Handling expired food in a shared fridge | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 공용 냉장고에 유통기한이 지난 음식이 또 있어요.

   There's expired food in the shared fridge again.

   공용

   shared; communal

   냉장고

   refrigerator

   유통기한

   expiration date

   지난

   expired; past its date

   음식

   food

   또

   again

   있어요

   there is; there are

   More detail

   공용 means “shared” or “communal.” It modifies a noun, as in 공용 냉장고 (“shared refrigerator”). This word describes something intended for use by multiple people; it does not by itself identify who those people are. 냉장고 means “refrigerator.” The particle 에 after it marks the place where something exists: 냉장고에 means “in the refrigerator.” For example, 책이 냉장고에 있어요 means “There is a book in the refrigerator.” 유통기한 means “expiration date” or, more literally in food labeling, the date related to how long a product may be distributed. In this sentence, it combines with 이 지난 to describe food whose date has passed. 유통기한 is a noun, and 이 marks it as the subject of 지난. 지난 comes from 지나다, “to pass” or “to go by.” Here it is the noun-modifying form referring to a completed passing of time: 유통기한이 지난 음식 means “food whose expiration date has passed,” or naturally, “expired food.” Do not treat 지난 as the base form; 지나다 is the dictionary form. For example, 지난주 means “last week,” where 지난 modifies a time noun. 음식 means “food.” In 유통기한이 지난 음식, it is the noun being described by the preceding clause. Korean commonly places a descriptive clause before the noun it modifies, so the structure is “[expiration date having passed] food.” 또 means “again.” It indicates that the same kind of situation is occurring another time. It does not itself specify how many previous occurrences there were. For example, 또 늦었어요 means “I’m late again.” 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다, “to exist” or “to be present.” With a place marked by 에, it expresses that something is located there: 장소에 물건이 있어요 means “There is an item in the place.” The form 있어요 can be used whether the thing present is singular or plural; Korean does not require a separate “there is” versus “there are” form here. Together, 공용 냉장고에 sets the location as “in the shared refrigerator,” and 유통기한이 지난 음식 identifies what is there as “expired food.” 또 adds “again,” while 있어요 states its presence. The whole utterance therefore means: “There’s expired food in the shared fridge again.”

2. 훨씬 더 오래 두면 위생 문제가 될 수 있어요.

   It could become a hygiene problem if it sits there much longer.

   훨씬 더

   much more

   오래

   for a long time

   두면

   if left that way

   위생

   hygiene

   문제

   problem

   될 수 있어요

   could become

   More detail

   훨씬 더 strengthens a comparison or degree: 훨씬 means “by far/much,” and 더 means “more/further.” Here it indicates that leaving the food for a considerably longer time would matter. 더 can also stand alone when the comparison is clear, while 훨씬 더 gives stronger emphasis. 오래 means “for a long time” or “long.” It describes duration, not distance. For example, 오래 기다렸어요 means “I waited for a long time.” Here, 오래 describes how long the food remains there. 두면 is 두다 (“to leave, keep, or put something somewhere”) combined with -면, a conditional ending: 두다 + -면 → 두면, “if [someone] leaves/keeps it.” The subject and object are not stated in this form; the context supplies the intended situation. With 오래, 오래 두면 means “if it is left there for a long time.” For example, 시간이 있으면 means “if there is time.” 위생 means “hygiene” or “sanitation.” It is a noun used in compounds and expressions about cleanliness and health conditions, such as 위생 문제 (“hygiene problem”). 문제 means “problem” or “issue.” In 위생 문제, it identifies the type of problem as one concerning hygiene. More generally, 문제가 있어요 means “There is a problem.” 될 수 있어요 expresses possibility: 되다 (“to become”) combines with -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 (“can/may be able to”) and the polite form 있어요, producing 될 수 있어요, “could become.” 될 is the form of 되다 before -(으)ㄹ; this is a regular stem-plus-ending combination, not an irregular change. A condition before it gives the interpretation “could become.” Together, 훨씬 더 오래 두면 sets the condition “if it is left there much longer,” and 위생 문제가 될 수 있어요 says that it “could become a hygiene problem.” The whole utterance means: “It could become a hygiene problem if it sits there much longer.”

3. 몇몇 용기에 표시가 없어서 누구 것인지 아무도 몰라요.

   Some containers aren't labeled, so nobody knows who owns them.

