Reporting a Lost Travel Card | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: After losing a travel card on a train, two adults discuss going to lost property and blocking the card..

EN → KO / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Reporting a Lost Travel Card to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

기차에서 제 교통카드를 잃어버린 것 같아요.

gih-CHAH-eh-suh jeh gyoh-tong-kah-deu-rul eel-luh-buh-RIN guhn ga-TAH-yoh I think I lost my travel card on the train.
B

분실물 센터에 가 보세요.

boon-SHEEL-mool SEN-tuh-eh gah boh-SEH-yoh You should go to the lost property office.
A

직원들이 그 카드를 사용하지 못하게 할 수 있나요?

jee-gwon-deu-REE guh KAH-deu-rul sah-yong-ha-jee MOH-ta-geh hal soo IN-na-yo Can they stop the card from being used?
B

직원들이 카드 사용 정지 신청서 작성을 도와줄 수 있어요.

jee-gwon-deu-REE KAH-deu sah-yong jung-jee shin-CHEONG-suh jak-SEONG-eul doh-wa-jool soo iss-uh-yo They can help you fill out a form to block it.
A

제 계정 정보를 가지고 있어요.

jeh gyeh-JUNG jeong-boh-rul gah-jee-goh iss-uh-yo I have my account details with me.
B

그 정보가 직원들에게 도움이 될 거예요.

guh jeong-boh-gah jee-gwon-deu-reh-ge doh-OO-mee dwel guh-yeh-yo That information will help the staff.
A

그럼 새 카드를 받아야 하는지 물어볼게요.

guh-RUM seh KAH-deu-rul ba-DAH-ya ha-neun-jee moo-ruh-BOHL-KKEH-yoh Then I'll ask whether I should get a new card.
B

먼저 물어보세요. 누군가 그 카드를 맡겼을 수도 있으니까요.

MUHN-juh moo-ruh-boh-SEH-yoh. noo-goon-gah guh KAH-deu-rul maht-GYUH-sseul soo-doh iss-uh-nee-kka-yo Ask first, because someone might have handed it in.

