A Polite Message About Noise | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: At home, two adults plan a friendly message about noise from a neighbor that kept them from sleeping..

EN → KO / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use A Polite Message About Noise to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

이웃이 어젯밤에 꽤 시끄러웠어요.

ee-OO-shi uh-JET-ppah-meh KKWAE shee-KKRUH-ruh-WUHT-ssuh-yoh The neighbor was quite noisy last night.
B

우리가 자려고 할 때 저는 시끄러운 음악 소리를 들었어요.

oo-REE-ga cha-RYUH-goh hal ttae chuh-NUHN shee-KKRUH-woon uh-MAK ssoh-REE-rul duh-ruh-SSUH-yoh I heard loud music while we were trying to sleep.
A

정중한 메시지를 남길까요?

chung-JOONG-han meh-SHEE-jee-rul nam-GEEL-kka-yoh Should we leave a polite message?
B

메시지는 친절하게 쓰고 화난 것처럼 쓰지 말아야 해요.

meh-SHEE-jee-nuhn chin-JUL-ha-geh sseu-goh HWA-nan guh-CCHUH-reom sseu-jee ma-RA-ya heh-yoh We should make it friendly, not angry.
A

소음 때문에 우리가 잠을 못 잤다고 말할게요.

soh-EUM ttae-MOO-neh oo-REE-ga cha-MUL mot CHAT-tta-go mal-HAL-kkeh-yoh I'll say the noise kept us from sleeping.
B

저녁에는 바쁠 수 있다는 걸 우리도 안다고 덧붙여요.

chuh-NYUH-geh-neun BA-PPUL ssoo eet-TTA-neun guhl oo-REE-doh an-DA-goh dut-PPU-chee-yoh Add that we know evenings can get busy.
A

그러면 메시지가 더 부드럽고 분명해져요.

guh-ruh-MYUN meh-SHEE-jee-ga duh boo-DEU-reop-KKOH boon-MYUNG-heh-juh-yoh That keeps the message softer and clearer.
B

우리는 나중에 그 이웃 집 문 앞에 메시지를 놓을 수 있어요.

oo-REE-neun na-JOONG-eh geu ee-oot-JJEEP moon a-peh meh-SHEE-jee-rul noh-ul ssoo ee-SSUH-yoh We can put it near their door later.