   몇몇

   some; several

   용기

   container

   표시

   label; marking

   없어서

   because there is none

   누구 것인지

   whose it is

   아무도

   nobody

   몰라요

   doesn't know; don't know

   More detail

   몇몇 means “some” or “several” and presents an unspecified subset. It comes before the noun it specifies. Example: 몇몇 사람 means “some people.” 용기 means “container.” In 용기에, the particle -에 marks the place or surface associated with the marking: here, the containers are the items that should have markings on them. The form 용기 itself is unchanged; -에 is attached to it. 표시 means “marking,” “label,” or “indication.” In 표시가, -가 marks 표시 as the subject of the following descriptive clause. The useful pattern is N이/가 있다 “there is N” and N이/가 없다 “there is no N.” 없어서 is the connective form of 없다 (“to be absent; not exist”). Here it means “because there is no …” or “because … is missing.” The ending -아서/-어서 links a reason to its result. Example: 시간이 없어서 못 가요. — “I can’t go because I don’t have time.” In this sentence, 표시가 없어서 means “because there are no labels/markings.” 누구 것인지 asks whose thing it is inside the larger sentence. 누구 means “who,” and 것 means “thing”; together, 누구 것 means “whose one/whose thing.” The ending -인지 turns this into an embedded question, so 누구 것인지 means “whose it is,” not a direct question such as 누구 것이에요? (“Whose is it?”). Example: 이 우산이 누구 것인지 알아요? — “Do you know whose umbrella this is?” 아무도 means “nobody” in this sentence. With a negative predicate, the pattern 아무도 + negative verb means “nobody ….” It is not a statement that there are no people; it identifies no person as carrying out the action. Example: 아무도 안 왔어요. — “Nobody came.” 몰라요 is the polite present form of 모르다, “to not know.” The base form 모르다 changes to 몰라요 before the polite ending; this is a stem change, not a separate verb. With 아무도, 아무도 몰라요 means “nobody knows.” Example: 저는 그 답을 몰라요. — “I don’t know that answer.” Putting the parts together, 몇몇 용기에 표시가 없어서 says “because some containers have no labels,” and 누구 것인지 아무도 몰라요 says “nobody knows whose they are.” The complete utterance therefore means: “Some containers aren’t labeled, so nobody knows who owns them.” The cause-and-result link is expressed by 없어서, while the embedded question 누구 것인지 supplies what nobody knows.

4. 사람들에게 이름과 날짜를 적어 달라는 안내문을 붙여야 해요.

   We should post a notice asking people to add their names and dates.

   사람들에게

   to people

   이름

   name

   날짜

   date

   적어 달라는

   asking someone to write or add

   안내문

   notice

   붙여야 해요

   need to post

   More detail

   사람들에게 means “to people” here. 사람 is “person,” and 사람들 is the plural form, with 들 marking multiple people. 에게 marks the recipient or target of an action; here it identifies the people being asked. Example: 아이들에게 말해요. — “I speak to the children.” 이름 means “name.” It is a noun and can refer to a person’s name. Example: 이름을 적어요. — “I write down the name.” 날짜 means “date,” such as a calendar date. Example: 날짜를 확인해요. — “I check the date.” 적어 달라는 expresses a request for someone to write or enter something. The verb 적다 means “to write down” or “to enter,” and its connective form is 적어. The pattern -아/어 달라고 하다 reports a request for someone to do something for the requester. In 적어 달라는 안내문, 달라는 modifies the following noun and gives the meaning “that asks [people] to write it.” Example: 주소를 적어 달라고 해요. — “I ask someone to write down the address.” 안내문 is a written notice or instruction. It is a noun formed from 안내, “guidance/information,” and 문, “written text or document.” In this sentence, it is the notice whose request is described by 적어 달라는. 붙여야 해요 means “need to post” here. The verb 붙이다 means “to attach” or “to put up”; in this context, putting up a notice is naturally translated as “post.” -어야 하다 expresses necessity, and 해야 해요 is its polite spoken form here. Compare 붙다, “to stick” or “be attached,” with transitive 붙이다, “to attach or put something up.” Example: 벽에 공지를 붙여야 해요. — “We need to post a notice on the wall.” Together, 사람들에게 identifies the people receiving the request, and 이름과 날짜 means “names and dates,” with 과 connecting the two nouns. 적어 달라는 안내문 is “a notice asking them to write or add [their] names and dates.” 붙여야 해요 says that putting up this notice is necessary. The whole utterance therefore means: “We should post a notice asking people to add their names and dates.”

