Renewing a Library Book | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 빌린 책을 연장하고 싶어요.

   I'd like to renew a book I borrowed.

   빌린

   borrowed

   책

   book

   연장하고 싶어요

   would like to renew

   More detail

   빌린 means “borrowed” here and describes 책. It comes from 빌리다 (“to borrow”) with the past attributive form -ㄴ, so 빌린 책 means “a book that [someone] borrowed.” The form describes the noun that follows; it does not by itself identify who borrowed it. 책 means “book.” It is a noun and can combine with particles such as 을 when it functions as the object of an action. In this sentence, the object marking is attached to the larger noun phrase 빌린 책. 연장하고 싶어요 expresses “would like to renew.” 연장하다 means “to renew” or “to extend,” and -고 싶다 expresses the speaker’s desire to do the action: 연장하고 싶어요 literally presents “want to renew” in a polite present form. The polite ending -어요 makes the utterance suitable for a courteous request or statement. For example, 쉬고 싶어요. means “I want to rest.” Together, 빌린 책을 marks “the book I borrowed” as the object, and 연장하고 싶어요 says that the speaker wants to renew it. The whole utterance therefore means, “I’d like to renew a book I borrowed.”

2. 온라인 계정으로 연장할 수 있어요.

   You can renew it through your online account.

   온라인

   online

   계정

   account

   으로

   through; by

   연장할

   renew

   수 있어요

   can

   More detail

   온라인 means “online” here and can modify a noun directly: 온라인 계정 means “online account.” It is also used in other compounds, such as 온라인 수업 (“online class”). 계정 means “account.” In this sentence it is the account used as the means or channel for the action. The related phrase 계정에 들어가다 means “to log into an account” or, literally, “to enter an account,” as shown by the contextual example 오늘 제 계정에 들어갈 수 없어요 (“I can’t get into my account today”). 으로 marks a means, method, route, or direction. After a noun ending in a consonant, the form is 으로; after a noun ending in a vowel or ㄹ, the form is 로. Thus 계정으로 presents the account as the way or channel through which the renewal can be done. This is a grammatical particle attached to 계정, not a separate noun. 연장할 comes from the verb 연장하다, “to renew” or “to extend.” 연장하다 becomes 연장할 before 수 in the ability pattern -을/ㄹ 수 있다. The 할 form is the verb’s -ㄹ form here; it does not mean that the action has already happened. The contextual sentence 빌린 책을 연장하고 싶어요 uses the same verb in 연장하고 싶어요, “I’d like to renew [it].” 수 있어요 completes the pattern 동사-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요, meaning “can” or “be able to.” The form 수 is a bound noun meaning a possibility or way, and 있어요 says that such a possibility exists. With 연장할, the result is 연장할 수 있어요, “can renew.” The polite ending -어요 gives the sentence a polite conversational style. Together, 온라인 계정으로 means “through the online account,” and 연장할 수 있어요 means “can renew.” The whole utterance is therefore “You can renew it through your online account.” The object is understood from the situation and is represented as “it” in the fixed translation; the sentence itself does not state the object as a separate noun.

3. 오늘 제 계정에 들어갈 수 없어요.

   I can't get into my account today.

   오늘

   today

   제

   my

   계정

   account

   들어갈 수 없어요

   cannot get into

   More detail

   오늘 means “today,” the time when the situation applies. It is a time adverb and does not change form. Example: 오늘 바빠요. — “I’m busy today.” 제 means “my” and is the contracted possessive form of 저의, from 저 (“I,” a humble first-person pronoun). 저의 → 제. 제 does not change according to the possessor’s gender or number. The humility comes from 저 rather than 나; the polite speech level of the example sentence is expressed separately by the ending -어요. Example: 제 이름은 민수예요. — “My name is Minsu.” 계정 means “account.” In this utterance, the translation identifies it as the speaker’s account through 제. It can refer to an online account when the context is digital. Example: 계정이 있어요. — “I have an account.” 들어갈 수 없어요 expresses inability. 들어갈 is the form of 들어가다 (“to go in” or “to enter”) used before 수 in the possibility or ability pattern -을/ㄹ 수 있다/없다. Here, 들어가다 has the access-related meaning “get into,” so 들어갈 수 없어요 means “cannot get into.” The ending -어요 makes the statement politely conversational. Example: 지금 들어갈 수 있어요. — “I can get in now.” Together, 오늘 means “today,” 제 계정 means “my account,” and 계정에 marks the account as the target of entering or accessing. The subject is omitted in Korean and is understood as “I,” matching the fixed translation. The whole utterance means: “I can’t get into my account today.”

