Borrowing cleaning tools from a neighbor | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: In a shared living space, one person borrows cleaning spray, a bucket, and a mop after a spill on the kitchen floor..

EN → KO / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing cleaning tools from a neighbor to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

청소용 스프레이를 좀 써도 돼?

chung-soh-yong suh-puh-RAY-rul jom ssuh-doh dweh? Can I use some cleaning spray?
B

싱크대 아래에 있어. 뭐 쏟았어?

shing-kuh-deh ah-lay-eh iss-uh. mwoh ssod-ah-ssuh? It is under the sink. Did something spill?
A

주스가 부엌 바닥에 쏟아졌어.

joo-suh-gah boo-uhk pah-dah-geh ssod-ah-jyuh-ssuh. Juice spilled on the kitchen floor.
B

작은 양동이도 가져가. 그러면 대걸레를 헹굴 수 있어.

jah-geun yang-dong-ee-doh gah-jyuh-gah. kuh-ruh-myun deh-gol-leh-rul heng-gool soo iss-uh. Take the small bucket too, so you can rinse the mop.
A

도움이 돼. 다 끝나면 둘 다 돌려줄게.

doh-oom-ee dweh. dah kkeun-nah-myun dool dah dol-lyuh-jool-geh. That helps. I will bring both back when I finish.
B

다 마르면 내 문 옆에 놓아 줘.

dah mah-reu-myun neh moon nyuh-peh noh-ah jwuh. Leave them by my door once everything is dry.
A

이 엉망인 상황을 도와줘서 고마워.

ee uhng-mang-in sang-hwang-eul doh-wah-jwuh-suh goh-mah-wuh. I appreciate your help with this mess.
B

나중에 바닥이 미끄럽지 않은지 꼭 확인해 줘.

nah-joong-eh pah-dah-gee mee-kkuh-reop-jji ah-neun-jee kkok hwah-gin-heh jwuh. Just make sure the floor is not slippery afterward.

Word by Word

청소용 청소용 means “for cleaning” in 청소용 스프레이, so it tells what the spray is used for. A common reuse pattern is 청소용 before the name of a cleaning-related item.
스프레이를 스프레이를 means “the spray” as the object of use in 청소용 스프레이를 써도 돼? The object marker 를 marks the item being used, and the same pattern applies when asking permission to use an item.
좀 좀 means “some” or “a little” here, and in 좀 써도 돼? it makes the request sound less direct. It is useful when asking someone politely for a small amount or brief use of something.
써도 써도 presents using something as the action whose permission is being asked in 써도 돼? The citation form is 쓰다, and the form 써도 is commonly used in the permission pattern “may I use it?”
돼 돼 completes 써도 돼? with the meaning “is it okay?” or “may I?” The citation form is 되다, and this casual form is commonly used at the end of an informal permission question.
싱크대 싱크대 means “sink” in 싱크대 아래에 있어. It names the household fixture used as the location reference, and it can be followed by a location expression when telling someone where an item is.
아래에 아래에 means “under” or “below” in 싱크대 아래에 있어. 에 marks the location where something is located, so the phrase identifies the place under the sink.
있어 있어 means “is located” in 싱크대 아래에 있어, referring to where the spray is. The same form also appears in 헹굴 수 있어, where it helps express ability; its citation form is 있다.
뭐 뭐 refers to what was spilled in 뭐 쏟았어? In this yes-or-no question, it can naturally mean “something,” with the object understood from the verb.
쏟았어 쏟았어 asks whether the listener spilled something in 뭐 쏟았어? The citation form is 쏟다, and this casual past form is used when asking about a completed spill.
주스가 주스가 means “juice” as the subject in 주스가 부엌 바닥에 쏟아졌어. The subject marker 가 shows that the juice is what spilled, and the same marker can identify the thing undergoing an event.
부엌 부엌 means “kitchen” in 부엌 바닥에, specifying which floor is meant. It is a common noun used before another noun to identify a place or area.
바닥에 바닥에 means “onto the floor” in 주스가 부엌 바닥에 쏟아졌어. 에 marks the surface or destination involved in the spilling, and the phrase can be used when describing where something lands.
쏟아졌어 쏟아졌어 means that the juice spilled or was spilled in 주스가 부엌 바닥에 쏟아졌어. The citation form is 쏟아지다, and this casual past form describes the completed event from the perspective of what spilled.
작은 작은 means “small” and modifies 양동이 in 작은 양동이도. The citation form is 작다, and this form is used before a noun to describe its size.
양동이도 양동이도 means “the bucket too” in 작은 양동이도 가져가. 양동이 means “bucket,” and 도 adds the meaning “also” or “too,” showing that the bucket should be taken in addition to the spray.
가져가 가져가 is an informal instruction to take something away, here the small bucket. The citation form is 가져가다, and it is useful when telling someone to take an item to another place.
그러면 그러면 means “then” or “in that case” in 그러면 대걸레를 헹굴 수 있어. It connects taking the bucket with the result that rinsing the mop will be possible, and it commonly introduces a result or consequence.
대걸레를 대걸레를 means “the mop” as the object of rinsing in 대걸레를 헹굴 수 있어. 대걸레 means “mop,” and 를 marks the item receiving the action.
헹굴 헹굴 means “rinse” as the action that is possible in 대걸레를 헹굴 수 있어. The citation form is 헹구다, and this form appears before 수 in the common ability pattern for being able to rinse an item.
수 수 is the noun used in 헹굴 수 있어 to express ability or possibility. Together with 헹굴 and 있어, it forms the meaning “can rinse”; it is commonly used after an action form when describing what someone can do.
도움이 도움이 means “help” as the subject of 도움이 돼, the expression meaning “that helps.” 도움 means “help,” and 이 marks it as the subject in this expression.
다 다 means “all” or “completely” in 다 끝나면 and 다 마르면. It indicates that the cleaning is completely finished or that everything is fully dry, and it commonly comes before a predicate when emphasizing completion.
끝나면 끝나면 means “when it is finished” in 다 끝나면 돌려줄게. The citation form is 끝나다, and the ending -면 connects the finished condition with the action that will follow.
둘 둘 means “two,” and in 둘 다 it refers to both cleaning items being returned. It is useful when referring to two people or things together, especially with 다 for “both.”
돌려줄게 돌려줄게 means “I’ll return it or them” in 둘 다 돌려줄게. The citation form is 돌려주다, and the ending -ㄹ게 presents a casual promise or commitment to the listener.
마르면 마르면 means “once it is dry” in 다 마르면 내 문 옆에 놓아 줘. The citation form is 마르다, and -면 links the condition of being dry to the requested action that follows.
내 내 means “my” in 내 문, identifying whose door is meant. It is used before a noun to show possession, here the speaker’s door.
문 문 means “door” in 내 문 옆에. It names the location beside which the items should be left, and it can be combined with a possessive word such as 내.
옆에 옆에 means “beside” or “by” in 내 문 옆에 놓아 줘. 에 marks the location where something is to be placed, while 옆 identifies the side next to the door.
놓아 놓아 means “put” or “leave” as the action in 놓아 줘. The citation form is 놓다, and it combines with 줘 here to make a request to leave the items by the door.
줘 줘 adds the meaning “do it for me” in 놓아 줘, making the instruction a request to leave the items there for the speaker. The citation form is 주다, and this casual form commonly follows another action to request that action.
이 이 means “this” in 이 엉망인 상황을, pointing to the messy situation currently being discussed. It is placed directly before the noun or noun phrase it identifies.
엉망인 엉망인 means “messy” or “in a mess” and modifies 상황 in 엉망인 상황. The citation expression is 엉망이다, and this form is used before a noun to describe its condition.
상황을 상황을 means “the situation” as the object in 이 엉망인 상황을 도와줘서. 상황 means “situation,” and 를 marks the situation referred to in the expression about helping with it.
도와줘서 도와줘서 means “for helping” in 도와줘서 고마워, giving the reason for the thanks. The citation form is 도와주다, and this form connects the act of helping with the following expression of gratitude.
고마워 고마워 means “thank you” or “I’m grateful” in 도와줘서 고마워. The citation form is 고맙다, and this casual expression is used with someone in an informal relationship after receiving help.
나중에 나중에 means “later” or “afterward” in 나중에 바닥이 미끄럽지 않은지 확인해 줘. It places the requested check after the cleaning, and it is commonly used to refer to a later time.
바닥이 바닥이 means “the floor” as the subject of 바닥이 미끄럽지 않은지. The subject marker 이 identifies the floor as the thing whose condition should be checked.
미끄럽지 미끄럽지 supplies the meaning “slippery” and links to 않은지 in 미끄럽지 않은지. The citation form is 미끄럽다; the full negative meaning “not slippery” comes from the following 않은지, not from 미끄럽지 alone.
않은지 않은지 helps form the meaning “whether it is not” in 미끄럽지 않은지. The citation form is 않다, and this form is used when checking whether a condition does not hold.
꼭 꼭 adds strong emphasis in 꼭 확인해 줘, meaning “be sure to” or “definitely.” It is useful when asking someone not to forget an important check or action.
확인해 확인해 means “check” or “make sure” in 확인해 줘, where it asks the listener to check the floor’s condition. The citation form is 확인하다, and this casual form commonly appears in an informal request.

