A Place to Wait After Being Locked Out | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 아파트에 들어갈 수가 없어요.

   I am locked out of my apartment.

   아파트

   apartment

   들어갈

   enter

   수가 없어요

   there is no way

   More detail

   아파트 means “apartment.” The particle 에 after it marks the destination, so 아파트에 means “into the apartment” here. 아파트 is a noun; it does not itself show who owns or occupies the apartment. 들어갈 comes from the verb 들어가다, “to enter” or “to go in.” The form 들어갈 is used before 수 in the pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다, which expresses possibility or ability. Example: 여기에 들어갈 수 있어요 means “You can enter here.” The verb form, not 아파트, carries the change from the dictionary form 들어가다 to 들어갈. 수가 없어요 is part of the negative possibility pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수가 없다, meaning “cannot” or “there is no way to.” 수 refers here to a possibility or way, and 가 marks it in this construction. 없어요 is the polite present form of 없다, “to not exist” or “to be unavailable.” The complete pattern 들어갈 수가 없어요 means “I cannot get in.” Here, 수가 is not an ordinary numeric count. Together, 아파트에 identifies the destination, and 들어갈 수가 없어요 says that entering it is not possible. The whole utterance means “I am locked out of my apartment.” The wording directly states the inability to enter; “locked out” is the compatible situation specified by the fixed translation.

2. 어딘가에 여분 열쇠가 있나요?

   Do you have a spare key somewhere?

   어딘가에

   somewhere

   여분

   spare; extra

   열쇠

   key

   가 있나요?

   is there ...?

   More detail

   어딘가에 means “somewhere.” 어딘가 is an indefinite location word, and -에 marks the place where something is located or exists. Compare 여기에 (“here”) and 어디에 (“where?”). Example: 어딘가에 있어요. — “It is somewhere.” 여분 means “spare” or “extra.” Here it modifies the following noun: 여분 열쇠 means “a spare key.” It is useful for an additional item kept for use when the usual one is unavailable. Example: 여분 배터리가 있어요. — “I have a spare battery.” 열쇠 means “key.” It is a noun for a physical key. In this utterance it is the item whose existence or availability is being asked about. Example: 열쇠를 찾았어요. — “I found the key.” 가 있나요? combines the subject marker 가 with 있나요, the polite question form of 있다 (“to exist; to be located; to be available”). After a noun ending in a vowel, 가 is used; after a consonant, 이 is used, as in 열쇠가 versus 책이. In a context about possession or availability, Korean 있다 can naturally correspond to “have,” so the fixed translation renders this question as “Do you have …?” The subject or possessor is not stated in the Korean wording; the translation supplies the intended availability question rather than changing the Korean form. Together, 어딘가에 sets an unspecified location, 여분 열쇠 identifies the item, and 가 있나요? asks whether it exists or is available there. The whole utterance therefore means, “Do you have a spare key somewhere?”

3. 저는 없지만 집주인에게 하나 있을지도 몰라요.

   I do not, but my landlord may have one.

   저는

   as for me; I

   없지만

   do not have, but

   집주인

   landlord

   하나

   one

   있을지도 몰라요

   may have; may exist

   More detail

   저는 sets the topic as “I/as for me.” 저 is the humble first-person pronoun used for oneself in polite speech, and 는 marks the topic. The sentence does not need to repeat the object because the preceding question supplies the topic of a spare key. 없지만 comes from 없다 (“to not exist; to not have”) plus -지만 (“but/although”). Here 없다 means “not have” in the context of the spare key: “I do not have one, but …” The subject and object are understood from context rather than stated again. -지만 connects this contrast to the next clause. 집주인 means “landlord”: 집 is “house/home,” and 주인 is “owner.” With 에게, 집주인에게 means “to/for the landlord” and marks the person associated with possession in the existential pattern 사람에게 물건이 있다 (“a person has a thing,” literally “a thing exists for the person”). 하나 means “one.” In this utterance it stands for one item of the previously discussed kind, a spare key. It is a native Korean counting word used independently here, rather than a noun that is repeated. 있을지도 몰라요 is the polite form of the possibility pattern -(으)ㄹ지도 모르다, “may/might ….” It is built from 있다 (“to exist; to have”) and expresses uncertainty. The form 있을 is 있다 with the prospective ending -을; 지도 is part of the possibility construction, and 몰라요 is the polite form of 모르다 (“not know”). In the possessive existential pattern, 집주인에게 하나 있을지도 몰라요 means “the landlord may have one.” Together, 저는 없지만 contrasts the speaker’s situation with another person’s possible situation, and 집주인에게 하나 있을지도 몰라요 identifies that possibility. The complete meaning is: “I do not [have a spare key], but my landlord may have one.” The polite ending -요 makes the utterance suitable for ordinary polite conversation.