4. 데스크에서 도와드릴 수 있어요.

   We can help you at the desk.

   데스크

   desk

   에서

   at/in (place of action)

   도와드릴

   help you

   수 있어요

   can

   More detail

   데스크 means “desk” here. It is a commonly used loanword in Korean; the plural or possession is not marked in this form. Example: 안내 데스크 means “information desk.” 에서 marks the place where an action takes place. Thus 데스크에서 means “at the desk,” with the action understood from the verb that follows. It is different from 에, which commonly marks a destination or the location of something: 데스크에 가요 means “I go to the desk,” while 데스크에서 도와요 means “I help at the desk.” 도와드릴 comes from the polite service expression 도와드리다, “to help someone.” The underlying lexical verb is 돕다 (“to help”), but its form changes to 도와- in this expression; 드리다 adds a respectful/service-oriented nuance toward the person receiving the help. Here, 도와드릴 is the form used before 수 있다, not a standalone completed verb. The ending -ㄹ marks the prospective form in this construction. Example: 제가 도와드릴게요 means “I’ll help you.” 수 있어요 expresses ability or possibility: literally, “there is a way/possibility.” With the preceding verb form, 도와드릴 수 있어요 means “can help.” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다; the subject is not overtly stated in Korean. In this fixed translation, the understood helper is “we,” and the person receiving help is “you.” Example: 오늘 만날 수 있어요 means “We/I can meet today,” with the exact subject supplied by context. Together, 데스크에서 identifies the place, and 도와드릴 수 있어요 says that help is possible there. The whole utterance therefore means “We can help you at the desk.” The polite service wording is suitable when offering assistance to a visitor or customer.

5. 도서관 카드가 필요한가요?

   Do I need my library card?

   도서관

   library

   카드

   card

   필요한가요?

   is it needed?

   More detail

   도서관 means “library.” It is a noun and can directly modify another noun: 도서관 카드 means “library card.” Example: 도서관에 가요. — “I go to the library.” Here 에 marks the destination. 카드 means “card.” It is a noun; in 도서관 카드, it identifies the type of card. Korean does not use a separate possessive word in this noun combination. The fixed translation supplies the intended reading that this is the speaker’s library card. 필요한가요? asks whether something is needed or necessary. The base form is 필요하다 (“to be necessary”); 필요한 is its form before a noun, and in this question it is part of the interrogative ending -ㄴ가요?. This ending makes a polite question about a state or property. It is not simply a separate -가요 attached to 필요한. Example: 예약이 필요한가요? — “Is a reservation needed?” In 카드가 필요한가요?, 가 marks 카드 as the subject of 필요하다. Korean can omit the understood subject of the English “do I need,” so the sentence literally asks whether the library card is necessary, while the fixed translation gives the intended speaker-centered meaning. Together, 도서관 카드 identifies the item, 가 marks it as the thing whose necessity is being considered, and 필요한가요? asks politely about that necessity. The whole utterance means “Do I need my library card?”

6. 기록을 찾을 수 있게 카드를 가져오세요.

   Bring your card so we can find your record.

