Reporting a Lost Wallet | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: At a front desk, one adult prepares to report a lost wallet while another helps describe it clearly..

EN → KO / Level: A2

About This Lesson

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

Dialogue

A

내 지갑을 두고 온 것 같아.

neh jee-GA-beul DOO-goh ohn guht KKA-tah I think I left my wallet behind.
B

프런트 데스크로 돌아가서 신고하자.

puh-RUN-tuh DES-kuh-roh doh-rah-GAH-suh shin-goh-HAH-jah Let's go back to the front desk and report it.
A

갈색이고 작은 은색 단추가 있어.

gal-SAE-gee-goh JAH-geun UHN-sek dan-CHOO-gah ee-SSUH It's brown with a small silver button.
B

그 특징이 직원들이 분실물을 확인하는 데 도움이 될 거야.

guhk-CHING-ee jee-GWUHN-deu-ree boon-SHEEL-moo-reul hwa-GIN-ha-neun deh doo-OO-mee dwel guh-YAH That detail will help them check lost property.
A

직원들이 자세한 내용을 물어보면 뭐라고 말해야 해?

jee-GWUHN-deu-ree jah-SEH-han nae-YONG-eul moo-ruh-BOH-myun mwoh-RAH-goh mahl-HAE-yah hae What should I say if they ask for details?
B

지갑을 설명하되, 개인 정보는 말하지 마.

jee-GA-beul suhl-MYUNG-ha-dweh, geh-EEN jung-BOH-neun mahl-ha-jee mah Describe the wallet, but keep personal information private.
A

내가 그들에게 줄 짧은 메모를 쓸 수 있어.

neh-gah guh-deu-reh-geh jool JJAL-beun MEH-mo-reul SSUHL soo ee-SSUH I can write a short note for them.
B

그러면 신고 내용이 분명해질 거야.

guh-ruh-MYUN shin-goh nae-YONG-ee boon-MYUNG-hae-jil guh-YAH That will make the report clear.

