Reporting a Hotel Room Problem | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: At a hotel reception desk, a guest reports that the room air conditioner is not working and asks about a repair..

EN → KO / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Reporting a Hotel Room Problem to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

제 방의 에어컨이 작동하지 않아요.

jeh BAHNG-eh eh-uh-KUHN-ee jahk-TTOHNG-hah-jee ah-nah-YOH The air conditioner in my room is not working.
B

죄송합니다.

jweh-SOHNG-hahm-nee-DAH I am sorry about that.
B

리모컨을 사용해 보셨나요?

ree-moh-KUHN-uhl sah-yong-heh boh-SHYUHN-nah-YOH Have you tried the remote?
A

사용해 봤어요.

sah-yong-heh BWASS-suh-YOH I tried it.
A

온도가 바뀌지 않아요.

OHN-doh-gah bah-KKWEE-jee ah-nah-YOH The temperature does not change.
B

직원을 보내서 확인해 드릴게요.

jee-GWUHN-uhl boh-neh-suh hwah-GEEN-heh duh-RIL-geh-YOH I will send someone to check it.
A

수리에 얼마나 걸릴까요?

SOO-ree-eh uhl-MAH-nah guhl-RIL-kkah-YOH How long might the repair take?
B

잘 모르겠습니다.

jahl moh-ruh-GEHT-seum-nee-DAH I am not sure.
B

잠시 후에 누군가 올 수 있어요.

jahm-SHEE HOO-eh NOO-goon-gah ohl soo ISS-uh-YOH Someone can come shortly.
A

방에서 기다릴게요.

BAHNG-eh-suh gee-dah-RIL-geh-YOH I will wait in the room.
B

문제가 계속되면 알려 주세요.

MOON-jeh-gah gyay-SSOHK-tweh-myuhn ahl-LYUH joo-SEH-YOH Please let us know if the problem continues.

Word by Word

제 제 means my in 제 방, referring to the speaker’s room. It is useful when identifying something that belongs to you, as in 제 방.
방 방 means room in 제 방의 에어컨. It can be used with a location marker, as in 방에서 기다릴게요, meaning I will wait in the room.
의 의 links 제 방 and 에어컨 in 제 방의 에어컨, showing that the air conditioner is associated with the speaker’s room. This marker is useful for expressing a possessive or close relationship between two nouns.
에어컨 에어컨 means air conditioner in 에어컨이 작동하지 않아요. It is the appliance being reported as not working, so it is useful when describing a room problem.
이 이 marks 에어컨 as the subject in 에어컨이 작동하지 않아요. It shows that the air conditioner, rather than another item, is the thing that is not working.
작동하지 작동하지 is the part of 작동하지 않아요 that describes the air conditioner as not operating. Together with 않아요, it forms a polite negative statement used to report a malfunction.
않아요 않아요 completes the polite negative expression 작동하지 않아요, meaning that something does not operate. This is useful when politely saying that a device or system is not working.
죄송합니다 죄송합니다 is a polite apology meaning I am sorry in this hotel-service exchange. Use it when acknowledging that someone has experienced a problem or inconvenience.
리모컨 리모컨 means remote control in 리모컨을 사용해 보셨나요. It names the device the hotel staff asks the guest to try when checking the air conditioner.
을 을 marks 리모컨 as the object in 리모컨을 사용해 보셨나요. It shows that the remote control is what the listener may have tried using.
사용해 사용해 means use in 사용해 보셨나요, where the expression asks whether the listener tried using something. It is useful with an object such as 리모컨을 when asking about an attempted action.
보셨나요 보셨나요 makes 사용해 보셨나요 a polite question about whether someone has tried an action. The whole expression is useful at a service desk when checking what the other person has already attempted.
온도 온도 means temperature in 온도가 바뀌지 않아요. It identifies what remains unchanged when the guest explains the air conditioner problem.
가 가 marks 온도 as the subject in 온도가 바뀌지 않아요. The phrase says that the temperature itself does not change.
바뀌지 바뀌지 is the part of 바뀌지 않아요 that describes the temperature as failing to change. Together with 않아요, it politely reports that the expected change is not happening.
직원 직원 means staff member in 직원을 보내서 확인해 드릴게요. It refers to the hotel employee who will be sent to inspect the problem.
보내서 보내서 connects sending a staff member with the following checking action in 직원을 보내서 확인해 드릴게요. The expression is useful for explaining that one action will be arranged so that another action can follow.
확인해 확인해 means check or inspect in 확인해 드릴게요. In this dialogue, it refers to checking the air conditioner problem, and it can be used when offering to inspect something for a guest.
드릴게요 드릴게요 expresses a polite offer or commitment to do something for the listener in 확인해 드릴게요. The whole phrase means that the speaker will check the problem for the guest.
수리 수리 means repair in 수리에 얼마나 걸릴까요. It identifies the work whose required time the guest is asking about.
에 에 marks what the time is needed for in 수리에 얼마나 걸릴까요. Here, the question asks about the time required for the repair, not a location.
얼마나 얼마나 means how much or how long in 얼마나 걸릴까요, where it asks about the amount of time. This expression is useful when asking for the expected duration of a repair.
걸릴까요 걸릴까요 asks politely how long something may take in 수리에 얼마나 걸릴까요. It is useful for asking about the expected time required for a repair or other process.
잘 잘 means well or clearly in 잘 모르겠습니다. Together with 모르겠습니다, it softens the statement to I am not sure rather than giving a definite answer.
모르겠습니다 모르겠습니다 means I do not know or I am not sure in 잘 모르겠습니다. It is a polite way for service staff to say that the repair time is not known.
잠시 잠시 means for a short time in 잠시 후에. It describes the brief interval before someone arrives, so it is useful when giving an approximate short wait.
후 후 means after or later in 잠시 후에. Together with 잠시, it refers to a time shortly after the present moment.
누군가 누군가 means someone in 누군가 올 수 있어요. It refers to an unspecified person who may come to help with the problem.
올 올 means come in 누군가 올 수 있어요. It is the form used before 수 to express the possibility that someone will come.
수 수 is part of the possibility expression 올 수 있어요, meaning can come or may come. The whole construction is useful when saying that an action is possible.
있어요 있어요 completes 올 수 있어요 and makes it a polite statement that someone can or may come. In this expression, it describes possibility rather than simply saying that something exists.
에서 에서 marks 방 as the place where the waiting takes place in 방에서 기다릴게요. It is useful for identifying the location of an action.
기다릴게요 기다릴게요 means I will wait in 방에서 기다릴게요. It is a polite commitment used when telling someone what you will do while waiting for assistance.
문제 문제 means problem in 문제가 계속되면 알려 주세요. It refers to the air conditioner issue already being discussed.
계속되면 계속되면 means if it continues in 문제가 계속되면 알려 주세요. It sets a condition for the request that follows, and it is useful when explaining what to do if a problem remains.
알려 알려 means let someone know or tell in 알려 주세요. In the whole expression, the hotel staff asks the guest to report the problem if it continues.
주세요 주세요 makes 알려 주세요 a polite request. Together, 알려 주세요 means please let us know, a useful expression when asking someone to provide information later.