   기록

   record

   찾을

   find

   수 있게

   so that ... can

   카드

   card

   가져오세요

   bring

   More detail

   기록 means “record” here. It is a noun and can refer to a stored library or account record. In 기록을, the object marker shows that the record is what is found: 기록을 찾다 means “find a record.” 찾을 is the form of 찾다, “to find,” used before 수 in 찾을 수 있다, “can find.” The final ㄹ belongs to the verb form used in this construction; it is not a separate word. Example: 읽을 수 있어요 means “I can read it.” 수 있게 helps express a purpose involving possibility. 찾을 수 있게 means “so that we can find it” or “to make it possible for us to find it.” Here, the fixed translation identifies “we” as the people who can find the record. Example: 볼 수 있게 크게 써 주세요 means “Please write it large so that we can see it.” 카드 means “card.” In 카드를, the object marker identifies the card as what is brought. The fixed translation identifies it as “your card”; Korean does not show an explicit possessive word in this sentence. 가져오세요 is a polite request meaning “bring.” It comes from 가져오다, “to bring,” which presents something as moving toward the speaker or another deictic center, plus the polite request ending -(으)세요. The same ending appears in requests such as 앉으세요, “please sit.” Together, 기록을 찾을 수 있게 gives the purpose “so we can find the record,” 카드를 identifies the object to bring, and 가져오세요 makes the utterance a polite request. The whole utterance means: “Bring your card so we can find your record.”

7. 그 후에 오늘 책을 연장할 수 있나요?

   Can I renew the book today after that?

   그 후에

   after that

   오늘

   today

   책

   book

   연장할

   renew

   수 있나요?

   can ...?

   More detail

   그 후에 means “after that.” 그 points to an already identifiable thing or event, while 후 means “after/later”; 에 marks the relevant time. The sentence does not specify what “that” is. Example: 그 후에 다시 만나요. — “Let’s meet again after that.” 오늘 means “today” and functions as a time expression. Example: 오늘 만나요. — “We meet today.” 책 means “book.” In the full sentence it appears as 책을: 을 marks 책 as the object of the action. Example: 책을 읽어요. — “I read a book.” 연장할 comes from the verb 연장하다, “to extend” or “to renew.” The form 연장할 is the prospective/adnominal form used before a noun-like element; 하다 changes to 할 after its stem. Here it combines with 수 있다 to express the possibility of renewing. Example: 대출 기간을 연장할 수 있어요. — “You can extend the loan period.” 수 있나요? is the polite question pattern -(으)ㄹ 수 있다?, asking whether something is possible or permitted in the situation. 수 is the possibility or means, and 있나요? asks whether it exists; together with 연장할, the pattern means “can renew?” The subject is not stated in Korean, and the fixed translation supplies the speaker’s “I.” Example: 오늘 갈 수 있나요? — “Can I go today?” Putting the parts together in their original order, 그 후에 오늘 책을 연장할 수 있나요? asks, “Can I renew the book today after that?” The time expressions come first, followed by the object 책을, then the action-and-possibility pattern 연장할 수 있나요?.

8. 다른 사람이 그 책을 예약하지 않았다면 할 수 있어요.

   You can, unless someone else has requested it.

   다른 사람

   someone else

   그

   that

   책

   book

   예약하지 않았다면

   if not reserved

   할 수 있어요

   can do

   More detail

   다른 사람 means “someone else” here. 다른 is the attributive form of 다르다 (“to be different”), placed before a noun; 사람 means “person.” Together, the phrase identifies a person other than the relevant person, without specifying who that person is. Example: 다른 방법 means “a different method.” 그 is a demonstrative determiner meaning “that,” and it comes before 책, “book.” It does not itself mark number. 그 책 therefore means “that book.” 예약하지 않았다면 means “if not reserved” in this sentence. The base verb is 예약하다, “to reserve.” 예약하지 않다 is the negative form, and -았다면 combines a past form with the conditional meaning “if.” The subject and object are supplied by the larger sentence: 다른 사람이 is the person who has not reserved 그 책. Example: 비가 오지 않았다면 갔어요 means “If it did not rain, I went.” 할 수 있어요 expresses ability or permission to do something. 할 is the adnominal form of 하다 before 수, while 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다. The pattern 동사-(으)ㄹ 수 있다 means “can do [the verb].” Here, the action is understood from the preceding context as renewing the book, so 할 수 있어요 means “you can [renew it].” As a whole, the sentence says: “If someone else has not reserved that book, you can renew it,” or, in the fixed translation’s perspective, “You can, unless someone else has requested it.” The conditional clause gives the condition, and 할 수 있어요 gives the available action. The polite ending -어요 makes the statement suitable for ordinary polite conversation.