Apologizing for a Damaged Borrowed Tool | Learn Korean in English

Korean lesson set in a contemporary Seoul everyday setting: In a shared space, one adult apologizes for damaging a borrowed tool and discusses whether to repair or replace it..

EN → KO / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Apologizing for a Damaged Borrowed Tool to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

제가 빌린 도구가 이렇게 된 것에 대해 사과해야 해요.

jeh-GAH BEEL-leen DOH-goo-gah ee-ruh-keh dwen GUH-seh DEH-heh sah-gwah-HEH-yah HEH-yoh. I need to apologize for what happened to the tool I borrowed.
B

그 도구에 무슨 일이 생겼어요?

guh DOH-goo-eh MOO-seun EE-ree seng-GYUH-suh-yoh? What happened to it?
A

제가 사용하고 있을 때 손잡이에 금이 갔어요.

jeh-GAH sah-YONG-hah-goh ee-SSEUL tteh son-JAH-bee-eh GUHM-ee gah-ssuh-yoh. The handle cracked while I was using it.
B

손상이 얼마나 심한지 제가 볼게요.

son-SAHNG-ee uhl-MAH-nah shim-HAN-jee jeh-GAH bohl-GEH-yoh. Let me see how bad the damage is.
A

제가 그것을 새것으로 바꾸거나 수리하는 것을 도울게요.

jeh-GAH guh-GUH-seul seh-GUH-seu-ro bah-KOO-guh-nah soo-ree-hah-neun guh-seul doh-ool-GEH-yoh. I can replace it or help repair it.
B

수리한 것이 튼튼하게 버틸지 확인해 봐야 해요.

soo-ree-hahn guh-see TEUN-teun-hah-geh buh-TEEL-jee hwah-GEEN-heh bwah-yah HEH-yoh. We should check whether a repair will hold.
A

제가 일을 더 하게 해서 미안해요.

jeh-GAH EE-reul DUH hah-geh HEH-suh mee-AHN-heh-yoh. I am sorry for causing extra work.
B

다음에는 바로 말해 주세요.

DAH-uh-MEH-neun bah-ROH mahl-HEH joo-SEH-yoh. Tell me right away next time.
B

우리가 해결할 수 있어요.

oo-ree-GAH heh-GYUL-hahl soo ee-SSEUH-yoh. We can sort it out.

