Labeling and storing food in a shared fridge | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 이 수프를 공용 냉장고에 넣어도 돼요?

   Can I put this soup in the shared fridge?

   이

   this

   수프

   soup

   공용

   shared

   냉장고

   fridge

   넣어도 돼요?

   Is it okay to put it in?

   More detail

   이 means “this” here and is a demonstrative determiner placed before 수프. It identifies the soup as near or otherwise salient to the speaker. Korean demonstratives also include 그 (“that” associated with the listener or known context) and 저 (“that over there”). The form 이 is used before a noun; it is not itself the noun’s gender or number marker. 수프 is the noun “soup,” a loanword. The following 를 marks it as the object of the action. Korean object particles have the pair 을/를: 를 follows a vowel-ending noun, while 을 follows a consonant-ending noun. Example: 물을 마셔요. means “I drink water.” 공용 means “shared” or “for common use.” It describes the following noun in 공용 냉장고, “shared refrigerator.” This is different from 개인 (“private” or “personal”), as in 개인 냉장고 (“personal refrigerator”). 냉장고 means “refrigerator” or “fridge.” In this utterance, it is the place where the soup would be put. The location is marked by 에, so 냉장고에 means “in/into the fridge.” Korean 에 can mark a destination or location, and the verb helps determine which reading is intended. 넣어도 돼요? is a reusable permission pattern: V-아/어도 돼요? means “Is it okay to V?” or “May I V?” The lexical verb here is 넣다, “to put” or “to place.” Its form before -어도 is 넣어; the final 다 of the dictionary form is removed and the connective ending is attached. Because the stem ends in 넣, the form is 넣어, not an invented separate verb. 돼요 is the polite present form of 되다 in this pattern. Literally, the pattern asks whether doing the action is acceptable or allowed. Compare 들어가도 돼요? (“May I go in?”). The question mark and polite ending make this a polite permission question; they do not by themselves specify who grants permission. Putting the parts together, 이 수프를 identifies “this soup” as the object, 공용 냉장고에 gives the destination “in the shared fridge,” and 넣어도 돼요? asks whether putting it there is permitted. The complete meaning is: “Can I put this soup in the shared fridge?”

2. 거기에 두기 전에 용기에 표시를 하세요.

   Label the container before you leave it there.

   거기에

   there

   두기 전에

   before putting it

   용기

   container

   표시를 하세요

   label it

   More detail

   거기에 means “there.” 거기 is a demonstrative location word meaning “there,” and -에 marks the place involved. Here it points to the place where the soup is to be left, consistent with the fixed translation and surrounding context. 두기 전에 means “before putting/leaving it.” The verb 두다 can mean “to put” or “to leave” something in a place. Its -기 form turns the verb into an activity, and 전에 means “before” that activity. This pattern is reusable: V-기 전에 = “before doing V.” Example: 자기 전에 이를 닦아요. — “I brush my teeth before going to bed.” 용기 means “container.” It is a noun for a vessel or receptacle used to hold something. In the sentence, the container is the object to be labeled; the location-marking particle after it is not included in the selected quote. 표시를 하세요 means “label it” or “mark it.” 표시 is a mark or label, and 하다 means “to do,” so 표시를 하다 is the reusable expression “to label/mark.” 하세요 is the polite request or instruction form of 하다; it makes the sentence a polite command. Example: 이름을 표시하세요. — “Please label it with the name.” Together, 거기에 두기 전에 sets the time and action: before leaving the soup there. 용기에 표시를 하세요 gives the polite instruction to label the container. The whole utterance means: “Label the container before you leave it there.”

3. 날짜도 써야 해요?

   Should I write the date on it too?

   날짜

   date

   도

   too; also

   써야 해요?

   should write?