Word by Word

기차 기차 means “train” here, in the phrase 기차에서, where the speaker thinks the card was lost. It is used before 에서 to identify the place or setting of an event. A new example is 기차를 타요, “I ride the train.”
에서 에서 marks 기차 as the place where the loss happened in 기차에서, meaning “on the train” here. It commonly follows a place or setting connected with an action or event. A new example is 학교에서 공부해요, “I study at school.”
제 제 means “my” before 교통카드 in 제 교통카드. It shows that the travel card belongs to the speaker. It is used before the noun it describes, as in 제 계정 정보 in this lesson.
교통카드 교통카드 means “transport card” in 제 교통카드를, the card the speaker thinks was lost. It names a card used for transportation. It can be used before 를 when it is the object of an action, as in this dialogue.
를 를 marks 교통카드 as the object of 잃어버린 in 교통카드를. It shows what was lost. It is attached to an object ending in a vowel, and a new example is 카드를 받아요, “I receive the card.”
잃어버린 잃어버린 means “lost” in 잃어버린 것 같아요, describing the card as something the speaker may have lost. It is the form of 잃어버리다 used before 것. The pattern 잃어버린 물건 means “the lost item.”
것 것 is part of 잃어버린 것 같아요, a construction meaning “it seems that I lost it” or “I think I lost it.” Here it turns the preceding situation into something that can be judged with 같아요, rather than literally meaning a physical thing. The pattern Verb + 것 같아요 is used when stating an uncertain impression.
같아요 같아요 expresses “it seems” or “I think” in 잃어버린 것 같아요, so the speaker is not completely certain about losing the card. With this construction, it follows a situation the speaker is judging. A new example is 비가 오는 것 같아요, “I think it is raining.”
분실물 분실물 means “lost property” in 분실물 센터, the place where lost items are handled. It combines with 센터 to identify the lost-property office. A new example is 분실물을 찾았어요, “I found the lost property.”
센터 센터 means “center” or “office” in 분실물 센터, referring to the lost-property office. It follows the type of service or place being identified. The full expression 분실물 센터 is the practical place name used in this dialogue.
에 에 marks 센터 as the destination in 센터에 가 보세요, meaning “go to the center.” It follows a destination before a movement verb. A new example is 역에 가요, “I go to the station.”
가 가 means “go” in 가 보세요, the first part of the suggestion “go and try.” It is the verb form used before 보세요 in this expression, from 가다. The pattern 장소에 가 보세요 means “try going to the place.”
보세요 보세요 helps make 가 보세요 a polite suggestion to “go and see” or “try going.” In 물어보세요, it is also part of the expression meaning “please ask,” so its function depends on the verb before it. The reusable pattern Verb + 보세요 gives a polite suggestion to try an action.
직원들 직원들 means “staff members” in 직원들이 and 직원들에게. 들 shows that there is more than one staff member being referred to. It can be followed by a particle, as in 직원들에게, “to the staff.”
이 이 is the subject particle attached to 직원들 in 직원들이. It marks the staff as the people who can stop the card from being used. In this form, it follows a noun ending in a consonant.
그 그 means “that” or “the previously mentioned” in 그 카드 and 그 정보. It points back to the travel card or the information already known in the conversation. It is placed directly before the noun it describes.
카드 카드 means “card” in 그 카드를 and 카드 사용 정지 신청서. In this dialogue it refers to the travel card whose use may be blocked or for which a replacement may be requested. It can be followed by 를 when it is the object of an action.
사용하지 사용하지 means “not use” in 사용하지 못하게, which describes preventing someone from using the card. It is the negative form of 사용하다 before 못하게. The pattern 물건을 사용하지 않다 means “not use an item,” while the full dialogue expression means to make its use impossible.
못하게 못하게 contributes the meaning “so that someone cannot” in 사용하지 못하게 할 수 있나요. Together with 사용하지, it describes preventing the card from being used; it does not by itself mean “block the card.” The pattern Verb + 지 못하게 하다 means “make it impossible to do the action.”
할 할 is the form of 하다 used before 수 in 못하게 할 수 있나요. It means “do” as part of asking whether the staff can make the card impossible to use. The pattern 할 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility.
수 수 means “possibility” or “ability” in 할 수 있나요, asking whether the staff can do something. It also appears in 수도 있으니까요, where it contributes to the meaning “might be possible.” The pattern Verb + 을 수 있다 is used for “can” or “be able to.”
있나요 있나요 makes 할 수 있나요 a polite question about whether something is possible: “Can they do it?” It is the question form of 있다 in this ability construction. The same ending can ask whether something exists, but here it asks about possibility.
사용 사용 means “use” or “usage” in 사용하지 and 사용 정지. In 사용하지, it is part of “not use,” while in 사용 정지 it refers to suspending the card’s use. It is also used before nouns to describe use or usage, as in 카드 사용.
정지 정지 means “suspension” or “blocking” in 사용 정지, referring to stopping the card from being used. Together, 사용 정지 means “suspension of use,” not simply a general stop. It is used before 신청서 in 사용 정지 신청서, an application form for that action.
신청서 신청서 means “application form” in 카드 사용 정지 신청서. Here it is the form used to request suspension of the card’s use. It can follow the requested action, as in 사용 정지 신청서.
작성 작성 means “completion” or “preparation in writing” in 신청서 작성, referring to filling out the application form. It is used with 신청서 to describe completing that document. A new example is 서류 작성, “document preparation.”
을 을 is the object particle attached to 작성 in 작성을. It marks completing the form as the activity that the staff can help with. In this form it follows a noun ending in a consonant.
도와줄 도와줄 means “will help” or “be able to help” in 작성을 도와줄 수 있어요, referring to the staff helping with completing the form. It is the form of 도와주다 used before 수. The pattern 사람을 도와주다 means “help a person,” while this dialogue uses an activity before it: 작성을 도와주다.
있어요 있어요 has two functions in this dialogue. In 도와줄 수 있어요, it completes the expression meaning “can help,” while in 가지고 있어요 it means “have” or “be carrying.” The surrounding words determine which meaning is intended.
계정 계정 means “account” in 계정 정보, referring to the speaker’s account connected with the travel card. It is used before 정보 to specify what kind of information it is. A new example is 계정이 있어요, “I have an account.”
정보 정보 means “information” or “details” in 계정 정보 and 그 정보. It refers first to the speaker’s account details and then to that information as something useful to the staff. It commonly follows a noun that specifies the type of information.
가지고 가지고 means “having” or “carrying” in 가지고 있어요, so the speaker has the account details with them. It is the connective form used with 있어요 in this possession expression. The pattern 정보를 가지고 있어요 means “have the information with me.”
에게 에게 marks 직원들 as the people who benefit from the information in 직원들에게 도움이 될 거예요. It can mean “to” or “for” a person in this kind of sentence. A new example is 친구에게 말해요, “I tell my friend.”
도움 도움 means “help” in 도움이 될 거예요, describing the information as something useful to the staff. It combines with 되다 to express that something will be helpful. The pattern 도움이 되다 means “be helpful.”
될 될 is the form of 되다 used before 거예요 in 도움이 될 거예요. Here it means that the information will be helpful to the staff. It follows a noun such as 도움이 when describing what something will become or be.
거예요 거예요 helps express an expected or future result in 도움이 될 거예요, meaning “will be helpful.” It follows 될 and gives the sentence a polite predictive tone. The pattern Verb + 을 거예요 is commonly used for an expected future action or result.
그럼 그럼 means “then” in 그럼 새 카드를 받아야 하는지 물어볼게요. It connects the previous information with the speaker’s next decision to ask about getting a new card. It is commonly used at the start of a response when drawing a conclusion or moving to the next step.
새 새 means “new” before 카드 in 새 카드. It distinguishes a replacement card from the card that may have been lost. It is placed directly before the noun it describes.
받아야 받아야 means “must receive” or “need to get” in 받아야 하는지, referring to the possible need for a new card. It is the form of 받다 used before 하는지 in this embedded question. The pattern 무엇을 받아야 하다 means “need to receive something.”
하는지 하는지 helps form the embedded question in 받아야 하는지 물어볼게요, meaning “whether I should get” a new card. Here it marks the matter the speaker plans to ask about; the need to get the card comes from 받아야. The pattern Verb + 는지 물어보다 means “ask whether someone does or should do something.”
물어볼게요 물어볼게요 means “I’ll ask” in 물어볼게요, expressing the speaker’s intention to ask the staff. It is the form of 물어보다 used to state a voluntary future action. The pattern 사람에게 물어볼게요 means “I’ll ask the person.”
먼저 먼저 means “first” in 먼저 물어보세요, telling the listener to ask about the lost card before requesting a new one. It indicates the order of actions. It commonly appears before the action that should happen first.
물어보세요 물어보세요 means “please ask” in the advice 먼저 물어보세요. It is a polite request or suggestion using 물어보다. The pattern 사람에게 물어보세요 means “please ask the person.”
누군가 누군가 means “someone” in 누군가 그 카드를 맡겼을 수도 있으니까요. It refers to an unknown person who may have handed in the card. It can be used as the subject before an action without identifying the person.
맡겼을 맡겼을 means “may have handed in” in 맡겼을 수도 있으니까요, referring to the possibility that someone gave the card to the lost-property office. It is the past form of 맡기다 used before 수도. The pattern 물건을 맡기다 means “hand in or leave an item with someone.”
도 도 contributes the meaning “also” or “even” in 수도, but in 맡겼을 수도 it forms part of the possibility expression “might have handed it in.” It adds the idea that this is one possible outcome. The pattern Verb + 을 수도 있다 means “might do” or “might have done,” depending on the verb form.
있으니까요 있으니까요 means “because there may be” in 수도 있으니까요, giving the reason for asking first. Together with 수도, it says that it is possible someone handed in the card. The ending 으니까요 is used to provide a reason or explanation politely.