Word by Word

내 내 means “my” in 내 지갑을, referring to the speaker’s own wallet. It is commonly placed directly before a noun, as in 내 + noun.
지갑을 지갑을 means “the wallet” as the object being left behind. The 을 marks 지갑 as the object of the action, and 지갑을 can be reused with actions such as 확인하다 or 찾다.
두고 두고 means “leaving or putting behind” in 두고 온 것 같아. It connects this action to what follows, and the same -고 form can link one action to another.
온 온 expresses “came” in 두고 온 것, describing the coming after leaving the wallet behind. It is the form of 오다 used before 것 in this expression.
것 것 turns the preceding 온 into “the fact of having come” in 온 것 같아. Together with 같아, the pattern V-(으)ㄴ 것 같아 expresses the speaker’s impression or belief.
같아 같아 means “it seems” or “I think” in 내 지갑을 두고 온 것 같아. It is the informal form of 같다 and commonly follows 것 in the pattern 것 같아.
프런트 프런트 refers to the “front desk” in 프런트 데스크. It is used with 데스크 to name the place where the report will be made.
데스크로 데스크로 means “to the desk” in 프런트 데스크로 돌아가서. The 로 marks the destination or direction of movement, so a place name plus 로 can be used with a movement verb.
돌아가서 돌아가서 means “go back and” in 돌아가서 신고하자. It combines 돌아가다, “to go back,” with -아서 to connect returning with the next action.
신고하자 신고하자 means “let’s report it” in 신고하자. The ending -자 makes a suggestion for a shared action, and 신고하다 is used here for reporting the lost wallet.
갈색이고 갈색이고 means “is brown and” in 갈색이고 작은 은색 단추가 있어. It connects the brown color description to the next description, following the pattern A이고 B.
작은 작은 means “small” and describes the button in 작은 은색 단추. It is the form of 작다 used before a noun, so 작은 can be placed before another noun to describe its size.
은색 은색 means “silver” and describes the button in 은색 단추. A color or material description can be placed before a noun in this way.
단추가 단추가 means “a button” as the subject of “there is” in 단추가 있어. The 가 marks 단추 as the thing that exists, and the pattern N이/가 있어 states that something is present or attached.
있어 있어 means “there is” or “it has” in 작은 은색 단추가 있어, describing a wallet with a button. It is the informal form of 있다 and is used after a noun marked with 이 or 가.
그 그 means “that” in 그 특징이, pointing to the identifying feature just described. It is placed directly before a noun when the listener can identify the referent.
특징이 특징이 means “the feature” as the subject of being helpful in 그 특징이 도움이 될 거야. 특징 means a characteristic or identifying detail, and 이 marks it as the subject.
직원들이 직원들이 means “the staff members” in 직원들이 분실물을 확인하는 데. The staff are the people who check the lost property, and 들 plus 이 marks them as the plural subject of that embedded action.
분실물을 분실물을 means “lost property” as the object being checked in 분실물을 확인하는 데. The 을 marks it as the object, and 분실물을 확인하다 is a reusable expression for checking lost property.
확인하는 확인하는 means “checking” in 직원들이 분실물을 확인하는 데. It is the form of 확인하다 used before 데, as in V-는 데 for describing an activity or purpose.
데 데 means “in doing” or “for the purpose of doing” in 확인하는 데 도움이 될 거야. The pattern V-는 데 도움이 되다 means that something helps with an activity.
도움이 도움이 contributes the meaning “help” in 도움이 될 거야, the expression “will be helpful.” The pattern N이 도움이 되다 is used when something is helpful for a person or activity.
될 될 means “will be” or “will become” in 도움이 될 거야. It is the form of 되다 used before 거야, and 도움이 될 거야 means “will be helpful.”
거야 거야 gives 될 거야 an informal sense of expectation or prediction, meaning “will be.” The pattern V-(으)ㄹ 거야 can be used for an expected future result.
자세한 자세한 means “detailed” in 자세한 내용을, describing the information the staff may ask for. It is the form of 자세하다 used before a noun, as in 자세한 + noun.
내용을 내용을 means “the details or contents” as the object of asking in 자세한 내용을 물어보면. The 을 marks it as the object, and 자세한 내용을 물어보다 is a reusable expression for asking for details.
물어보면 물어보면 means “if they ask” in 직원들이 자세한 내용을 물어보면. It combines 물어보다, “to ask,” with -면 to set up a condition: if someone asks for details.
뭐라고 뭐라고 means “what words” or “what to say” in 뭐라고 말해야 해. It is commonly used before 말하다 when asking what wording should be used.
말해야 말해야 means “must or should say” in 뭐라고 말해야 해. It combines 말하다 with -아/어야, which expresses that an action is required.
해 해 completes the obligation in 말해야 해, meaning “have to say” or “should say.” The pattern V-아/어야 해 is used to express what someone must or should do.
설명하되 설명하되 means “describe, but” in 설명하되, 개인 정보는 말하지 마. The -되 ending tells the listener to carry out the first action while observing the limitation that follows.
개인 개인 means “personal” in 개인 정보. It specifies that the information belongs to or concerns the individual, and 개인 can be placed before a noun to describe it as personal.
정보는 정보는 means “personal information, as for it” in 개인 정보는 말하지 마. 는 marks 정보 as the topic of the instruction and gives the phrase the meaning “as for personal information, do not say it.”
말하지 말하지 means “say or mention” inside the prohibition 말하지 마. It is the -지 form of 말하다 used before 마 in the pattern V-지 마, meaning “do not do.”
마 마 completes 말하지 마 as a direct instruction not to say or mention something. The pattern V-지 마 is used to tell someone not to perform the preceding action.
내가 내가 means “I” as the person who can write the note in 내가 그들에게 줄 짧은 메모를 쓸 수 있어. The 가 marks the speaker as the subject, often highlighting who will do the action.
그들에게 그들에게 means “to them” in 그들에게 줄 짧은 메모. 에게 marks the people who will receive the note, and a person plus 에게 can be used with an item given to that person.
줄 줄 means “to give” in 그들에게 줄 짧은 메모, describing a note intended to be given to them. It is the form of 주다 used before a noun, and N에게 줄 N is a reusable pattern.
짧은 짧은 means “short” in 짧은 메모, describing the length of the note. It is the form of 짧다 used before a noun.
메모를 메모를 means “a note” as the object being written in 메모를 쓸 수 있어. The 을 marks it as the object, and 메모를 쓰다 is a reusable expression for writing a note.
쓸 쓸 means “to write” in 메모를 쓸 수 있어. It is the form of 쓰다 used before 수 in the possibility pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수 있다.
수 수 expresses possibility or ability in 쓸 수 있어, which means “can write.” The complete pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수 있어 is used to say that someone is able to do something.
그러면 그러면 means “then” or “in that case” in 그러면 신고 내용이 분명해질 거야. It links the proposed action of writing a note to the expected result.
신고 신고 means “report” in 신고 내용이, where it describes the contents of the report being made. It is used here as a noun before 내용.
내용이 내용이 means “the contents” of the report as the subject of becoming clear in 신고 내용이 분명해질 거야. The 이 marks 내용 as the subject, and 신고 내용 means “the report contents.”
분명해질 분명해질 means “will become clear” in 분명해질 거야. It is the form of 분명해지다 used before 거야, and the pattern V-(으)ㄹ 거야 expresses the expected future result.

Grammar Points

동사-(으)ㄴ 것 같아

지갑을 두고 온 것 같아.

jee-GA-beul DOO-goh ohn guht KKA-tah

I think I left my wallet behind.

Used to express a guess or impression. After a past action, use -(으)ㄴ 것 같아.

동사-(으)면

물어보면 신고 내용이 분명해질 거야.

moo-ruh-BOH-myun shin-goh nae-YONG-ee boon-MYUNG-hae-jil guh-YAH

If you ask, the report details will become clear.

Attaches to a verb to express a condition: “if/when someone does something.”

Korean Vocabulary

갈색 noun
gal-SAEK brown
것 같아 phrase
guht KKA-tah I think; it seems
단추 noun
dan-CHOO button
돌아가서 verb
doh-rah-GAH-suh go back and
두고 온 phrase
DOO-goh OHN left behind
신고하자 verb
shin-goh-HAH-jah let's report it
은색 noun
UHN-sek silver-colored
작은 adj
JAH-geun small
지갑 noun
jee-GAHB wallet
직원들 noun
jee-GWUHN-deul staff members
특징 noun
tuhk-CHING detail; feature
프런트 데스크 noun
puh-RUN-tuh DES-kuh front desk

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I think I left my wallet behind.

Show Answer내 지갑을 두고 온 것 같아.

Let's go back to the front desk and report it.

Show Answer프런트 데스크로 돌아가서 신고하자.

It's brown with a small silver button.

Show Answer갈색이고 작은 은색 단추가 있어.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

let's report it

Show Answer신고하자

go back and

Show Answer돌아가서

silver-colored

Show Answer은색

detail; feature

Show Answer특징