Word by Word

이웃이 “이웃이” means “the neighbor” as the person being described as noisy. The ending “이” marks “이웃” as the subject; use this pattern when naming who performs an action or has a described quality.
어젯밤에 “어젯밤에” means “last night” and places the event in time. The ending “에” marks the time, as in “어젯밤에 들었어요” for “I heard it last night.”
꽤 “꽤” means “quite” or “fairly” and strengthens the description in “꽤 시끄러웠어요.” Use it before an adjective when something has a noticeable but not necessarily extreme degree.
시끄러웠어요 “시끄러웠어요” means “was noisy” in this dialogue, describing the neighbor’s noise last night. It is useful when politely describing a past noisy situation, as in “어제는 시끄러웠어요.”
우리가 “우리가” means “we” as the people who were trying to sleep. The ending “가” marks “우리” as the subject; use it before an action or state attributed to “we.”
자려고 “자려고” means “in order to sleep” or “trying to sleep” in “자려고 할 때.” It presents sleeping as the intended action and can be reused before another action, such as “자려고 누웠어요” for “I lay down to sleep.”
할 In “자려고 할 때,” “할” contributes the idea of doing or trying to do something before “때,” so the phrase means “when we were trying to sleep.” The pattern “동작할 때” can describe the time when an action is happening.
때 “때” means “when” or “the time” in “자려고 할 때.” It follows an action or situation to specify when something else happens, as in “집에 갈 때” for “when going home.”
저는 “저는” means “I” as the topic of the sentence, introducing what the speaker heard. Use “저는” when contrasting or setting the speaker as the topic, for example “저는 음악을 들었어요.”
시끄러운 “시끄러운” means “loud” or “noisy” and directly describes “음악 소리” in this dialogue. It comes before a noun, as in “시끄러운 음악” for “loud music.”
음악 “음악” means “music,” specifically the loud music whose sound the speaker heard. It can combine with “듣다” in a pattern such as “음악을 들어요” for “listen to music.”
소리를 “소리를” means “the sound” as the thing that was heard in “음악 소리를 들었어요.” The ending “를” marks it as the object of “들었어요”; use “소리를 듣다” for hearing a sound.
들었어요 “들었어요” means “heard” in this dialogue, referring to hearing the sound of loud music. Use it with a sound or other thing heard, as in “음악을 들었어요” for “I listened to music.”
정중한 “정중한” means “polite” and describes the message in “정중한 메시지.” It comes before a noun when describing respectful wording or behavior, such as “정중한 부탁” for “a polite request.”
메시지를 “메시지를” means “a message” as the object that the speakers propose to leave. The ending “를” marks it as the object; use it with actions such as “메시지를 남기다” for “leave a message.”
남길까요 “남길까요” means “shall we leave it?” in the question “메시지를 남길까요?” It is a polite way to suggest an action together, and the object can be stated before it, as in “메모를 남길까요?” for “Shall we leave a note?”
메시지는 “메시지는” means “as for the message” and sets the message as the topic of the advice that follows. The ending “는” marks the topic; use it to shift attention to how something should be written or handled.
친절하게 “친절하게” means “in a friendly or kind way” and describes how the message should be written. It can be placed before an action, as in “친절하게 말해요” for “speak kindly.”
쓰고 “쓰고” means “write and” in “친절하게 쓰고,” connecting the friendly way of writing with the following instruction. Use this form to link actions in sequence, such as “쓰고 보내요” for “write it and send it.”
화난 “화난” means “angry” in “화난 것처럼,” describing the manner the message should not suggest. It comes before “것처럼” to express seeming or appearing a certain way.
것처럼 In “화난 것처럼 쓰지,” “것처럼” means “as if” or “like,” so the message should not be written as if the writer were angry. The pattern “동작하는 것처럼” can describe doing something as though a certain situation were true.
쓰지 “쓰지” means “write” inside the negative instruction “쓰지 말아야 해요.” Together with “말아야 해요,” it says that the message must not be written in that way; use the pattern “동작하지 말아야 해요” for something that should not be done.
말아야 “말아야” contributes “should not” or “must not” in “쓰지 말아야 해요.” It combines with an action ending in “지,” as in “늦지 말아야 해요” for “you should not be late.”
해요 “해요” completes the polite obligation expression “말아야 해요,” making the instruction “should not” or “must not” in a respectful style. The same ending appears in polite statements about what someone does or should do.
소음 “소음” means “noise,” referring to the unwanted sound that affected the speakers’ sleep. It is useful for discussing disruptive sound in expressions such as “소음 때문에” for “because of the noise.”
때문에 “때문에” means “because of” in “소음 때문에,” giving the reason the speakers could not sleep. Use it after a noun to state a cause, as in “비 때문에” for “because of the rain.”
잠을 “잠을” means “sleep” as the object in “잠을 못 잤다고,” referring to the sleep the speakers did not get. The pattern “잠을 자다” means “sleep,” while “잠을 못 자다” means “not be able to sleep.”
못 “못” means “not be able to” in “잠을 못 잤다고,” showing that the speakers were unable to sleep. Place it directly before the action, as in “못 들었어요” for “could not hear.”
잤다고 “잤다고” introduces the content being reported in “잠을 못 잤다고 말할게요,” namely that they did not sleep; “못” supplies the inability. Use this kind of reported content before “말하다” when saying what someone slept, saw, or did.
말할게요 “말할게요” means “I’ll say it” or “Let me say it,” showing the speaker’s intention to state this point in the message. It is useful when volunteering to perform an action, as in “제가 설명할게요” for “I’ll explain.”
저녁에는 “저녁에는” means “in the evenings” as the time being discussed, with the time also made the topic. Use it before a statement about what can happen in the evening, as in “저녁에는 집에 있어요” for “I am at home in the evening.”
바쁠 “바쁠” means “be busy” inside “바쁠 수 있다,” expressing a possible busy state. It is used before “수” in a possibility pattern, as in “늦을 수 있어요” for “it may be late.”
수 “수” expresses possibility in “바쁠 수 있다는 걸,” meaning that evenings can be busy. The reusable pattern “동작할 수 있어요” means “can do the action” or “it is possible to do it.”
있다는 “있다는” helps express “that there can be” in “바쁠 수 있다는 걸,” referring to the possibility that evenings are busy. It introduces information that is then treated as something known or mentioned, as in “가능하다는 걸 알아요” for “I know that it is possible.”
걸 “걸” means “the fact or thing” in “바쁠 수 있다는 걸,” making the preceding information the object of “안다고.” This conversational form is useful when referring to a fact as something someone knows, remembers, or understands.
우리도 “우리도” means “we too” or “we also,” showing that the speakers themselves understand that evenings can be busy. The ending “도” adds “also,” as in “저도 알아요” for “I know too.”
안다고 “안다고” means “that we know” in “우리도 안다고 덧붙여요.” It reports the content of their knowledge before “덧붙여요,” and the same pattern can report what someone knows, thinks, or says.
덧붙여요 “덧붙여요” means “add” or “additionally mention,” telling the other person to include another point in the message. Use it when adding information to something already said, as in “한 가지 더 덧붙여요” for “I’ll add one more thing.”
그러면 “그러면” means “then” or “in that case,” linking the added considerate sentence to its effect on the message. Use it at the beginning of a result or consequence, as in “그러면 더 좋아요” for “then it is better.”
메시지가 “메시지가” means “the message” as the thing that becomes softer and clearer. The ending “가” marks it as the subject of “부드럽고 분명해져요”; use this structure when describing how something changes.
더 “더” means “more,” showing that the message becomes softer and clearer than before. Place it before the quality or change being increased, as in “더 좋아져요” for “it gets better.”
부드럽고 “부드럽고” means “softer and,” describing the message and connecting this quality to “분명해져요.” Use it to link two qualities or descriptions, such as “부드럽고 자연스러워요” for “it is soft and natural.”
분명해져요 “분명해져요” means “becomes clearer” in this dialogue, describing the result of adding a considerate point. It is useful for saying that something changes into a clearer state, as in “설명이 분명해져요” for “the explanation becomes clearer.”
우리는 “우리는” means “we” as the topic of the plan to put the message somewhere later. The ending “는” marks “우리” as the topic; use it when introducing what the group can or will do.
나중에 “나중에” means “later,” indicating that putting the message near the door will happen at a later time. It can be placed before an action, as in “나중에 연락할게요” for “I’ll contact you later.”
그 “그” means “that” or “the previously mentioned,” pointing to the neighbor already discussed. It comes before a noun to identify a specific person or thing, as in “그 집” for “that house.”
이웃 “이웃” means “neighbor,” referring here to the person whose door is mentioned. It can combine with “집” in “이웃 집” to identify the neighbor’s house.
집 “집” means “house” or “home” in “이웃 집,” identifying the neighbor’s home. It can follow a person or relationship word to specify whose home is meant, as in “친구 집” for “a friend’s house.”
문 “문” means “door” in “문 앞에,” locating where the message will be placed. It commonly combines with “앞” to describe the area in front of a door.
앞에 “앞에” means “in front of” in “문 앞에,” marking the location where the message can be put. Use it after a place or object, as in “집 앞에” for “in front of the house.”
놓을 “놓을” means “put” or “leave” in “놓을 수 있어요,” describing the action that is possible. It appears before “수 있어요” in a pattern meaning “can put or leave something,” with the object placed before it.
있어요 “있어요” completes “놓을 수 있어요,” which means “can put it” or “it is possible to leave it.” In this pattern, it expresses possibility or ability rather than simply existence; use “동작할 수 있어요” to say that someone can do an action.

