Korean · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 2 of 12
Travel and hotels
호텔에서Hotereseo
Check in at a Korean hotel, say what you'd like with -고 싶어요, ask for help with -아 / -어 주세요 and understand the formal speech of hotel staff.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Check in and ask about breakfast and check-out
- Say what you'd like to do with -고 싶어요
- Ask someone to do something for you: -아 / -어 주세요
- Report a problem in your room
Listen
Choi Daeun checks in at a hotel in Gyeongju. Later she calls the front desk from her room. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Receptionist
어서 오십시오. 체크인하시겠습니까?
Eoseo osipsio. Chekeuinhasigetseumnikka?
Welcome. Would you like to check in?
Daeun
네, 최다은 이름으로 예약했어요. 2박이에요.
Ne, Choi Daeun ireumeuro yeyakhaesseoyo. Ibagieyo.
Yes, I booked under the name Choi Daeun. It's for two nights.
Receptionist
네, 확인하겠습니다. 신분증 좀 보여 주시겠습니까?
Ne, hwaginhagetseumnida. Sinbunjeung jom boyeo jusigetseumnikka?
Certainly, let me check. Could I see your ID, please?
Daeun
여기 있어요. 그리고 내일 아침에 조식을 먹고 싶어요. 몇 시부터예요?
Yeogi isseoyo. Geurigo naeil achime josigeul meokgo sipeoyo. Myeot sibuteoyeyo?
Here you are. And I'd like to have breakfast tomorrow morning. What time does it start?
Receptionist
일곱 시부터 열 시까지입니다. 방은 삼백오 호입니다.
Ilgop sibuteo yeol sikkajiimnida. Bangeun sambaego hoimnida.
From seven to ten. Your room is 305.
Daeun
체크아웃은 몇 시예요?
Chekeuauseun myeot siyeyo?
What time is check-out?
Receptionist
열한 시입니다. 편히 쉬십시오.
Yeolhan siimnida. Pyeonhi swisipsio.
Eleven o'clock. Enjoy your stay.
Receptionist
네, 프런트입니다.
Ne, peureonteuimnida.
(Later, on the phone) Front desk, how can I help?
Daeun
삼백오 호예요. 에어컨이 고장 났어요. 방을 바꿔 주시겠어요?
Sambaego hoyeyo. Eeokeoni gojang nasseoyo. Bangeul bakkwo jusigesseoyo?
This is room 305. The air conditioning is broken. Could you give me another room?
Receptionist
죄송합니다. 바로 다른 방으로 바꿔 드리겠습니다.
Joesonghamnida. Baro dareun bangeuro bakkwo deurigetseumnida.
I'm very sorry. We'll move you to another room right away.
Daeun
감사합니다. 그리고 수건도 두 개 더 주세요.
Gamsahamnida. Geurigo sugeondo du gae deo juseyo.
Thank you. And two more towels, please.
Receptionist
네, 새 방에 준비해 드리겠습니다.
Ne, sae bange junbihae deurigetseumnida.
Certainly, we'll have them ready in your new room.
Understand
I'd like to: -고 싶어요
To say what you want to do, add -고 싶어요 (-go sipeoyo) to the stem of a verb: (meokda) → (meokgo sipeoyo), I'd like to eat; (gada) → (gago sipeoyo), I want to go. Ask with the same form: (mwo hago sipeoyo?), what would you like to do? In a hotel or shop it's a normal, polite way to say what you want, like English “I'd like to…”.
The past is -고 싶었어요 (-go sipeosseoyo), I wanted to. Use -고 싶어요 about yourself, and in questions to the person you're talking to. For someone else, Korean says -고 싶어 해요 (-go sipeo haeyo): (dongsaengi Hangange gago sipeo haeyo), my younger brother wants to go to the Han River. -고 싶어요 goes on verbs only; for things, keep using (juseyo).
- 내일 아침에 조식을 먹고 싶어요.Naeil achime josigeul meokgo sipeoyo.I'd like to have breakfast tomorrow morning.
- 방을 바꾸고 싶어요.Bangeul bakkugo sipeoyo.I'd like to change rooms.
