Politely Sharing Gym Equipment | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 누군가 러닝머신을 오랫동안 사용하고 있어요.

   Someone has been using the treadmill for a long time.

   누군가

   someone

   러닝머신

   treadmill

   오랫동안

   for a long time

   사용하고 있어요

   has been using

   More detail

   누군가 means “someone” here: it refers to an unspecified person. It is commonly analyzed as 누구 (“who”) combined with -ㄴ가, forming an indefinite expression. Unlike 누구?, which asks “who?”, 누군가 identifies an unknown or unspecified person in a statement. 러닝머신 is the noun “treadmill.” It is a loanword used as an ordinary Korean noun. In this sentence, the full form 러닝머신을 is the object: 을 marks the object of the action. 오랫동안 is an adverb meaning “for a long time.” It describes the duration of the ongoing use. Compare 잠깐 (“briefly”) for a short duration. Example: 오랫동안 기다렸어요. — “I waited for a long time.” 사용하고 있어요 comes from the verb 사용하다, “to use.” The form 사용하고 있다 combines the verb with -고 있다 to show that the action is in progress; 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다. Thus, 사용하고 있어요 presents the person as currently using the treadmill, and the duration phrase makes “has been using” a natural English rendering. Example: 지금 컴퓨터를 사용하고 있어요. — “I am using the computer now.” In the sentence, 누군가 is the subject, 러닝머신을 is the object, 오랫동안 gives the duration, and 사용하고 있어요 expresses ongoing use. Together, the utterance means: “Someone has been using the treadmill for a long time.”

2. 안내문에 다른 사람이 기다리고 있으면 함께 사용해야 한다고 적혀 있어요.

   The sign says people should share it when others are waiting.

   안내문

   sign; notice

   다른

   other; different

   사람

   person; people

   기다리고 있으면

   if someone is waiting

   함께

   together

   사용해야

   must use

   한다고

   saying that

   적혀 있어요

   is written; says

   More detail

   안내문 means a notice or sign. The following particle -에 marks where the information is written, so 안내문에 means “on/in the notice.” A useful related contrast is 안내문을 읽다, “read a notice,” where -을 marks the notice as the object instead. 다른 is the noun-modifying form of 다르다, “to be different.” In 다른 사람, it has the intended sense “other people,” referring to people besides the person currently using the item. Korean nouns do not mark singular versus plural here, so 사람 can be rendered as “person” or “people” according to context. Example: 다른 방법을 찾아요. — “Let’s look for another method.” 사람 means “person” or “people.” In this sentence it is the subject of 기다리고 있으면; the phrase 다른 사람 is therefore “other people” in the fixed translation. 기다리고 있으면 combines 기다리다, “to wait,” with -고 있다, which presents the waiting as ongoing, and -(으)면, “if/when.” Thus, 기다리고 있으면 means “if/when [they] are waiting.” The subject is supplied by the preceding 다른 사람, not by an independently stated pronoun. Example: 친구가 기다리고 있으면 연락하세요. — “If your friend is waiting, contact them.” 함께 means “together,” emphasizing joint use rather than separate use. 같이 is a common conversational alternative with a very similar meaning. Example: 우리 함께 공부해요. — “Let’s study together.” 사용해야 comes from 사용하다, “to use,” plus -아/어야 하다, an obligation pattern meaning “must” or “should.” The -어야 part in 사용해야 says that using is required under the stated condition. In this context, the object is omitted because the item being used is understood from the bounded context: the treadmill or other shared equipment. Example: 표를 보여 줘야 해요. — “You must show your ticket.” 한다고 contains 하다, “to do,” in the form used before -다고, a marker for reported content. Here it completes 사용해야 한다고: literally, “that one must use [it].” The reported content is the instruction to use the item together; 한다고 itself does not introduce a new physical action separate from that instruction. Example: 내일 온다고 말했어요. — “They said that they would come tomorrow.” 적혀 있어요 is the polite form of 적혀 있다, “to be written” or “to be posted in written form.” 적히다 is the passive form related to 적다, “to write,” while -어 있다 presents the written state as currently existing. In this sentence, the notice has that instruction written on it, which naturally becomes “the sign says.” 있어요 gives the expression a polite present style. Putting the parts together, 안내문에 identifies the notice as the place of the information; 다른 사람이 기다리고 있으면 means “when other people are waiting”; and 함께 사용해야 한다고 적혀 있어요 says that the instruction “one must use it together” is written there. The whole utterance therefore means: “The sign says people should share it when others are waiting.”

3. 그 사람에게 물어봐야 할까요, 아니면 무례하게 보일까요?

   Should I ask them, or would that seem rude?

