Borrowing a Tissue from a Bag | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 가방에서 휴지 하나 빌려도 될까요?

   Could I borrow a tissue from your bag?

   가방

   bag

   에서

   from; at

   휴지

   tissue; toilet paper

   하나

   one

   빌려도 될까요?

   May I borrow…?

   More detail

   가방 means “bag.” It is a noun; to say “my/your bag,” Korean normally adds a possessive expression when that ownership needs to be stated, but no separate possessive word appears here. 에서 marks the place from which an action or movement originates. In 가방에서, it gives the source as “from the bag.” It can also mark the place where an action happens, so its exact English equivalent depends on the verb. For example, 학교에서 공부해요 means “I study at school.” 휴지 means “tissue” here. It can also refer to toilet paper in an appropriate context, so the intended meaning comes from the situation and translation. 휴지 is a noun and does not itself express the quantity. 하나 is the standalone Korean form meaning “one.” After a noun, 휴지 하나 means “one tissue” or, naturally in this request, “a tissue.” Korean can also use the shorter form 한 before a counting noun, as in 한 장; 하나 is the form used in this utterance. The sentence explicitly includes a count of one. 빌려도 될까요? uses the verb 빌리다, “to borrow,” with the pattern -아/어도 되다, which asks whether an action is permitted. 빌려도 is the form of 빌리다 before this pattern, and 될까요? makes the request a polite question. The construction is not the same as 주실래요?, which asks someone to give or hand something over. For example, 이 책을 빌려도 될까요? means “May I borrow this book?” Together, 가방에서 identifies the source, 휴지 하나 identifies one tissue, and 빌려도 될까요? politely asks for permission to borrow it. Thus the complete utterance means “Could I borrow a tissue from your bag?”

2. 옆 주머니에 있어요.

   They're in the side pocket.

   옆

   side

   주머니

   pocket

   에

   in; at

   있어요

   are/is located

   More detail

   옆 means “side” here and is placed before the noun it describes: 옆 주머니 = “the side pocket.” It can also mean “beside/next to” when used to describe a location, as in 의자 옆 (“beside the chair”). 주머니 means “pocket.” The compound 옆 주머니 is a reusable noun phrase meaning “side pocket.” The adjective-like modifier comes before the noun in this phrase. 에 marks the place where something is located. In 주머니에, it corresponds here to “in the pocket.” The same particle can mark other static locations, such as 집에 (“at home”). It is different from a particle used to mark movement toward a destination. 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, used for something being or staying in a place. In this sentence, it describes location rather than existence in the abstract. A useful pattern is 장소에 있어요 = “is/are in [a place].” The form 있어요 does not itself show whether the located thing is singular or plural; the fixed translation supplies “they” for the intended item or items. Together, 옆 주머니에 means “in the side pocket,” and 있어요 says that the intended items are located there. Thus the whole utterance means “They’re in the side pocket.”

3. 열어도 될까요?

   May I open it?

   열어도

   even if opening

   될까요?

   would it be okay?

   More detail

   열어도: This comes from 열다, “to open.” The verb stem is 열-; adding -어도 gives 열어도, meaning “even if/when [someone] opens” or, in this permission pattern, “even if [someone] opens.” This is a regular stem-plus-ending combination, not a stem change. The omitted subject and object are understood from the complete utterance and its fixed translation: the speaker asks about opening it. The same permission pattern can be reused with another verb, for example, 봐도 돼요? — “May I look?” 될까요?: This is 되다 “to be okay / to be allowed” plus -(으)ㄹ까요?, a polite form used here to ask for confirmation or permission. 될까요? means “would it be okay?” It is not the verb “open”; that meaning comes from 열어도. Together, 열어도 될까요? uses the reusable pattern [verb stem]+아/어도 되다? to ask permission. Here, 열다 “to open” becomes 열어도, and 될까요? asks whether that action is acceptable. The whole utterance therefore means “May I open it?” in a polite way.

4. 하나 꺼내 주실래요?

   Would you rather get one?

   하나

   one

   꺼내

   take out

   주실래요?

   would you do it for me?

   More detail

   하나 means “one” here and functions as the item being requested, with the specific item understood from context. It can also be used as a noun-like form meaning “one thing,” as in 하나 주세요 (“Please give me one”). The form itself does not identify what the item is. 꺼내 comes from the verb 꺼내다, “to take out” or “to bring out.” It is the connective form used before the following verb. For example, 책을 꺼내요 means “I take out the book.” 주실래요? combines 주다 (“to give,” or “to do something for someone” in this pattern), the honorific marker -시-, and -ㄹ래요?, which asks about the listener’s willingness. After another verb, -아/어 주다 means doing that action as a favor for someone. Thus 꺼내 주다 means “take something out for someone,” and 꺼내 주실래요? politely asks the listener to do that for the speaker. Together, 하나 꺼내 주실래요? politely asks the listener to take one item out for the speaker. The supplied translation renders this as “Would you rather get one?”; the Korean wording expresses the request through the willingness question -실래요?. The subject and the item’s exact identity are not stated because they are understood from the situation.

5. 열어도 돼요.

   You can open it.