5. 일주일보다 오래된 것은 뭐든지 버릴까요?

   Should we throw away anything older than a week?

   일주일

   a week

   보다

   than

   오래된

   old

   것

   thing

   뭐든지

   anything

   버릴까요?

   shall we throw away?

   More detail

   일주일 means “one week.” It is a time unit used here as the standard for comparison. For example, 일주일 후 means “after one week,” but that is a different relationship from the comparison in this sentence. 보다 is the comparison particle placed after the standard being exceeded. The pattern A보다 B can mean “B more than A” when B expresses the compared quality. Here, 일주일보다 오래된 means “older than one week” or, more naturally, “more than a week old.” 오래된 is the noun-modifying form of 오래되다, meaning “to be old” or “to have existed for a long time.” In this sentence it describes the age of an item, not a person’s age. The useful form chain is 오래되다 (base form) → 오래된 (form placed before a noun). For example, 오래된 문서 means “an old document.” 것 means “thing” or “item.” After a description such as 일주일보다 오래된, it lets the description function as a noun phrase: 일주일보다 오래된 것 means “a thing that is more than a week old.” The following topic marker 은 is outside the quoted entry; 것은 presents this described thing or group as the topic of the question. 뭐든지 means “anything” or “whatever.” It gives a broad, unrestricted selection, so 일주일보다 오래된 것은 뭐든지 means “anything that is more than a week old.” It is not a claim that every object is old; the description limits which things are under consideration. 버릴까요? comes from 버리다, “to throw away” or “discard,” with the question/proposal ending -(으)ㄹ까요?. In this fixed translation, the ending asks whether “we” should do the action: 버릴까요? = “shall we throw it away?” The subject is not stated as a separate Korean word, but the fixed translation establishes the intended “we” reading. As a whole, 일주일보다 오래된 것 identifies items whose age exceeds one week, 뭐든지 broadens that set to any such item, and 버릴까요? asks whether the speakers should discard them. Thus the utterance means, “Should we throw away anything older than a week?”

6. 모두에게 분명한 기한을 알려 준 다음에만요.

   Only after we give everyone a clear deadline.

   모두에게

   to everyone

   분명한

   clear

   기한

   deadline

   알려 준

   let someone know

   다음에만요

   only afterward

   More detail

   모두에게 combines 모두, “everyone/all,” with -에게, a particle marking the recipient or addressee. Here it identifies everyone as the people who receive the information. The same particle appears in reusable patterns such as 아이에게 알려 주다, “to let a child know.” 분명한 means “clear” here, describing the deadline. Its base form is 분명하다; 분명한 is the form used before a noun. For example, 분명한 이유 means “a clear reason.” The form is attached to 기한, not derived from that noun. 기한 is a noun meaning “deadline” or “time limit”: the point or limit by which something is due. A useful related expression is 기한을 정하다, “set a deadline.” In this sentence, 기한을 marks 기한 as what is made known. 알려 준 comes from 알려 주다, “to let someone know” or “to inform someone.” The observed form is part of the pattern V-(으)ㄴ 다음에, “after doing V”: the completed action is 알려 주다, and 준 is the form placed before 다음에. Thus 모두에게 ... 기한을 알려 준 means “let everyone know the ... deadline.” The subject is omitted in Korean; the fixed translation identifies it as “we.” 다음에만요 contains 다음에, “after that/after doing so,” followed by 만, “only,” and the polite ending 요. In the reusable pattern V-(으)ㄴ 다음에만, the condition means “only after doing V.” For example, 확인한 다음에만 보내요 means “I send it only after checking it.” Together, 모두에게 분명한 기한을 알려 준 다음에만요 means “Only after we give everyone a clear deadline.” The ending is an intentionally incomplete, polite condition: it states that the relevant action should happen only after everyone has been told the clear deadline.

7. 단체 채팅방에서 매주 정리하자고 제안해도 좋겠어요.

   Maybe we can suggest a weekly cleanout in the group chat.