   그

   that

   사람

   person

   에게

   to

   물어봐야

   need to ask

   할까요

   shall I?

   아니면

   or else

   무례하게

   rudely; as rude

   보일까요

   would it seem

   More detail

   그 사람에게 identifies the recipient as “that person.” 그 is an attributive demonstrative meaning “that,” and 사람 is the noun “person.” The form 그 does not itself specify the person’s gender or number. 에게 marks a person as the recipient or target of an action; here, the question is directed to that person. The fixed translation uses singular “them” as a gender-neutral English rendering. 물어봐야 comes from the verb 물어보다, “to ask.” The form 물어봐야 contains -아/어야, which expresses necessity: “must/need to ask.” In this sentence, the verb is followed by 할까요, so the necessity is being considered as a question rather than stated as a command. Example: 선생님께 물어봐야 해요. — “I need to ask the teacher.” 할까요 is the 하다 form with the question ending -(으)ㄹ까요?. After 물어봐야, it completes the pattern -아/어야 할까요?, meaning “Should I ...?” or “Do I need to ...?” This ending commonly asks for advice, the listener’s view, or a decision about what the speaker should do. The observed form 할까요 is from 하다, not from 물어보다. 아니면 introduces the alternative: “or.” It connects the first possibility, asking the person, with the second possibility that follows. In the reusable pattern A, 아니면 B?, the speaker asks which of two possibilities applies. 무례하게 means “rudely” or “in a way that seems rude.” It is the adverbial form of the descriptive verb 무례하다, “to be rude.” The ending -게 makes the description modify an action or appearance. Example: 무례하게 말하지 마세요. — “Please do not speak rudely.” 보일까요 comes from 보이다, “to look/seem/appear,” plus -(으)ㄹ까요?. Here 보이다 is not the ordinary verb “to see”; it describes how something appears to others. Together with 무례하게, 무례하게 보일까요? asks, “Would it seem rude?” The same question ending is used in 할까요, but its meaning is shaped by the verb: 하다 gives “should I do it?”, while 보이다 gives “would it seem/look?” The utterance first presents the possibility 그 사람에게 물어봐야 할까요?: “Should I ask that person?” It then presents the alternative 아니면 무례하게 보일까요?: “Or would that seem rude?” The two questions together ask whether asking the person is appropriate or whether the action might give a rude impression. The full meaning is therefore: “Should I ask them, or would that seem rude?”

4. 정중하게 물어보고, 차례를 기다리고 있다고 말하세요.

   Ask politely and say you're waiting for a turn.

   정중하게

   politely

   물어보고

   ask, and

   차례

   turn

   기다리고

   waiting

   말하세요

   please say

   More detail

   정중하게 means “politely” here. It is the adverbial form of 정중하다 (“to be polite/courteous”), so it describes how the asking should be done. Compare 정중하게 말하세요 (“Please speak politely”) with 무례하게 말하세요 (“Speak rudely”); the latter is a different manner. 물어보고 comes from 물어보다 (“to ask”) plus -고, a connective ending. Here, -고 links the asking with the following instruction to say something. It can connect actions without by itself requiring a strict “then” sequence. 물어보다 is useful for asking a question or asking someone about something. For example, 직원에게 물어보세요. means “Please ask a staff member.” 차례 is a noun meaning “turn” or “order in which someone gets a turn.” In 차례를 기다리다, the object marker 를 links it to 기다리다: “wait for one’s turn.” 기다리고 comes from 기다리다 (“to wait”) plus the connective ending -고. With 있다고, it forms 기다리고 있다고, reporting the proposition that you are waiting. The pattern -고 있다 presents an action as ongoing: 기다리고 있어요 means “I am waiting.” Here, that proposition is reported with -다고 말하다: 기다리고 있다고 말하다 means “say that you are waiting.” 말하세요 comes from 말하다 (“to say/tell”) with the polite request or directive ending -(으)세요. Thus 말하세요 politely tells the listener to say something. For example, 천천히 말하세요. means “Please speak slowly.” Together, 정중하게 물어보고 gives “ask politely and,” 차례를 기다리고 있다고 gives “that you are waiting for a turn,” and 말하세요 gives the polite instruction “please say.” The whole utterance is therefore: “Ask politely and say you’re waiting for a turn.”

5. 저는 이렇게 말할 수 있어요. "실례합니다. 러닝머신을 거의 다 사용하셨어요?"

   I can say, "Excuse me, are you almost finished with the treadmill?"

   저는

   I; as for me

   이렇게

   like this; this way

   말할 수 있어요

   can say

   실례합니다

   Excuse me

   러닝머신

   treadmill

   거의 다

   almost completely

   사용하셨어요?

   did you use it?

