A Fair Cleaning Routine | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 우리 청소 방식은 잘 안 되고 있고, 부엌은 계속 지저분해지고 있어.

   Our cleaning routine is not working, and the kitchen keeps getting messy.

   우리

   our

   청소

   cleaning

   방식

   method; way

   안 되고 있고

   not working

   부엌

   kitchen

   계속

   continuously; keeps

   지저분해지고 있어

   is getting messy

   More detail

   우리 means “our” here: it marks something as belonging to the speaker’s group. Korean 우리 does not change for grammatical gender, and this form presents a first-person plural group perspective rather than identifying the group’s exact size. 청소 is the noun “cleaning.” It can combine with another noun to specify what kind of activity or area is meant. In 청소 방식, it helps form the meaning “cleaning method/way,” rendered in the fixed translation as “cleaning routine.” 방식 means a method or way of doing something. The noun phrase 우리 청소 방식 therefore presents the cleaning method as the topic of the first clause. 안 되고 있고 contains 되다, whose meaning here is “work” or “function properly,” not its other possible meanings. 안 places negation before the verb, giving “not work.” The form -고 있다 presents an ongoing state or process, and the final -고 links this clause to the next one. Thus 안 되고 있고 means “is not working, and …” in this utterance. Together with the preceding 잘, it means “is not working well.” Example: 기계가 안 되고 있어. — “The machine isn’t working.” Here 안 되다 describes failure to function, and -고 있어 presents that situation as ongoing. 부엌 means “kitchen.” It is the topic of the second clause, which shifts attention from the cleaning method to the kitchen’s changing condition. 계속 is an adverb meaning “continuously” or “keeps.” It indicates that the following process continues over time. By itself it does not specify how long the process lasts. 지저분해지고 있어 describes an ongoing change. The base adjective 지저분하다 means “to be messy/untidy.” Adding -아/어지다 forms 지저분해지다, “to become messy,” and -고 있다 presents that becoming as in progress. The quoted form therefore means “is getting messy.” With 계속, it gives “keeps getting messy.” Example: 방이 점점 지저분해지고 있어. — “The room is gradually getting messy.” This uses the same adjective + -아/어지다 pattern for a change of state; 점점 adds the idea of gradual increase. Together, 우리 청소 방식은 means “as for our cleaning method,” and 잘 안 되고 있고 says that it is not working well. After the connective -고, 부엌은 계속 지저분해지고 있어 says that the kitchen keeps becoming messy. The complete meaning is: “Our cleaning routine is not working, and the kitchen keeps getting messy.”

2. 우리 둘 다 일부러 그러는 건 아닌 것 같아.

   I do not think either of us is doing it on purpose.

   우리 둘 다

   both of us

   일부러

   on purpose

   그러는 건

   doing that

   아닌 것 같아

   doesn’t seem to be

   More detail

   우리 둘 다 means “both of us.” 우리 is the first-person plural form meaning “we” or “us,” and 둘 다 means “both,” used here for the two people identified by the fixed translation. Example: 우리 둘 다 피곤해. — “Both of us are tired.” 일부러 means “intentionally” or “on purpose.” It is an adverb that describes the intention behind an action. Example: 일부러 그런 게 아니야. — “I didn’t do that on purpose.” 그러는 건 is a conversational form of 그러는 것은. 그러다 can mean “do that” or “act that way,” depending on the context. Its form 그러는 places the action before 것, and 건 is the contraction of 것은. The phrase therefore makes “doing that” the topic. The specific action is supplied by context here; the fixed translation supports “doing it.” A reusable pattern is [verb]는 건 ..., meaning “doing [verb] is...” or “as for doing [verb]...” 아닌 것 같아 expresses the speaker’s judgment that something does not seem to be the case. 아닌 is the attributive form of 아니다, “to not be.” 것 같아 is an informal form of the pattern 것 같다, meaning “seem” or “think.” Placing 아닌 before 것 같아 gives the meaning “doesn’t seem to be...” rather than presenting the negative as an entirely certain statement. Example: 그 사람이 범인이 아닌 것 같아. — “I don’t think that person is the culprit.” Together, 우리 둘 다 identifies the two people, 일부러 states the intention, and 그러는 건 아닌 것 같아 presents the speaker’s judgment that the two people are not doing it intentionally. The whole utterance means: “I don’t think either of us is doing it on purpose.”