Grammar Points

N 때문에

소음 때문에

soh-EUM ttae-MOO-neh

because of the noise

명사 뒤에 붙어 원인이나 이유를 나타내요. 영어의 “because of”에 해당해요.

V-(으)려고

자려고

cha-RYUH-goh

in order to sleep; intending to sleep

동사 뒤에 붙어 어떤 행동을 하려는 의도나 목적을 나타내요.

Korean Vocabulary

꽤 adv
KKWEH quite; fairly

The neighbor was quite noisy last night.

남기다 verb
nam-GEE-dah to leave 남길까요

Should we leave a polite message?

듣다 verb
duht-TTAH to hear; to listen 들었어요

I heard loud music while we were trying to sleep.

메시지 noun
meh-SHEE-jee message

Should we leave a polite message?

소리 noun
soh-REE sound

I heard the sound of loud music.

시끄럽다 adj
shee-KKRUHP-ttah to be noisy; loud 시끄러웠어요

The neighbor was quite noisy last night.

어젯밤 noun
uh-JET-ppahm last night

The neighbor was quite noisy last night.

우리 pron
oo-REE we; us; our 우리가

We were trying to sleep.

음악 noun
uh-MAK music

I heard loud music while we were trying to sleep.

이웃 noun
ee-OOT neighbor 이웃이

The neighbor was quite noisy last night.

자다 verb
cha-DAH to sleep 자려고

We were trying to sleep.

정중하다 adj
chuhng-JOONG-ha-dah to be polite 정중한

Should we leave a polite message?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

The neighbor was quite noisy last night.

Show Answer이웃이 어젯밤에 꽤 시끄러웠어요.

Should we leave a polite message?

Show Answer정중한 메시지를 남길까요?

That keeps the message softer and clearer.

Show Answer그러면 메시지가 더 부드럽고 분명해져요.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to hear; to listen

Show Answer들었어요

to be noisy; loud

Show Answer시끄러웠어요

to leave

Show Answer남길까요

music

Show Answer음악