4. 지금 집주인에게 전화해 보세요.

   Try calling them now.

   지금

   now

   집주인

   landlord

   전화해 보세요

   try calling

   More detail

   지금 means “now” here and sets the time for the action. It commonly appears at the beginning of a sentence, but it can also occur elsewhere when the time is clear. Example: 지금 가요. — “I’m going now.” 집주인 means “landlord”: 집 is “house/home” and 주인 is “owner,” but learn 집주인 as the established word for a landlord. The following particle 에게 marks the person who receives the call or is called: 집주인에게 means “to the landlord.” Example: 친구에게 전화해요. — “I call my friend.” 전화해 보세요 is a polite way to say “try calling.” 전화하다 is the base verb “to call”; 전화해 is its connective form before 보다. Here 보다 does not mean physically “see”; in the pattern -아/어 보다, it adds the idea of trying an action. 보세요 uses the polite -세요 form to make a request or suggestion. Example: 이 방법을 사용해 보세요. — “Try using this method.” Together, 지금 + 집주인에게 + 전화해 보세요 means “Try calling the landlord now.” The sentence is a polite request or suggestion addressed to the listener, and 에게 identifies the landlord as the person to call.

5. 전화하는 동안 안에서 기다려도 될까요?

   Could I wait inside while I make the call?

   전화하는 동안

   while making the call

   안에서

   inside

   기다려도 될까요?

   may I wait?

   More detail

   전화하는 동안 means “while making the call.” 전화하다 is the verb “to call” or “to make a phone call”; its form here is 전화하는, the present modifier form used before 동안 (“during the time”). The pattern 동사-는 동안 expresses that one action continues during another: 공부하는 동안 음악을 들었어요 means “I listened to music while studying.” 안에서 means “inside.” 안 means “the inside/interior,” and -에서 marks the place where an action happens. Thus 안에서 기다리다 is “wait inside.” This is different from 안에, which commonly marks a place of being or movement into a place; -에서 focuses on the location of the waiting action. 기다려도 될까요? is a polite request for permission: “May I wait?” 기다리다 means “to wait,” and 기다려도 되다 has the reusable pattern 동사-아/어도 되다, “it is allowed to do [something].” The final -ㄹ까요? turns 되다 into a polite, tentative request for confirmation. A more direct polite version is 기다려도 돼요?, also meaning “May I wait?” Together, 전화하는 동안 sets the time, 안에서 gives the location, and 기다려도 될까요? asks whether waiting is permitted. The whole utterance is: “Could I wait inside while I make the call?” It is a polite request to remain indoors during the speaker’s phone call.

6. 잠깐 들어오세요.

   Come in for a while.

   잠깐

   for a moment; briefly

   들어오세요

   please come in

   More detail

   잠깐 means “briefly” or “for a moment.” It is an adverb, so it describes the duration of the action rather than naming a person or thing. Example: 잠깐 기다려요. — “Please wait a moment.” 들어오세요 is a polite request or invitation meaning “come in.” Its base verb is 들어오다, “to come in” or “to enter toward the relevant speaker or place.” The ending -(으)세요 makes a polite request or instruction; here it is attached after the verb stem 들어오-. Compare the related verb 들어가다, “to go in,” which presents movement inward away from the speaker or current reference point rather than movement toward it. Example: 안으로 들어오세요. — “Please come inside.” Together, 잠깐 들어오세요. means “Come in for a while” or, more literally, “Please come in briefly.” 잠깐 limits the intended duration, while 들어오세요 politely invites the listener to enter. The sentence is a polite, everyday request.

7. 밖은 추워요.

   It is cold out there.

   밖

   outside

   추워요

   is cold

   More detail

   밖 means “outside” or “outdoors.” In 밖은, 은 is the topic particle, marking “as for outside.” The form 밖 itself does not show grammatical gender or number. Example: 밖에 사람이 많아요. — “There are many people outside.” Here 밖에 uses the particle 에 to mark location; it is a different construction from the topic-marked 밖은 in the sentence. 추워요 means “is cold” here, describing the temperature outside. Its base form is 춥다 (“to be cold”). In the polite present style, 춥다 changes to 추워요; this is a ㅂ-irregular change, so the ㅂ does not remain in this form. Example: 오늘은 추워요. — “It is cold today.” The related opposite is 더워요 (“is hot”), from 덥다. Together, 밖은 sets outside as the topic, and 추워요 says that it is cold there. Thus the whole utterance means “It is cold out there.”