3. 특히 설거지와 가스레인지에 대해서는 더 분명한 기준이 필요할지도 몰라.

   Maybe we need a clearer standard, especially for dishes and the stove.

   특히

   especially

   설거지

   dishes; dishwashing

   가스레인지

   gas stove

   에 대해서는

   as for; regarding

   더 분명한

   clearer

   기준

   standard; criterion

   필요할지도 몰라

   may be needed

   More detail

   특히 adds focus: “especially” or “in particular.” It highlights the following area without changing the basic proposition. Example: 특히 오늘은 바빠요. — “I’m especially busy today.” 설거지 is a noun meaning dishwashing or, by context, the dishes involved in that task. Here it is coordinated with 가스레인지 by 와, so the sentence addresses dish-related matters and the gas stove. Example: 설거지를 했어요. — “I did the dishes.” 가스레인지 is the noun “gas stove.” Korean compounds such as this are written as one word. In the sentence, 설거지와 가스레인지 forms the two-part topic of the following 에 대해서는 construction. 에 대해서는 means “as for” or “regarding.” 에 대해서 marks what is being discussed, and the attached 는 gives that topic a contrastive or highlighting effect. With the coordinated phrase before it, 설거지와 가스레인지에 대해서는 means “as for dishes and the gas stove.” 더 분명한 means “clearer.” The comparison word is 더, while 분명한 is the attributive form of the descriptive verb/adjective 분명하다, “to be clear.” The form 분명한 appears before the noun it describes, here 기준. 더 indicates a greater degree, but the sentence does not specify an explicit comparison point. Example: 더 간단한 방법이 있어요. — “There is a simpler method.” 기준 means “standard” or “criterion”: a rule or measure used for deciding how something should be handled. 기준이 combines this noun with 이, which marks it as the subject of 필요하다. Example: 명확한 기준이 필요해요. — “We need clear criteria.” 필요할지도 몰라 expresses “may be needed” or “might be necessary.” Its base is the descriptive verb/adjective 필요하다, “to be needed/necessary.” 필요할 is its form used before the uncertainty construction -ㄹ지도 모르다; here 몰라 is the informal present form of 모르다, “to not know.” Together, -ㄹ지도 모르다 presents a possibility rather than a certainty. Example: 시간이 더 필요할지도 몰라요. — “We might need more time.” Putting the parts together, 특히 focuses attention on 설거지와 가스레인지. The topic marker construction says that these are the matters under discussion, 더 분명한 기준 means “a clearer standard,” and 필요할지도 몰라 says that such a standard may be needed. The whole utterance therefore means: “Maybe we need a clearer standard, especially for dishes and the stove.”

4. 매주 일을 번갈아 맡으면 같은 사람이 늘 바닥을 닦지 않아도 될 것 같아.

   We could rotate tasks weekly, so the same person does not always mop.