   More detail

   저는 uses 저 (“I,” the humble first-person pronoun) plus the topic marker 는. It presents the speaker as the topic: “As for me, …” The marker does not itself mean that the speaker is performing the later action. 이렇게 means “like this” or “in this way.” It points to the wording that follows. A reusable pattern is 이렇게 + verb, meaning “verb this way.” 말할 수 있어요 is built from 말하다 (“to say/speak”) and -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 (“can; be able to”), here in the polite form 있어요. The 말할 part is the form of 말하다 used before 수; 수 expresses a possibility or ability, and 있어요 completes the construction. For example, 한국어로 말할 수 있어요 means “I can speak in Korean.” Together, 저는 이렇게 말할 수 있어요 means “I can say it this way,” introducing the quoted wording. The quote then gives the actual sentence the speaker can use. 실례합니다 is a polite fixed expression meaning “Excuse me.” It is appropriate for politely approaching or interrupting someone. It is not the same as an apology for a completed mistake; for that, Korean commonly uses 죄송합니다 (“I’m sorry”). 러닝머신 is the noun “treadmill.” It is a loanword used for the exercise machine. In this sentence it is the object associated with the following verb, so the question concerns the person’s use of the treadmill. 거의 다 combines 거의 (“almost”) with 다 (“all; completely”). Here it means that the use of the treadmill is nearly complete: “almost finished” or “almost all done.” 거의 by itself means “almost,” while adding 다 emphasizes completion of the relevant activity. 사용하셨어요? comes from 사용하다 (“to use”). The form contains the honorific marker -시- and the polite past ending, yielding a respectful question about whether the listener has used or finished using something. In this context, with 거의 다, it asks whether the listener is almost finished with the treadmill, rather than simply whether they used it at some unspecified time. The respectful form fits the polite approach to another person. The whole utterance is therefore: 저는 이렇게 말할 수 있어요 (“I can say it this way”), followed by 실례합니다 (“Excuse me”) and the respectful question 러닝머신을 거의 다 사용하셨어요? (“Are you almost finished with the treadmill?”). This is a clear, polite way to ask about the current completion of the other person’s use.

6. 상대방에게 너무 부담을 주지 않으면서도 뜻이 분명해요.

   That sounds clear without putting too much pressure on them.

   상대방에게

   to the other person

   너무

   too much

   부담을 주지 않으면서도

   while not putting pressure on them, yet

   뜻이

   meaning or intention

   분명해요

   is clear

   More detail

   상대방에게 means “to the other person” here. 상대방 is a noun meaning the other party or person in an interaction, and -에게 marks the recipient or target of an action. Example: 친구에게 말해요. — “I speak to a friend.” 너무 means “too much” or “excessively.” It commonly modifies an adjective or verb and signals that the degree is beyond what is wanted. Example: 너무 비싸요. — “It is too expensive.” 부담을 주지 않으면서도 expresses “while not putting pressure on them, yet.” 부담 is a noun for pressure or burden, and 부담을 주다 literally means “to give pressure,” naturally “to put pressure on someone.” In this form, 주지 않다 negates that action, and -(으)면서도 connects it to another fact with the sense “while …, nevertheless/even so.” Example: 상대방에게 부담을 주지 않으면서도 필요한 말을 해요. — “I say what is necessary without putting pressure on the other person.” 뜻이 means “the meaning” or “the intended meaning.” 뜻 is the noun, and -이 marks it as the subject because 뜻 ends in a consonant. The sentence therefore presents the meaning as what is clear; the form does not by itself identify a particular person as the source of that meaning. 분명해요 means “is clear.” The base form is 분명하다, “to be clear”; 분명해요 is its polite conversational present form. Here it describes the meaning as understandable or unambiguous. Example: 이 표현은 뜻이 분명해요. — “The meaning of this expression is clear.” Together, 상대방에게 너무 부담을 주지 않으면서도 sets a condition: the wording does not put too much pressure on the other person. 뜻이 분명해요 then states the favorable result: its meaning is clear. Thus the whole utterance means, “That sounds clear without putting too much pressure on them.”

7. 그 사람이 시간이 더 필요하면, 저는 기다리거나 다른 기계를 사용할 수 있어요.

   If they need more time, I can wait or use another machine.