   열어도 돼요

   can open it

   More detail

   열어도 돼요 is a polite permission pattern. It means that opening something is allowed; here, the fixed translation identifies the understood object as “it.” Korean can leave that object unstated when it is clear from the situation. 열어도: The base form is 열다, “to open.” Its stem 열- combines with -어도, producing 열어도. In the pattern -아/어도 되다, -아/어도 means “even if one does” and 되다 supplies the idea that it is acceptable or permitted. For example, 여기 앉아도 돼요? means “May I sit here?” 돼요: This is the polite present form of 되다, “to be acceptable” or “to be permitted.” 되어요 is commonly contracted to 돼요. The final 요 marks a polite speech style; it does not itself mean “can.” A negative contrast is 열면 안 돼요, “You must not open it,” using -면 안 되다 rather than -아/어도 되다. Together, 열어도 돼요 says that opening it is allowed, naturally translated here as “You can open it.”

6. 이제 하나 있어요.

   I've got one now.

   이제

   now

   하나

   one

   있어요

   have; exist

   More detail

   이제 means “now” here, marking the current point in time. It can also introduce a change from an earlier situation: 이제 시작해요 means “We’re starting now.” 하나 means “one” as a standalone counting word. Before a counter noun, the related form is 한, as in 한 개 “one item.” In this sentence, the noun being counted is understood from the situation, so 하나 appears by itself. Example: 하나 주세요 means “Please give me one.” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, whose basic meaning is “to exist” or “to be present.” With a person and an understood item, 있다 commonly expresses possession: “have.” The polite -어요 style makes the statement suitable for ordinary polite conversation. Example: 시간이 있어요 means “I have time.” Together, 이제 하나 있어요 means “I’ve got one now.” 이제 sets the time as now, 하나 identifies the quantity as one, and 있어요 says that the item is present or available to the speaker. Korean often leaves the possessor and the understood noun unstated when the context makes them clear.

7. 다 쓰시면 주머니를 닫아 주세요.

   Please close the pocket when you're done.

   다

   completely; all done

   쓰시면

   when you use it / when you are done using it

   주머니

   pocket

   닫아 주세요

   please close it

   More detail

   다 means “all” or “completely.” Here it emphasizes that the using is finished; it does not independently mean “done.” It can modify an action in the same way in examples such as 다 읽었어요, “I read it all.” 쓰시면 comes from 쓰다, “to use” here, with the deferential conditional ending -(으)시면. The form means “when/if you use” in a respectful condition, but with 다 it naturally means “when you have finished using it.” 쓰다 can have other meanings, such as “to write,” so the intended meaning here comes from the context and the pocket-related action. The subject is understood from the situation rather than stated in this sentence. 주머니 means “pocket.” The following 를, visible in 주머니를, marks 주머니 as the object of the closing action. A reusable pattern is noun을/를 닫다, “to close a noun.” 닫아 주세요 combines 닫다, “to close,” with 주세요, a polite request construction. 닫아 is the regular connective form of 닫다 before 주세요; it is not a separate verb meaning “please.” In this construction, 주세요 makes the request “please close it.” Korean can omit the object when it is clear, but here the object is stated immediately before it as 주머니를. Together, 다 쓰시면 expresses the condition “when you are finished using it,” and 주머니를 닫아 주세요 expresses the request “please close the pocket.” The complete utterance therefore means, “Please close the pocket when you’re done.”

8. 조심해서 닫을게요.

   I'll close it carefully.

   조심해서

   carefully

   닫을게요

   I’ll close it

   More detail

   조심해서 comes from 조심하다, “to be careful.” Here it describes the manner of closing: “carefully.” The ending -아서/-어서 links this manner to the following action, giving a meaning like “doing the next action carefully.” For example, 조심해서 들어요. means “Listen carefully.” 닫을게요 comes from 닫다, “to close.” The form 닫을게요 uses -(으)ㄹ게요, a polite first-person commitment or intention: “I’ll close it.” With this verb, 닫다 takes -을게요 because its stem ends in a consonant; the resulting form is 닫을게요. The object is omitted in the Korean sentence, while the fixed translation supplies it as “it.” Together, 조심해서 + 닫을게요 means “I’ll close it carefully.” The speaker presents careful closing as their intended action or commitment. This is a polite, natural way to tell the listener what the speaker will do.

9. 필요하면 하나 더 가지고 다니세요.

   Keep another with you if you need it.

   필요하면

   if you need it

   하나 더

   another one

   가지고 다니세요

   keep it with you

   More detail

   필요하면 means “if you need it” here. 필요하다 means “to be necessary” or “to be needed,” and 필요하면 is its conditional form: 필요하다 → 필요하면. In this sentence, it supplies the condition for the instruction that follows. 하나 더 means “another one” or “one more.” 하나 is the native Korean numeral for “one” and can stand for one item when the item is understood. 더 adds “more” or “additional,” so this combination identifies an additional item without naming it; it does not by itself ask for that item. 가지고 다니세요 means “keep it with you” or “carry it around.” 가지고 is the connective form of 가지다 (“to have” or “to hold”), and 다니다 means to go around or move about. Together, 가지고 다니다 is a reusable construction for carrying or keeping something with oneself while going about. 다니세요 uses the polite -세요 ending, making the instruction courteous. Together, 필요하면 하나 더 가지고 다니세요 says: “Keep another one with you if you need it.” The conditional part 필요하면 gives the condition, 하나 더 identifies an additional item, and 가지고 다니세요 gives the polite instruction to keep or carry that item with you.