   단체

   group

   채팅방

   chat room

   매주

   every week

   정리하자고

   that we tidy up

   제안해도 좋겠어요

   it would be good to suggest

   More detail

   단체 means “group” or “collective.” Here it modifies 채팅방, specifying a chat room for a group. 채팅방 means “chat room.” Together, 단체 채팅방 means “group chat.” The location particle 에서 is outside the selected words: 단체 채팅방에서 means “in the group chat,” marking where the suggestion is made. Example: 채팅방에서 이야기해요. — “Let’s talk in the chat room.” 매주 means “every week.” It is a time expression placed before an action to show a recurring schedule. Example: 매주 만나요. — “We meet every week.” 정리하자고 contains the verb 정리하다, “to organize, tidy, or clear out,” in the quoted-proposal form. 정리하자 means “let’s tidy up,” and 정리하자고 presents that proposed action as the content of a verb such as 제안하다, “to suggest.” In this sentence, the intended action is a recurring cleanout. Example: 같이 정리하자고 했어요. — “I said that we should tidy up together.” 제안해도 좋겠어요 combines 제안하다, “to suggest or propose,” with -아/어도 좋다, which says that doing something is acceptable or would be good. 좋겠어요 uses 좋다 with -겠어요; here it gives a tentative, softened assessment: “it would be good” or “it might be good.” A reusable pattern is 동사-아/어도 좋겠어요: “It might be good to do the action.” Example: 먼저 확인해도 좋겠어요. — “It might be good to check first.” Together, 단체 채팅방에서 sets the location, 매주 sets the recurring timing, and 정리하자고 제안해도 좋겠어요 says that suggesting “let’s do a cleanout every week” would be a good idea. The complete meaning is: “Maybe we can suggest a weekly cleanout in the group chat.”

8. 그러면 매주 정리하는 일이 갑작스럽지 않고 예측 가능해질 거예요.

   That would make the weekly cleanout predictable instead of sudden.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   매주

   every week

   정리하는

   cleaning up; organizing

   일

   task; work

   갑작스럽지 않고

   not sudden, and

   예측 가능해질 거예요

   will become predictable

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It connects this result to the preceding proposal or condition. A reusable pattern is 그러면 + result, as in 그러면 시작해요. (“Then let’s start.”). The word itself does not identify a particular person or object. 매주 means “every week.” It is a time expression placed before the activity it describes. Compare 매일 (“every day”) and 매달 (“every month”). Example: 매주 만나요. — “We meet every week.” 정리하는 comes from the verb 정리하다, “to organize, tidy, or clear up.” The ending -는 makes a present-attributive form, so 정리하는 일 means “the task of organizing/cleaning up.” This form describes an ongoing or regularly performed activity before a noun. Example: 정리하는 시간이 필요해요. — “I need time to organize.” 일 is a noun meaning “task,” “work,” or “matter.” Here it means the task or activity of cleaning up, not “day”; “day” is commonly 날 or 하루 in other contexts. The combination -는 일 is useful for talking about an activity as a task: 운동하는 일 would mean “the task of exercising.” 갑작스럽지 않고 is built from the adjective 갑작스럽다, “to be sudden.” -지 않다 negates the adjective, producing “not sudden,” and -고 connects this clause to the next one: “not sudden and …” Example: 변화가 갑작스럽지 않아요. — “The change is not sudden.” The negation applies to 갑작스럽다; it does not negate the later result. 예측 가능해질 거예요 describes a future change. 예측 가능하다 means “to be predictable,” literally “to be possible to predict.” 가능해지다 adds -아/어지다 to mean “become possible,” so 예측 가능해지다 means “become predictable.” The ending -ㄹ 거예요 presents this as an expected or predicted future result: “will become predictable” or, in this context, “would become predictable.” Example: 일정이 예측 가능해질 거예요. — “The schedule will become predictable.” Together, 매주 정리하는 일 is “the weekly cleaning-up task.” 그러면 links that task to the proposed arrangement, while 갑작스럽지 않고 예측 가능해질 거예요 says that it will become not sudden and predictable. Thus the whole utterance means: “That would make the weekly cleanout predictable instead of sudden.”

9. 사람들이 청소하는 날 전에 자기 선반을 정리할 수 있어요.

   People can clear their shelves before cleaning day.