8. 무슨 일이 있었는지 설명하고 열쇠에 대해 물어볼게요.

   I will explain what happened and ask about the key.

   무슨 일이

   what matter or event

   있었는지

   what happened; whether there was

   설명하고

   explain and

   열쇠

   key

   에 대해

   about; regarding

   물어볼게요

   I’ll ask

   More detail

   무슨 일이 asks which matter or event is being referred to. 무슨 is a determiner meaning “what kind of” or “which,” 일 is the noun “matter, event, or thing,” and 이 marks 일 as the subject. This phrase alone does not mean “what happened”; that meaning comes from combining it with 있었는지. 있었는지 comes from 있다 (“to exist; to be present”): 있었- marks past time, and -는지 forms an embedded question or expresses uncertainty. Together with 무슨 일이, 무슨 일이 있었는지 means “what happened.” A separate example is 그가 오는지 모르겠어요. (“I don’t know whether he is coming.”) 설명하고 comes from 설명하다 (“to explain”) plus the connective ending -고. It links “explain” with the following action; the ending itself does not always require a “then” meaning. Example: 사용법을 설명하고 시작할게요. (“I’ll explain how to use it and start.”) 열쇠 means “key.” Example: 열쇠를 찾았어요. (“I found the key.”) 에 대해 is a construction used after a noun to mean “about” or “regarding” that noun. The reusable pattern is 명사 + 에 대해(서), as in 여행에 대해 이야기했어요. (“I talked about the trip.”) With 열쇠, 열쇠에 대해 means “about the key.” 물어볼게요 uses 물어보다, “to ask” or “to inquire,” with the ending -ㄹ게요. Here -ㄹ게요 presents the speaker’s undertaking or intention in relation to the listener, so this form means “I’ll ask.” It is not merely a neutral statement that an event is scheduled. Example: 제가 다시 물어볼게요. (“I’ll ask again.”) Together, 무슨 일이 있었는지 설명하고 means “explain what happened and,” and 열쇠에 대해 물어볼게요 means “I’ll ask about the key.” The complete utterance means: “I will explain what happened and ask about the key.”

9. 기다리는 동안 필요한 것이 있으면 말해 주세요.

   Tell me if you need anything while you wait.

   기다리는

   waiting

   동안

   during; while

   필요한

   needed; necessary

   것

   thing

   있으면

   if there is

   말해 주세요

   please tell me

   More detail

   기다리는 comes from 기다리다, “to wait.” The ending -는 makes a present-time modifier before a noun or noun-like expression: 기다리는 동안 means “during the time [someone is] waiting.” Korean does not mark the person in this form; the English translation identifies that person as “you.” Example: 기다리는 동안 책을 읽어요. — “I read a book while waiting.” 동안 means a period of time and, after a clause or noun, expresses “during” or “while.” The reusable pattern is [clause] 동안: 방학 동안 means “during the vacation.” Here it combines with 기다리는 to form “while waiting.” 필요한 comes from the descriptive verb 필요하다, “to be necessary” or “to be needed.” Its present attributive form is 필요한, used before a noun-like word: 필요한 것 means “something needed” or “what is needed.” Compare 필요해요, the polite form used when the word is not directly modifying a following noun. 것 means “thing” and can also make a description into a noun-like expression. In 필요한 것, it refers generally to something that is needed; the conditional context supports the natural translation “anything you need.” The word itself does not assert a particular number. 있으면 is 있다 plus the conditional ending -으면, giving “if there is” or, in a suitable context, “if someone has.” Here 필요한 것이 있으면 literally frames the condition as “if there is something needed,” which naturally means “if you need anything.” Example: 시간이 있으면 같이 가요. — “If you have time, let’s go together.” 말해 주세요 is a polite request meaning “please tell me.” 말해 is the connected form of 말하다, “to tell” or “to speak,” and 주세요 adds the request “please do this for me.” Example: 모르는 것이 있으면 말해 주세요. — “If there is something you do not know, please tell me.” Together, 기다리는 동안 means “while you wait,” 필요한 것이 있으면 means “if you need anything,” and 말해 주세요 means “please tell me.” The complete utterance is therefore: “Tell me if you need anything while you wait.”