   More detail

   날짜 means “date” here. It is a noun and can be reused in phrases such as 날짜를 쓰다 (“write the date”) and 날짜를 확인하다 (“check the date”). In this sentence, the object marker is omitted because the question is short and the intended action is clear. 도 is attached directly after 날짜 and adds the meaning “also” or “too”: the date is an additional thing to write. Its meaning comes from the noun it follows; it does not mean “two.” For example, 이름도 써요 means “I write my name too.” 써야 해요? is a question formed from 쓰다 (“to write”) plus the obligation pattern -아야 하다, followed by polite 해요. The form changes as follows: 쓰다 → 써야 하다 → 써야 해요. 써야 해요? literally asks whether writing is required, so “Should I write it?” or “Do I have to write it?” can both be natural translations depending on context. Korean does not state the subject here; the fixed translation identifies the implied actor as the speaker. Together, 날짜 + 도 means “the date too,” and 써야 해요? asks whether that additional writing is required. The whole utterance therefore means “Should I write the date on it too?”`

4. 그러면 사람들이 그것이 안에 얼마나 있었는지 알 수 있어요.

   That helps people know how long it has been inside.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   사람들이

   people

   그것이

   it

   안에

   inside

   얼마나 있었는지

   how long it was inside

   알 수 있어요

   can know

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It connects the current situation with a result or consequence. A reusable pattern is 그러면 + clause: “Then, …” or “In that case, …” 사람들이 means “people” as the subject. 사람 means “person,” and -들 marks a plural group here; -이 is the subject marker after a consonant. Example: 사람들이 와요 means “People come.” 그것이 means “it” as the subject. 그것 is the pronoun “that/it,” and -이 marks it as the subject. Here, the fixed translation supports the intended reading “it”; the specific referent is not named in this sentence. 안에 means “inside” or “in.” 안 means “inside,” and -에 marks the location. Example: 상자 안에 있어요 means “It is inside the box.” 얼마나 있었는지 is an embedded question meaning “how long it was inside.” 얼마나 asks about degree or amount; with a duration, it asks “how long.” 있었- is the past form of 있다 (“to be/stay”), and -는지 turns the clause into an embedded question form after this past form. The ending changes with tense and word type: for example, 무엇을 하는지 means “what someone does/is doing,” while 무엇을 했는지 means “what someone did.” Example: 얼마나 오래 걸리는지 알아요 means “I know how long it takes.” 알 수 있어요 means “can know” or “be able to know.” 알다 means “to know,” and -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility; 알 수 있어요 is the polite present form of that construction. Example: 이름을 알 수 있어요 means “You can find out the name.” Together, 그러면 introduces the result, 사람들이 is the subject, and 그것이 안에 얼마나 있었는지 is the information they can know. The whole utterance means: “Then people can know how long it has been inside.”

5. 개인 음식은 어느 선반에 둬요?

   Which shelf is for personal food?

   개인

   personal

   음식

   food

   어느

   which

   선반

   shelf

   둬요

   put; place

   More detail

   개인 means “personal” here. It commonly appears before a noun to specify that something belongs to or is intended for an individual rather than being shared. For example, 개인 물건 means “personal belongings.” 음식 means “food.” Together, 개인 음식 is “personal food,” identifying the food as non-shared in this sentence. 음식 can also be used in compounds such as 공용 음식, “shared food,” as in the surrounding context. 어느 means “which” when selecting one item from an understood set. It comes before the noun it determines: 어느 선반 means “which shelf.” It is different from 무슨, which more often asks what kind or what matter something is. 선반 means “shelf.” The location marker -에 follows it in 선반에; with a placement verb, this marks the place where something is put or left. A reusable pattern is 어느 + noun + 에 두다?, “Which [noun] should I put it on/in?” 둬요 is the polite conversational form of 두다, “to put, place, or leave.” 두다 changes to 두어요, commonly contracted to 둬요; this form does not mark the subject's gender. The ending -요 gives the sentence a polite everyday style. For example, 책을 책상에 둬요. means “I put the book on the desk.” The ending -은 in 개인 음식은 marks 개인 음식 as the topic. The full location phrase 어느 선반에 asks for the shelf involved, and 둬요 supplies the placement action. Together, 개인 음식은 어느 선반에 둬요? asks which shelf personal food is for—literally, where personal food is put. It is a polite, reusable way to ask about the appropriate place for an item.

6. 공용 음식에서 떨어진 맨 위 선반을 사용하세요.

   Use the top shelf, away from the shared items.