   사람들이

   people

   청소하는

   cleaning

   날

   day

   전에

   before

   자기

   one’s own

   선반

   shelf

   정리할

   organize; clear

   수 있어요

   can

   More detail

   사람들이 means “people” here. 사람 is “person,” and the plural marker 들 makes 사람들이 “people.” The form also carries the subject role in this sentence, so it is the group able to do the action. Example: 학생들이 와요. — “The students come.” 청소하는 modifies the noun that follows it: 청소하다 means “to clean,” and its present modifier form 청소하는 means “cleaning” or “that cleans.” This form describes an action associated with a noun. Example: 청소하는 사람 — “a person who is cleaning.” 날 means “day.” In this sentence it is part of 청소하는 날, literally “a cleaning day,” referring to the day designated for cleaning. Example: 쉬는 날 — “a day off.” 전에 means “before.” It follows the time expression that marks what comes earlier: 청소하는 날 전에 means “before cleaning day.” Example: 잠자기 전에 물을 마셔요. — “I drink water before going to bed.” 자기 means “oneself” or “one’s own” in this use. With the subject 사람들이, 자기 선반 refers to shelves belonging to the people themselves: “their own shelves.” 자기 is a reflexive form whose reference is normally connected to the sentence’s subject; the exact individual owner is not separately identified here. 선반 means “shelf” or “rack.” The plural meaning “shelves” is supplied by the context and the fixed translation; 선반 itself does not need a separate plural ending here. Example: 책을 선반에 놓아요. — “I put the book on the shelf.” 정리할 comes from 정리하다, “to organize,” “tidy,” or “clear.” The ending -할 is the form used before 수 in the ability construction 수 있다. Thus 정리할 수 있다 means “can organize” or “can clear,” while 정리하다 by itself is the basic verb. Example: 방을 정리할 수 있어요. — “I can tidy the room.” 수 있어요 is the polite present form of the construction 수 있다, which expresses ability or possibility: “can.” In 정리할 수 있어요, 수 is not a separate object meaning “ability” in the English sense; together with the preceding verb form and 있다 it creates the reusable pattern -을/ㄹ 수 있어요 (“can ...”). Putting the parts together, 사람들이 is the subject, 자기 선반 is “their own shelves,” 정리할 수 있어요 expresses the ability to clear them, and 청소하는 날 전에 places that action before cleaning day. The complete meaning is: “People can clear their shelves before cleaning day.”

10. 그러면 모두가 냉장고를 공평하고 안전하게 사용할 수 있을 거예요.

    That should make fridge use fair and safe for everyone.

    그러면

    then; in that case

    모두가

    everyone

    냉장고

    fridge

    공평하고

    fair and

    안전하게

    safely

    사용할

    use

    수 있을 거예요

    will be possible

    More detail

    그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It links this statement to the preceding situation or condition. Example: 그러면 시작해요. — “Then let’s start.” 모두가 means “everyone,” with 가 marking 모두 as the subject. 모두 can refer to all members of a relevant group; here, the fixed translation supports “everyone,” without specifying that group further. 냉장고 means “refrigerator” or “fridge.” It is a noun. Example: 냉장고가 커요. — “The fridge is big.” 공평하고 comes from the adjective 공평하다, “to be fair” or “equitable.” The ending -고 links this description with the following description. Here it contributes “fair” to the coordinated description in the fixed utterance. The -고 form is a linking form, not a past-tense form. 안전하게 comes from 안전하다, “to be safe,” with -게, which makes an adjective function adverbially. Thus it means “safely” or “in a safe way.” Example: 차를 안전하게 운전하세요. — “Drive safely.” 사용할 comes from the verb 사용하다, “to use.” Its -(으)ㄹ form appears before 수 in the possibility/ability pattern 사용할 수 있다. The form 사용할 is not a separate verb; it is the -(으)ㄹ form of 사용하다 used in this construction. 수 있을 거예요 completes 사용할 수 있을 거예요. -ㄹ/을 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility, while -ㄹ/을 거예요 presents that ability or possibility as expected in the future or under the relevant conditions. Together here, 사용할 수 있을 거예요 means “will be able to use” or, in the fixed translation, “should be able to use.” Example: 내일 만날 수 있을 거예요. — “I should be able to meet [you] tomorrow.” Putting the parts together, 그러면 introduces the result or expectation: “Then/in that case.” 모두가 is the subject, and 냉장고를 marks “the fridge” as what is used. 공평하고 안전하게 contributes the two qualities expressed in the fixed utterance, and 사용할 수 있을 거예요 says that everyone will be able to use it. The whole utterance means: “That should make fridge use fair and safe for everyone.”