Grammar Points

V-아/어 보다

리모컨을 사용해 보셨나요?

ree-moh-KUHN-uhl sah-yong-heh boh-SHYUHN-nah-YOH

Have you tried using the remote control?

보다 after a verb means “to try doing something.” 셨나요 is a polite honorific question form.

V-(으)면

문제가 계속되면 알려 주세요.

MOON-jeh-gah gyay-SSOHK-tweh-myuhn ahl-LYUH joo-SEH-YOH

If the problem continues, please let me know.

-(으)면 expresses a condition, meaning “if” or “when.” 알려 주세요 is a polite request.

Korean Vocabulary

리모컨 noun
ree-moh-KUHN remote control

리모컨을 사용해 보셨나요?

바뀌다 verb
bah-KKWEE-dah to change 바뀌지 않아요

온도가 바뀌지 않아요.

방 noun
BAHNG room

제 방의 에어컨이 작동하지 않아요.

보내다 verb
boh-neh-dah to send 보내서

직원을 보내서 확인해 드릴게요.

사용하다 verb
sah-yong-hah-dah to use 사용해 보셨나요

리모컨을 사용해 보셨나요?

수리 noun
SOO-ree repair 수리에

수리에 얼마나 걸릴까요?

에어컨 noun
eh-uh-KUHN air conditioner

제 방의 에어컨이 작동하지 않아요.

온도 noun
OHN-doh temperature

온도가 바뀌지 않아요.

작동하다 verb
jahk-TTOHNG-hah-dah to work; to operate 작동하지 않아요

제 방의 에어컨이 작동하지 않아요.

죄송하다 adj
jweh-SOHNG-hah-dah to be sorry 죄송합니다

죄송합니다.

직원 noun
jee-GWUHN staff member

직원을 보내서 확인해 드릴게요.

확인하다 verb
hwah-GEEN-hah-dah to check; to confirm 확인해 드릴게요

직원을 보내서 확인해 드릴게요.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

The air conditioner in my room is not working.

Show Answer제 방의 에어컨이 작동하지 않아요.

Have you tried the remote?

Show Answer리모컨을 사용해 보셨나요?

I tried it.

Show Answer사용해 봤어요.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to be sorry

Show Answer죄송합니다

to send

Show Answer보내서

remote control

Show Answer리모컨

staff member

Show Answer직원