Word by Word

제가 제가 means “I” as the person who borrowed the tool and must apologize; 가 marks this person as the subject. A common reuse pattern is 제가 followed by an action or responsibility.
빌린 빌린 means “borrowed” and describes 도구, so it identifies the tool that the speaker borrowed. It is placed before a noun to describe something previously borrowed.
도구가 도구가 means “the tool” as the subject of the clause; 가 marks the tool as what ended up in the stated condition. Use noun + 이/가 when the noun is the subject of the following description or action.
이렇게 이렇게 means “like this” or “in this condition.” In 이렇게 된, it points to the tool’s current damaged state and describes how it ended up.
된 된 in 이렇게 된 means “became” or “ended up,” referring to the tool’s resulting condition. Together, 이렇게 된 것 refers to the fact that the tool ended up this way.
것에 것에 in 이렇게 된 것에 대해 refers to the fact or situation that the tool ended up this way; 에 connects that matter to 대해. The pattern 것에 대해 is used when saying that something is about a fact or situation.
대해 대해 in 것에 대해 means “about” or “regarding.” Together with 것에, it identifies what the apology concerns; the pattern [matter]에 대해 is useful for talking about a subject.
사과해야 사과해야 means “need to apologize” as part of 사과해야 해요. The full expression 사과해야 해요 states that apologizing is necessary, and verb + 아/어야 해요 is a common way to express need.
해요 해요 completes 사과해야 해요 as a polite statement of necessity. Here it does not independently mean “apologize”; it gives the sentence a polite ending.
그 그 means “that” or “the” and points back to the tool already being discussed. It comes before 도구 in 그 도구에 to identify that particular tool.
도구에 도구에 means “to” or “on the tool,” with 에 marking the tool as the thing affected by what happened. In 도구에 무슨 일이 생겼어요, it frames the question as asking what occurred to the tool.
무슨 무슨 means “what kind of” or simply “what” in a question. In 무슨 일이, it modifies 일이 and asks what event or matter occurred.
일이 일이 means “a thing” or “an event” as the subject, with 이 marking the subject. Together with 무슨 and 생겼어요, 무슨 일이 생겼어요 asks what happened.
생겼어요 생겼어요 means “happened” or “occurred” in this question about the tool. It is commonly used after 일이 when asking or stating that an event occurred.
사용하고 사용하고 means “using” and links to 있을 in 사용하고 있을 때. Together, the phrase describes the action that was in progress when the crack appeared; verb + 고 있다 expresses an ongoing action.
있을 있을 in 사용하고 있을 때 helps express being in the middle of using the tool. The pattern verb + 고 있을 때 means “while someone is doing” that action.
때 때 means “when” or “while” and marks the time during which the crack appeared. It follows a phrase describing an action or situation to set its time.
손잡이에 손잡이에 means “on” or “in the handle,” with 에 marking the part where the crack formed. In 손잡이에 금이 갔어요, it identifies the affected part of the tool.
금이 금이 means “a crack” as the subject of 금이 갔어요; 이 marks the crack as what developed. The expression 금이 가다 is used when a crack appears in something.
갔어요 갔어요 in 금이 갔어요 means that a crack formed or developed. In this expression, its meaning comes from the full phrase 금이 갔어요, which describes damage to the handle.
손상이 손상이 means “the damage” as the subject of the evaluation, with 이 marking the subject. In 손상이 얼마나 심한지, the damage is what is being assessed.
얼마나 얼마나 means “how much” or “how severely” and asks about the degree of the damage. It comes before a descriptive word such as 심한지 when asking how strong or severe something is.
심한지 심한지 means “how severe it is” in the point being checked. Together with 얼마나, it turns the damage’s severity into the information the speaker will inspect; adjective + 지 commonly introduces such a point to check.
볼게요 볼게요 means “I will see” or “I will check” here, expressing the speaker’s willingness to inspect the damage. The ending verb + ㄹ게요 is useful when offering or committing to do something for the listener.
그것을 그것을 means “it” as the object, with 을 marking what will be changed. In 그것을 새것으로 바꾸거나, it refers to the damaged tool.
새것으로 새것으로 means “into a new one” or “with a new one,” with 으로 marking the replacement result. In 새것으로 바꾸거나, it describes replacing the damaged item with a new one.
바꾸거나 바꾸거나 means “replace or change,” and 거나 presents this as one alternative in 바꾸거나 수리하는 것을 도울게요. The pattern verb + 거나 is used to connect alternative actions.
수리하는 수리하는 means “repairing” and describes the action referred to by 것을. In 수리하는 것을 도울게요, it identifies repair as the activity the speaker will help with; verb + 는 것 turns an action into something that can be discussed as a thing.
것을 것을 refers to the act or thing as the object of 도울게요, with 을 marking what will be helped. In 수리하는 것을 도울게요, the full phrase means helping with the act of repairing.
도울게요 도울게요 means “I will help” and offers help with the repair. It is useful when volunteering or committing to help with a task, using the intention ending ㄹ게요.
수리한 수리한 means “repaired” and describes the thing being checked. It is placed before 것 in 수리한 것이 to identify the thing that someone repaired.
것이 것이 means “the thing” as the subject, with 이 marking it as the subject of 버틸지. In 수리한 것이, it refers to the repaired item.
튼튼하게 튼튼하게 means “firmly” or “sturdily” and describes how the repaired item may hold. It is an adverbial form used before an action to describe the manner of that action.
버틸지 버틸지 means “whether it will hold” or endure in the situation being considered. Together with 확인해 봐야 해요, it asks whether the repaired item will remain strong; verb + ㄹ지 is useful for checking a possible outcome.
확인해 확인해 means “check” or “confirm” in 확인해 봐야 해요. It names the checking action, and it commonly takes a condition, fact, or result as the thing to be checked.
봐야 봐야 in 확인해 봐야 해요 makes the checking action something that must be done. Together with 확인해 and 해요, it expresses the necessity of checking whether the repair will hold.
일을 일을 means “work” as the object, with 을 marking what is done. In 일을 더 하게 해서, it refers to the extra work the other person had to do.
더 더 means “more” or “extra” and modifies 일을 to show that the work was additional. It is placed before an amount, degree, or action when indicating an increase.
하게 하게 in 일을 더 하게 해서 contributes the meaning of causing someone to do extra work. Together with 하다, the pattern verb + 게 하다 expresses making or causing someone to perform an action.
해서 해서 in 일을 더 하게 해서 connects the cause to the apology, meaning “because” or “by causing.” The full phrase explains why the speaker says 미안해요; clause + 해서 is a common way to give a reason.
미안해요 미안해요 means “I am sorry” and apologizes for causing extra work. It is a polite direct apology used when acknowledging inconvenience or fault.
다음에는 다음에는 means “next time,” setting the future occasion for the requested action; 는 highlights that occasion as the context. It is useful when giving guidance about what should happen on a later occasion.
바로 바로 means “right away” or “immediately” and modifies 말해. It is placed before an action when asking that the action happen without delay.
말해 말해 means “tell” or “say” in 바로 말해 주세요. Together with 주세요, it asks the listener to report the problem promptly; verb + 아/어 주세요 is used for a polite request.
주세요 주세요 means “please” as a polite request ending in 말해 주세요. After a verb, 아/어 주세요 asks someone politely to carry out that action.
우리가 우리가 means “we” as the subject of the final statement, with 가 marking the subject. It identifies the speaker and others together as the people who can resolve the problem.
해결할 해결할 means “solve” or “resolve” in the form used before 수. In 해결할 수 있어요, it describes the possible action; verb + ㄹ/을 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility.
수 수 expresses ability or possibility in 해결할 수 있어요. Together with 해결할 and 있어요, it means that solving the problem is possible; the pattern verb + ㄹ/을 수 있다 is used for “can” or “be able to.”
있어요 있어요 completes 해결할 수 있어요 to state that the ability or possibility exists, giving the meaning “can resolve it.” In this expression, it follows 수 to form the polite ability construction.

