly, and 더러워지니까요 supplies the reason. Together, 일요일이 좋겠어요 means “Sunday would be good,” and 욕실이 금방 더러워지니까요 means “because the bathroom gets dirty quickly.” The complete utterance is: “Sunday makes sense because it gets dirty quickly.” In context, it selects Sunday as the suitable cleaning day.

7. 냉장고에 일정표를 붙여 놓을게요.

   I'll put the schedule on the fridge.

   냉장고

   fridge

   일정표

   schedule

   붙여 놓을게요

   I’ll put it up and leave it there

   More detail

   냉장고 means “fridge” here. It is a noun; with 에, the phrase 냉장고에 marks the place where something is put or attached. The same location pattern is reusable: 책상에 놓다 means “put [something] on the desk.” 일정표 means “schedule” or “timetable.” It is the object being attached. In a new example, 일정표를 확인해요 means “I check the schedule”; 를 marks 일정표 as the object of the action. 붙여 놓을게요 expresses “I’ll put it up and leave it there.” 붙이다 means “attach” or “stick,” and its connective form 붙여 combines with 놓다. In -아/어 놓다, 놓다 indicates that an action is completed while its result is left in place: 문을 열어 놓다 means “leave the door open.” The final form 놓을게요 uses -ㄹ게요, a form used by the speaker to state a future action they will take, often as a commitment relevant to the listener. The subject is understood as the speaker, matching “I’ll” in the fixed translation. The structure can be reused as N을/를 V-아/어 놓을게요, meaning “I’ll V N and leave it that way.” Together, 냉장고에 identifies the destination, 일정표를 identifies what will be attached, and 붙여 놓을게요 says that the speaker will attach it and leave it there. The complete meaning is “I’ll put the schedule on the fridge.”

8. 그러면 각자 할 일을 기억하는 데 도움이 될 거예요.

   That should help us remember each task.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   각자

   each person; individually

   할 일

   things to do

   기억하는 데

   in remembering

   도움이 될 거예요

   should be helpful

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It connects the current sentence to the preceding plan and presents the result that is expected to follow. A reusable pattern is 그러면 + result, as in 그러면 시작할게요. — “Then I’ll start.” 각자 means “each person” or “individually.” It distributes an action or responsibility across the people involved. In 각자 할 일, it indicates that the task is assigned to each person, without itself stating how many people there are. 할 일 means “the task(s) to do” here. 할 is the form of 하다 (“to do”) used before a noun; it presents the action as something to do or as an intended task. 일 means “work,” “a task,” or “a matter,” depending on context. The useful pattern is 할 일 (“something to do”), as in 오늘 할 일이 많아요. — “I have a lot to do today.” 기억하는 데 means “for remembering” or “in remembering.” 기억하는 comes from 기억하다 (“to remember”) and modifies 데, a noun used here in a construction meaning the activity or process of doing something. The pattern 동사-는 데 도움이 되다 means “to help with doing something”: 한국어를 배우는 데 도움이 돼요. — “It helps with learning Korean.” 도움이 될 거예요 means “should be helpful” or “will help.” 도움 is “help,” and 도움이 되다 literally uses the pattern “become help,” meaning “be helpful” or “help.” 될 is the form of 되다 used before 거예요; 거예요 expresses an expected or predicted future result in a polite style. This differs from 도움이 돼요, which presents the helpfulness more directly as a present fact or general statement. Together, 각자 할 일을 기억하는 데 identifies the purpose or area in which help is expected: remembering each person’s task. 도움이 될 거예요 says that it is expected to be helpful, and 그러면 links that expectation to the preceding plan. With the fixed translation’s intended subject, the whole utterance means: “That should help us remember each task.” The subject of the Korean sentence is omitted; the translation supplies “us” from the intended context.