   그

   that

   사람

   person

   시간

   time

   더

   more

   필요하면

   if needed

   저

   I; me

   기다리거나

   wait or

   다른

   another; different

   기계

   machine

   사용할 수 있어요

   can use

   More detail

   그 points to a contextually identifiable person or thing; here, with 사람, it forms 그 사람, “that person.” 그 is a demonstrative determiner, while the specific person is supplied by the context rather than by the form alone. 사람 means “person” here. It is a noun and can be used in reusable combinations such as 그 사람 (“that person”) or 한 사람 (“one person”). 시간 means “time.” In 시간이, the subject marker 이 marks time as the thing that is needed. The noun itself does not change for number here; the intended amount is understood from context. 더 means “more” or “additionally.” It modifies 시간, so 시간이 더 필요하면 means “if more time is needed,” not simply “if time is needed.” 필요하면 comes from the descriptive verb 필요하다, “to be needed” or “to need.” The form 필요하면 uses the conditional ending -면, giving “if [it] is needed.” In this sentence, 시간이 필요하다 is literally “time is needed,” and 시간이 더 필요하면 is “if more time is needed.” Example: 도움이 필요하면 말해 주세요. — “If you need help, please tell me.” 저 is the polite first-person pronoun, “I” or “me.” In the source it appears in 저는, where the topic marker 는 presents the speaker as the topic. 저 is the humble/polite counterpart commonly used instead of the informal first-person form 나 in polite speech. 기다리거나 comes from the verb 기다리다, “to wait.” The ending -거나 links alternatives and means “or”; thus 기다리거나 means “wait or …” when another alternative follows. The verb form is not an imperative: it is one option in the larger possibility expression. Example: 집에서 기다리거나 먼저 갈 수 있어요. — “I can wait at home or go first.” 다른 comes from the descriptive verb 다르다, “to be different.” Before a noun, it has the attributive form 다른, meaning “different” or, in this context, “another.” It modifies 기계, so it is not the noun’s form or an inflection of 기계. Example: 다른 방법을 찾아요. — “I look for another method.” 기계 means “machine” or “piece of equipment.” In 다른 기계를, the object marker 를 marks the machine as what can be used. The noun remains 기계; 를 marks its role in the clause. 사용할 수 있어요 expresses ability or possibility: “can use.” It is built from 사용하다, “to use,” plus -(으)ㄹ 수 있다, literally an expression of there being a way or possibility to do something. 사용할 is the future-attributive form of 사용하다 before 수, and 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다 in this construction. Example: 이 카드를 사용할 수 있어요. — “You can use this card.” Together, 그 사람이 시간이 더 필요하면 sets the condition: “If that person needs more time.” 저는 기다리거나 다른 기계를 사용할 수 있어요 makes the speaker the topic and presents two available alternatives: “I can wait or use another machine.” The complete utterance is therefore: “If they need more time, I can wait or use another machine.”

8. 그렇게 하면 말다툼을 시작하지 않고 운동 기구를 함께 사용할 수 있어요.

   That keeps the equipment shared without starting an argument.

   그렇게 하면

   if you do that; by doing so

   말다툼

   argument

   시작하지 않고

   without starting

   운동 기구

   exercise equipment

   함께

   together

   사용할 수 있어요

   can use

   More detail

   그렇게 하면 combines 그렇게 (“that way/like that”) with 하면, the conditional form of 하다 (“to do”): 하다 → 하면 means “if [someone] does it” or “by doing so.” Here it refers to the manner described by the surrounding context, without identifying an additional subject. 말다툼 means “argument” or “quarrel.” It is a noun; the related verb expression 말다툼을 하다 means “to have an argument.” 시작하지 않고 contains 시작하다 (“to start”), changed to 시작하지 않다 (“not start”), followed by -고 in the connective pattern -지 않고, “without doing …” or “while not doing ….” Thus, the starting—not the argument noun itself—is negated in this phrase. Example: 문을 닫지 않고 나갔어요. — “I left without closing the door.” 운동 기구 is a noun phrase meaning “exercise equipment.” 운동 relates to exercise, and 기구 means a device or piece of equipment; together they identify equipment used for exercise. The phrase is not itself a statement about how many pieces of equipment there are. 함께 means “together,” indicating joint participation in the action. It can be placed with another action, for example 함께 공부해요 — “We study together.” 사용할 수 있어요 is the polite form of the pattern 사용할 수 있다, “can use” or “be able to use.” 사용하다 is “to use”; before 수 있다, it becomes 사용할, with the prospective modifier -ㄹ. 수 있다 expresses possibility or ability, and 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다. The subject is understood from context rather than stated in this clause. Together, 그렇게 하면 sets the condition or means, 운동 기구를 함께 사용할 수 있어요 says that the exercise equipment can be used together, and 말다툼을 시작하지 않고 specifies that this happens without starting an argument. The whole utterance therefore means that doing things that way allows the participants to share/use the exercise equipment together without starting an argument.