   매주

   every week

   일을

   tasks; work

   번갈아

   alternately; in rotation

   맡으면

   if [someone] takes responsibility

   같은

   same

   사람

   person

   늘

   always

   바닥을

   the floor

   닦지 않아도 될 것 같아

   it seems someone does not have to mop

   More detail

   매주 means “every week.” It is a time expression that can be placed before the action it dates: 매주 운동해요. — “I exercise every week.” 일을 is 일 (“work” or “task”) with the object marker -을. Here it means household tasks collectively, not one particular job. The same noun can refer to work in general or to a task depending on context. 번갈아 means “in turn” or “alternately.” It describes people taking turns rather than doing something simultaneously. Example: 우리는 번갈아 운전해요. — “We take turns driving.” 맡으면 comes from 맡다, “to take responsibility for” or “to be assigned.” The ending -(으)면 makes a conditional meaning such as “if” or “when”; 맡으면 is used because the stem ends in a consonant. Example: 이 일을 맡으면 알려 주세요. — “If you take on this task, please let me know.” 같은 is the attributive form of 같다, “to be the same.” It comes before the noun it describes: 같은 사람 means “the same person.” The related expression 다른 사람 means “a different person.” 사람 means “person.” In 같은 사람, it is the noun modified by 같은; the expression identifies a person as the same one as before or as another reference point, without adding a separate number statement. 늘 means “always” or “consistently.” Here it emphasizes that the same person would repeatedly be the one doing the mopping. It is similar in function to 항상, another common word for “always.” 바닥을 is 바닥 (“floor” or “bottom”) with the object marker -을. In this sentence, the intended meaning is “the floor.” The marker shows that it is the thing affected by the action 닦다. 닦지 않아도 될 것 같아 combines several reusable parts. 닦다 means “to wipe” or “to mop” here; its base form is 닦다, and 닦지 uses the negative connective form -지. -지 않아도 되다 means “not have to” or “it is all right not to,” so 닦지 않아도 돼요 means “You do not have to mop.” The ending -ㄹ 것 같다 expresses an impression or expectation, so 될 것 같아 means “it seems it will be possible” or, in this construction, “it seems that [someone] will not have to.” The casual ending -아 suits an informal conversation. Putting the parts together, 매주 일을 번갈아 맡으면 means “if we take turns handling the tasks every week.” 같은 사람이 늘 바닥을 닦지 않아도 될 것 같아 means “it seems the same person will not always have to mop the floor.” The complete utterance therefore means: “We could rotate tasks weekly, so the same person does not always mop.”

5. 공평한 것 같아. 하지만 나는 화장실 청소보다 쓰레기 버리는 일을 하는 게 더 좋아.

   That sounds fair, although I prefer taking out the trash to cleaning the bathroom.

   공평한

   fair

   것 같아

   seems so

   하지만

   but; although

   나는

   I

   화장실

   bathroom

   청소

   cleaning

   보다

   than; compared with

   쓰레기

   trash

   버리는

   taking out; disposing of

   일

   task; work

   하는 게

   doing it

   더 좋아

   prefer; like more

   More detail

   공평한 is the attributive form of 공평하다, “to be fair.” It describes a following noun, as in 공평한 분담 (“a fair division”). The form here modifies 것, rather than carrying the whole sentence’s tense by itself. 것 같아 is the informal form of 것 같다, a pattern meaning “seem to be” or “seem like.” The literal structure is “it seems to be a thing that is fair,” but naturally it means “That seems fair.” 같아 is casual speech; a more polite ending is 것 같아요. 하지만 connects this statement to a contrast and means “but” or “however.” It is a separate conjunction, so it does not change the form of the clause before it. 나는 consists of the first-person pronoun 나 (“I”) plus the topic particle 는. It sets “I” as the topic of the preference that follows. 나 has a polite form, 저; for example, 저는 커피를 좋아해요 means “I like coffee.” 화장실 means “bathroom” or “restroom.” 청소 means “cleaning” and can be used as a noun, as in 청소를 하다 (“to clean,” literally “do cleaning”). Together, 화장실 청소 means “bathroom cleaning.” 보다 is the comparison particle attached after the thing used as the standard. In 화장실 청소보다, it marks bathroom cleaning as the activity being compared. A reusable pattern is A보다 B가 더 ... (“B is more ... than A”). 쓰레기 means “trash” or “garbage.” 버리는 is the attributive form of 버리다, “to throw away” or “dispose of.” In 쓰레기 버리는 일, it modifies 일, giving “the task of taking out/discarding trash.” The form 버리는 is not the noun “trash”; it is the verb form that describes the task. 일 means “work,” “task,” or “thing to do.” Here it refers to an activity or chore. In the compound-like phrase 쓰레기 버리는 일, it turns the action of disposing of trash into a task that can be compared with another task. 하는 게 represents 하는 것이, a contraction. 하는 is the attributive form of 하다 (“do”), and 것이 nominalizes the action; 게 is the contracted form of 것이. Thus 하는 게 means “doing it” or “the act of doing it.” In this sentence, its meaning is understood from the preceding 쓰레기 버리는 일: “doing that task.” 더 좋아 uses 더 (“more”) with 좋아, the informal form of 좋다 (“to be good” or, in this pattern, “to be preferable”). The comparison A보다 B가 더 좋아 expresses that B is preferred to A. This is different from the verb 좋아하다, “to like”: 이 일을 좋아해 means “I like this task,” whereas 이 일이 더 좋아 means “I prefer this task” or “This task is better for me.” The structure is A보다 B하는 게 더 좋아: “I prefer doing B to A.” Here, 화장실 청소보다 supplies the comparison standard, while 쓰레기 버리는 일을 하는 게 identifies the preferred activity. With the opening 공평한 것 같아 and the contrast connector 하지만, the whole utterance means: “That seems fair, but I prefer taking out the trash to cleaning the bathroom.”