   공용 음식

   shared food

   에서 떨어진

   away from

   맨 위

   topmost

   선반

   shelf

   사용하세요

   please use

   More detail

   공용 음식 means “shared food” here. 공용 describes something intended for common use, while 음식 means food. Together they form a noun phrase; they do not by themselves state how many food items there are. 에서 떨어진 means “away from” or “separated from.” The underlying verb is 떨어지다, which can describe something falling or being apart from a reference point. In 떨어진, the -ㄴ attributive form lets this verb phrase describe the following noun: 공용 음식에서 떨어진 선반 means “a shelf away from the shared food.” Here, 에서 marks the reference point from which the shelf is separated. 맨 위 means “the very top” or “topmost.” 맨 intensifies 위 (“top”), identifying the highest position rather than merely a high position. Example: 맨 위 칸 means “the topmost compartment.” 선반 means “shelf.” It is the noun described by both 공용 음식에서 떨어진 and 맨 위. 사용하세요 comes from 사용하다, “to use.” The ending -세요 gives the verb a polite request or instruction, so this form means “please use” here. The useful pattern is [object]을/를 사용하세요, “Please use [object].” Putting the parts together, 공용 음식에서 떨어진 describes 맨 위 선반, and 사용하세요 gives the polite instruction: “Use the top shelf, away from the shared items.”

7. 거기에 두었다가 곧 집에 가져갈게요.

   I'll keep it there and take it home soon.

   거기에

   there

   두었다가

   put/leave and then

   곧

   soon

   집

   home

   가져갈게요

   I’ll take it

   More detail

   거기에 means “there” in this sentence. 거기 is a demonstrative place word, and -에 marks a location or destination. The exact place is understood from the context rather than identified by this word alone. 두었다가 comes from 두다, “to put or leave,” followed by -었다가. Here it presents putting or leaving something first and then doing the next action. The object is omitted in Korean; the fixed translation identifies it as “it.” The pattern [action]았다가/었다가 [next action] presents the first action as completed before the next one. 곧 means “soon” and is a time adverb. Here it most naturally indicates that taking the item home will happen soon. 집 means “home” or “house.” In the sentence, 집에 uses -에 to mark the destination: “to home.” A location and a destination can use the same marker, with the surrounding verb determining whether the meaning is “at/in” or “to.” 가져갈게요 comes from 가져가다, “to take/carry away,” with -ㄹ게요. This form presents the speaker’s intention or commitment to do the action. The subject is the speaker, and the object is understood as “it.” 가져가다 also expresses movement away while carrying something. Compare the related verb 가져오다, “to bring,” which expresses movement toward the relevant place or person. Together, the sentence says that the speaker will put or leave the item there first and will soon take it home. The sequence is: 거기에 (there) + 두었다가 (put/leave and then) + 곧 (soon) + 집에 (to home) + 가져갈게요 (I’ll take it).

8. 그러면 냉장고가 오래된 음식으로 가득 차지 않아요.

   That way the fridge does not fill up with old food.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   냉장고

   fridge

   오래된

   old

   음식

   food

   가득 차지 않아요

   does not fill up

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It can introduce a result that follows from an action or condition. Here it means “that way” or “in that case.” 냉장고 means “refrigerator” or “fridge.” With the following subject marker 가, 냉장고가 is the subject of the clause. 오래된 means “old” here, describing food that has been around for a long time. It is the form of the descriptive verb 오래되다 used before a noun: 오래되다 → 오래된 음식 (“old food”). This expression does not by itself mean “spoiled”; 상한 음식 means “spoiled food.” 음식 means “food.” In the full form 음식으로, the particle -으로 helps express what the refrigerator is filled with, giving “with old food” in this sentence. 가득 차지 않아요 means “does not fill up” here. 가득 차다 means “be full” or “become full,” and -지 않아요 negates that predicate: 가득 차다 → 가득 차지 않아요 (“does not become full”). The utterance combines 그러면 (“that way”) + 냉장고가 (“the fridge,” subject) + 오래된 음식으로 (“with old food”) + 가득 차지 않아요 (“does not fill up”). Its complete meaning is: “That way, the fridge does not fill up with old food.”