Grammar Points

-면

마르면 문 옆에 놓아 줘.

mah-reu-myun moon nyuh-peh noh-ah jwuh.

When it dries, leave it next to the door.

-면 expresses a condition or time: “when/if.” It attaches to a verb stem.

-는지

미끄럽지 않은지 확인해 줘.

mee-kkuh-reop-jji ah-neun-jee hwah-gin-heh jwuh.

Check whether it is slippery or not.

-는지 embeds an indirect question meaning “whether” or “if,” often with verbs like 확인하다.

Korean Vocabulary

뭐 pron
mwoh something; what

뭐 쏟았어?

바닥 noun
pah-dahk floor

주스가 부엌 바닥에 쏟아졌어.

부엌 noun
boo-uhk kitchen

주스가 부엌 바닥에 쏟아졌어.

싱크대 noun
shing-kuh-deh sink

싱크대 아래에 있어.

써도 돼 phrase
ssuh-doh dweh can use; may use

청소용 스프레이를 좀 써도 돼?

쏟아졌어 verb
ssod-ah-jyuh-ssuh spilled; was spilled

주스가 부엌 바닥에 쏟아졌어.

쏟았어 verb
ssod-ah-ssuh spilled something

뭐 쏟았어?

아래 noun
ah-lay under; below

싱크대 아래에 있어.

작은 adj
jah-geun small

작은 양동이도 가져가.

좀 adv
jom some; a little

청소용 스프레이를 좀 써도 돼?

주스 noun
joo-suh juice

주스가 부엌 바닥에 쏟아졌어.

청소용 스프레이 noun
chung-soh-yong suh-puh-RAY cleaning spray

청소용 스프레이를 좀 써도 돼?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Can I use some cleaning spray?

Show Answer청소용 스프레이를 좀 써도 돼?

It is under the sink. Did something spill?

Show Answer싱크대 아래에 있어. 뭐 쏟았어?

Juice spilled on the kitchen floor.

Show Answer주스가 부엌 바닥에 쏟아졌어.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

spilled; was spilled

Show Answer쏟아졌어

floor

Show Answer바닥

spilled something

Show Answer쏟았어

kitchen

Show Answer부엌