6. 선호하는 일은 괜찮지만, 그래도 하기 싫은 일은 나눠서 해야 해.

   Preferences are fine, but the unpleasant jobs still need to be shared.

   선호하는

   preferred

   일

   job; task

   괜찮지만

   is fine, but

   그래도

   still; nevertheless

   하기 싫은

   unpleasant to do

   나눠서

   by sharing; by dividing

   해야 해

   has to be done

   More detail

   선호하는 comes from 선호하다, “to prefer.” Here it modifies the following noun: 선호하는 일 means “a task one prefers.” The ending -는 makes a present-tense descriptive form from this verb, as in 좋아하는 음식 (“food one likes”). 일 means “work,” “job,” or “task.” In this sentence it refers to a chore or task, rather than work in general. The same noun appears in 하기 싫은 일, where it means “a task that one dislikes doing.” 괜찮지만 is 괜찮다 (“to be fine; to be acceptable”) plus -지만 (“but; although”). The ending links this clause to a contrasting point: A지만 B means “A, but B.” 그래도 means “still” or “nevertheless.” It marks that the next point remains valid despite the preceding concession. For example, 비싸지만 그래도 사고 싶어 means “It is expensive, but I still want to buy it.” 하기 싫은 describes something that the subject does not want to do or dislikes doing. It is built from 하다 (“to do”) in the noun-like form 하기 plus 싫다 (“to dislike; to be reluctant to”), with -은 making a form that modifies a noun: 하기 싫은 일 = “a task that is unpleasant to do.” This is different from 싫은 일, which more generally means “a disliked task” and does not specifically express dislike of doing it. 나눠서 comes from 나누다 (“to divide; to share”) with -어서, which can show the manner or method connecting to the next action. In this context, it means dividing or sharing the unpleasant tasks among the people involved. The related form 나눠 is the casual connective form without the explicit -서 ending. 해야 해 expresses necessity: 하다 becomes 해야 before 해, giving the reusable pattern V-아/어야 해 (“have to V; must V”). Here it applies to the action of sharing or dividing the tasks. It is an informal spoken form; a more formal version is 해야 합니다. Together, 선호하는 일은 괜찮지만 sets aside tasks that people prefer, while 그래도 하기 싫은 일은 나눠서 해야 해 says that the tasks people dislike doing still need to be divided or shared. The whole utterance therefore means: “Preferences are fine, but the unpleasant jobs still need to be shared.”

7. 적어 두면 나중에 서로에 대한 불만이 쌓이는 것을 막을 수 있어.

   If we write it down, we can keep resentment from building up later.