Grammar Points

V-아/어야 하다

새 교통카드를 받아야 해요.

seh gyoh-tong-kah-deu-rul ba-DAH-ya HAE-yoh

I have to get a new transportation card.

-아/어야 하다 expresses necessity: something must be done.

V-지 못하게 하다

직원들이 교통카드를 사용하지 못하게 할 거예요.

jee-gwon-deu-REE gyoh-tong-kah-deu-rul sah-yong-ha-jee MOH-ta-geh hal guh-yeh-yo

The staff will prevent people from using the transportation card.

-지 못하게 하다 means to prevent someone from doing something.

Korean Vocabulary

가지고 있다 phrase
gah-jee-goh ISS-dah to have; to carry 가지고 있어요
계정 정보 phrase
gyeh-JUNG jeong-boh account details 계정 정보를
교통카드 noun
gyoh-tong-KAH-deu transportation card

제 교통카드를

기차 noun
gih-CHAH train

기차에서

도움이 되다 phrase
doh-OO-mee DWEH-dah to be helpful 도움이 될
분실물 센터 phrase
boon-SHEEL-mool SEN-tuh lost property office

분실물 센터에

사용하다 verb
sah-yong-HAH-dah to use 사용하지
사용하지 못하게 하다 phrase
sah-yong-ha-jee MOH-ta-geh HAH-dah to prevent someone from using 사용하지 못하게 할
잃어버리다 verb
eel-luh-buh-REE-dah to lose 잃어버린
작성 noun
jak-SEONG completion; filling out 작성을
직원 noun
jee-GWON staff member 직원들이
카드 사용 정지 신청서 phrase
KAH-deu sah-yong jung-jee shin-CHEONG-suh card-blocking application form

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I think I lost my travel card on the train.

Show Answer기차에서 제 교통카드를 잃어버린 것 같아요.

You should go to the lost property office.

Show Answer분실물 센터에 가 보세요.

I have my account details with me.

Show Answer제 계정 정보를 가지고 있어요.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to use

Show Answer사용하지

to lose

Show Answer잃어버린

transportation card

Show Answer교통카드

staff member

Show Answer직원들이