Grammar Points

V-아/어야 해요

확인해 봐야 해요

hwah-GEEN-heh bwah-yah HEH-yoh

I have to check.

This pattern expresses obligation or necessity. 봐야 해요 means “have to try/look and see.”

V-거나

바꾸거나 수리해요

bah-KOO-guh-nah soo-ree-HEH-yoh

I replace it or repair it.

Attach -거나 to a verb to list alternatives: do one action or the other.

Korean Vocabulary

금이 가다 phrase
GUHM-ee gah-dah to crack 금이 갔어요

제가 사용하고 있을 때 손잡이에 금이 갔어요.

도구 noun
DOH-goo tool 도구가

제가 빌린 도구가 이렇게 된 것에 대해 사과해야 해요.

무슨 일이 생기다 phrase
MOO-seun EE-ree seng-GEE-dah something to happen 무슨 일이 생겼어요

그 도구에 무슨 일이 생겼어요?

바꾸다 verb
bah-KOO-dah to replace 바꾸거나

제가 그것을 새것으로 바꾸거나 수리하는 것을 도울게요.

빌리다 verb
BEEL-lee-dah to borrow 빌린

제가 빌린 도구가 이렇게 된 것에 대해 사과해야 해요.

사과하다 verb
sah-gwah-HAH-dah to apologize 사과해야 해요

제가 빌린 도구가 이렇게 된 것에 대해 사과해야 해요.

사용하다 verb
sah-YONG-hah-dah to use 사용하고 있을 때

제가 사용하고 있을 때 손잡이에 금이 갔어요.

손상 noun
son-SAHNG damage 손상이

손상이 얼마나 심한지 제가 볼게요.

손잡이 noun
son-JAH-bee handle 손잡이에

제가 사용하고 있을 때 손잡이에 금이 갔어요.

수리하다 verb
soo-ree-HAH-dah to repair 수리하는

제가 그것을 새것으로 바꾸거나 수리하는 것을 도울게요.

심하다 adj
shim-HAH-dah to be severe 심한지

손상이 얼마나 심한지 제가 볼게요.

확인하다 verb
hwah-GEEN-hah-dah to check 확인해 봐야 해요

수리한 것이 튼튼하게 버틸지 확인해 봐야 해요.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

What happened to it?

Show Answer그 도구에 무슨 일이 생겼어요?

Let me see how bad the damage is.

Show Answer손상이 얼마나 심한지 제가 볼게요.

I am sorry for causing extra work.

Show Answer제가 일을 더 하게 해서 미안해요.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

handle

Show Answer손잡이에

to repair

Show Answer수리하는

to replace

Show Answer바꾸거나

tool

Show Answer도구가