   적어 두면

   if we write it down

   나중에

   later

   서로에 대한

   toward each other

   불만

   resentment

   쌓이는

   building up

   막을 수 있어

   can prevent

   More detail

   적어 두면 combines 적다 “to write” with -어 두다 and -면. 적다 becomes 적어 before 두다; -어 두다 presents an action as completed and left in place for later use, while -면 makes the condition “if/when.” Here the omitted subject and object are understood from the fixed translation as “we” and “it”: “if we write it down.” A reusable pattern is V-어/아 두면 = “if/when someone does V in advance and leaves the result that way.” 나중에 means “later” and places the possible result at a later time. It is an adverb, so it does not receive a noun particle. For example, 나중에 다시 보자 means “Let’s look at it again later.” 서로에 대한 describes something directed toward one another. 서로 means “each other,” and -에 대한 means “concerning” or “toward”; 대한 is the form used in this expression from 대하다, “to deal with or regard.” The following noun is the thing characterized as being toward one another. Here it modifies 불만, giving “resentment toward each other.” 불만 is “dissatisfaction” or “resentment”: a negative feeling about an unsatisfactory situation. It is a noun, so it can take particles such as 이/가; in this sentence 불만이 marks it as the thing that accumulates. A useful contrast is 만족, “satisfaction,” but the supplied sentence specifically expresses 불만, not merely a neutral concern. 쌓이는 comes from 쌓이다, “to pile up” or “accumulate.” The ending -는 makes the verb an attributive form before a noun: 쌓이는 것 means “the thing/process that accumulates,” or more naturally here “the building up.” 쌓이다 is intransitive: the resentment itself accumulates, whereas 쌓다 is transitive, “to pile or accumulate something.” Thus 불만이 쌓이는 says that resentment builds up rather than that someone actively piles resentment up. 막을 수 있어 comes from 막다, “to prevent or stop,” plus -(으)ㄹ 수 있다, “to be able to/can.” 막다 takes the object of prevention, so 막을 수 있어 literally expresses “can prevent”; the casual sentence-final form 있어 makes the statement informal. The relevant pattern is V-(으)ㄹ 수 있어 = “can V.” In this sentence, the object is the nominalized clause 불만이 쌓이는 것, so the meaning is “can prevent resentment from building up.” Putting the parts together: 적어 두면 sets the condition “if we write it down in advance,” 나중에 places the result later, 서로에 대한 불만이 쌓이는 것 means “resentment toward each other building up,” and 막을 수 있어 says that this can be prevented. The complete meaning is: “If we write it down, we can keep resentment from building up later.”

8. 간단한 표를 만들고 한동안 해 본 뒤에 다시 검토하자.

   Let's make a simple chart and review it after we try it for a while.

   간단한

   simple

   표

   chart; table

   만들고

   make, and then

   한동안

   for a while

   해 본 뒤에

   after trying it

   다시

   again

   검토하자

   let’s review it

   More detail

   간단한 means “simple” here and is the noun-modifying form of 간단하다 (“to be simple”). Korean descriptive words take forms such as 간단한 before a noun: 간단한 표 = “a simple chart.” This form describes the chart; it is not a form of 표. 표 means “chart” or “table.” The fixed translation supports “chart” here. The word can refer to a visual arrangement of information, while another context may favor “table.” Example: 표를 만들어요. — “I make a chart.” 만들고 comes from 만들다, “to make,” with the connective ending -고. It links this action to the next one in sequence: A하고 B하자 can mean “Let’s do A and B.” The ending itself does not mean “make”; the lexical verb is 만들다, and 만들고 means “make, and then” in this sentence. 한동안 is an adverb meaning “for a while” or “for some time.” It gives the duration of the trying period without specifying an exact length. Example: 한동안 기다렸어요. — “I waited for a while.” 해 본 뒤에 expresses “after trying it.” 해 is the form of 하다 used before the auxiliary 보다; -아/어 보다 presents an action as something tried or experienced. In 해 본 뒤에, 본 is the form of 보다 that modifies 뒤 (“after”): literally, “after having tried.” The object is omitted in the Korean sentence; the fixed translation identifies it as the thing being made and tried, namely the chart. Example: 직접 해 본 뒤에 결정하세요. — “Decide after trying it yourself.” 다시 means “again” or “once more.” It applies to the following review action, so the proposal is to review the result again after the trial period, rather than to make the chart again. 검토하자 comes from 검토하다, “to review” or “to examine,” plus -자, a sentence ending used for a proposal involving the speaker and listener: “let’s review.” The ending does not mark a command directed only at the listener. Example: 이 문제를 다시 검토하자. — “Let’s review this issue again.” Together, 간단한 표를 만들고 means “make a simple chart and then,” 한동안 해 본 뒤에 means “after trying it for a while,” and 다시 검토하자 means “let’s review it again.” The complete utterance is therefore: “Let’s make a simple chart, try it for a while, and then review it again.” It is a collaborative proposal, with the review placed after the trial period.

9. 너무 엄격하게 느껴지면 다투는 대신 조정할 수 있어.

   If it feels too strict, we can adjust it instead of arguing.

   너무

   too; overly

   엄격하게

   strictly

   느껴지면

   if it feels

   다투는 대신

   instead of arguing

   조정할 수 있어

   can adjust it

   More detail

   너무 modifies the following description and means “too” or “excessively” here. Korean 너무 can also mean “very” in some contexts, but in this sentence the conditional situation and the translation give it the excessive meaning: the strictness is beyond what is wanted. 엄격하게 is the adverbial form of 엄격하다, “to be strict.” The ending -하게 lets the adjective describe how something is felt or done. Compare 엄격하다 “be strict” and 엄격하게 “strictly/in a strict way.” Here it describes the degree or manner of the feeling, not an action performed strictly. 느껴지면 comes from 느껴지다, “to feel” or “to seem,” plus -면, “if/when.” Thus 느껴지면 means “if it feels/seems.” The form does not identify a separate actor who feels it; the translation supplies the intended impersonal reading “if it feels too strict.” The condition is expressed by -면, as in 추우면 “if it is cold.” 다투는 대신 uses 다투다, “to argue or quarrel,” in the form 다투는, followed by 대신, “instead.” The pattern 동사-는 대신(에) means “instead of doing [the verb].” For example, 불평하는 대신 물어봐요 means “Ask instead of complaining.” The phrase here contrasts arguing with the alternative introduced next. 조정할 수 있어 contains 조정하다, “to adjust,” followed by -(으)ㄹ 수 있다, “can/be able to,” in the casual form 있어. 조정할 is the prospective form used before 수; 수 있어 expresses a possible or available action, not a command. The object is omitted in the Korean sentence, while the fixed translation identifies it as “it.” A useful pattern is 바꿀 수 있어 “can change it.” Together, 너무 엄격하게 느껴지면 sets the condition “if it feels too strict.” 다투는 대신 gives the alternative “instead of arguing,” and 조정할 수 있어 states that adjustment is possible: “If it feels too strict, we can adjust it instead of arguing.”

10. 목표는 완벽한 체계가 아니라 더 깨끗한 집이야.

    The goal is a cleaner home, not a perfect system.

    목표

    goal

    완벽한

    perfect

    체계

    system

    아니라

    not; rather than

    더

    more

    깨끗한

    cleaner

    집이야

    is a home

    More detail

    목표 means “goal” here. It is a noun, so it can be reused with particles: 목표가 있어요 means “There is a goal,” while 목표를 정해요 means “I set a goal.” 완벽한 describes 체계 as “perfect.” It is the attributive form of the descriptive verb 완벽하다 (“to be perfect”): 완벽한 체계 = “a perfect system.” The ending -한 lets this form directly modify a noun. 체계 is the noun “system” or “organized structure.” In this sentence it is contrasted with 집 (“home”), not presented as the goal. Example: 새로운 체계를 만들어요 means “We create a new system.” 아니라 means “not ..., but rather ...” in the contrast pattern A가 아니라 B예요 or A가 아니라 B야: “It is not A, but B.” It is the connective form of 아니다 (“to be not”), and it links the rejected description 완벽한 체계 to the intended one. Unlike a simple sentence-final negation, it sets up a correction or contrast. 더 means “more” or “-er than before.” It modifies the following description, so 더 깨끗한 means “cleaner” or “more clean.” The comparison is understood relative to some context; the sentence does not specify exactly what the home is cleaner than. 깨끗한 means “clean” in form, but here 더 makes the intended meaning “cleaner.” It is the attributive form of 깨끗하다 (“to be clean”): 깨끗한 집 = “a clean home,” and 더 깨끗한 집 = “a cleaner home.” Example: 방이 더 깨끗해요 means “The room is cleaner.” 집이야 consists of the noun 집 (“home/house”) plus the informal sentence-ending copula 이야, meaning “is.” After a noun ending in a consonant, Korean uses 이야; after a vowel, 야, as in 학교야 (“It is a school”). This ending is casual and is used with someone in a familiar relationship. Together, 완벽한 체계가 아니라 marks “not a perfect system,” while 더 깨끗한 집이야 identifies the intended alternative as “a cleaner home.” Thus the whole utterance means: “The goal is a cleaner home, not a perfect system.”