- 작년에 제주도에 가고 싶었어요.Jangnyeone Jejudoe gago sipeosseoyo.Last year I wanted to go to Jeju.
Please do it for me: -아 / -어 주세요
You know (juseyo), please give me. Put a verb in front of it and it means “please do … for me”. Take the present form, drop 요 and add : (bakkwoyo) → (bakkwo juseyo), please change it; (hwaginhaeyo) → (hwaginhae juseyo), please check it. (dowajuseyo), please help me, is written as one word.
To sound softer, add (jom) before the verb, or ask with (jusigesseoyo?), would you…?: (bangeul bakkwo jusigesseoyo?), could you change my room? It also works after a noun: (sugeon jom jusigesseoyo?), could I have some towels?
| Verb | Please do it | Would you…? |
|---|---|---|
| (bakkuda), to change | (bakkwo juseyo) | (bakkwo jusigesseoyo?) |
| (hwaginhada), to check | (hwaginhae juseyo) | (hwaginhae jusigesseoyo?) |
| (deulda), to carry | (deureo juseyo) | (deureo jusigesseoyo?) |
| (dopda), to help | (dowajuseyo) | (dowajusigesseoyo?) |
Nights, and how hotel staff speak
Hotels count nights with (bak) and Sino-Korean numbers: (ilbak), one night; (ibak), two nights. Trips are often described as nights and days: (ibak samil), two nights and three days. To ask, say (myeot bagieyo?), how many nights? Room numbers also use Sino-Korean numbers, with (ho): (sambaego ho), room 305.
Hotel staff speak to guests in the formal style. Its statements end in -ㅂ니다 / -습니다 and its questions in -ㅂ니까? / -습니까?; (imnida) means the same as / . With -겠- it often means “I'll…” or “would you…?”. For now you only need to understand these phrases; chapter 5 teaches the style. You can answer in the polite -아요 / -어요 style you already know.
| Staff say | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (eoseo osipsio.) | Welcome. |
| (chekeuinhasigetseumnikka?) | Would you like to check in? |
| (hwaginhagetseumnida.) | I'll check. Let me check. |
| (sinbunjeung jom boyeo jusigetseumnikka?) | Could I see your ID? (, to show) |
| (yeolhan siimnida.) | It's eleven o'clock. |
| (pyeonhi swisipsio.) | Enjoy your stay. (literally “rest comfortably”) |
| (joesonghamnida.) | I'm very sorry. |
| (baro dareun bangeuro bakkwo deurigetseumnida.) | We'll move you to another room right away. (, right away; , another room) |
More in the grammar: Can and can't: -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 / 없다 · Likes and wants: 좋아하다, 좋다, -고 싶다 · Requests and suggestions: -(으)세요, -아/어 주세요, -(으)ㄹ까요?
New words
- 체크인chekeuincheck-in · (chekeuinhada), to check in
- 예약하다yeyakhadato book, to reserve · (ireumeuro yeyakhaesseoyo), I booked under the name …
- 박baknight (of a stay) · counter for nights, with Sino-Korean numbers: (ibak), two nights
- 신분증sinbunjeungID card · Foreign guests show their (yeogwon), passport.
- 조식josikbreakfast (in a hotel) · the word hotels use; at home, breakfast is (achim)
- 몇 시부터myeot sibuteofrom what time · (myeot sikkaji), until what time
- 체크아웃chekeuautcheck-out
- 프런트peureonteufront desk, reception
- 에어컨eeokeonair conditioner, air conditioning · from English “air con”
- 고장 났어요gojang nasseoyoit's broken, it's out of order · for machines: (eeokeoni gojang nasseoyo)
- 바꾸다bakkudato change, to exchange · (bakkwoyo), (bakkwosseoyo)
- 수건sugeontowel
- 도와주세요dowajuseyoplease help me · from (dopda), to help, + (juseyo)
- 짐jimluggage, bags · (jim jom deureo jusigesseoyo?), could you carry my bags?
Practise
1.You want to say “I'd like to change rooms.” Which sentence is correct?
2.You'd like the receptionist to check your booking. What do you say?
3.Put the words in order: ask politely for another room.
Tap the words below in the right order.Could you give me another room?
4.Match the hotel words with their meanings.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.The receptionist says (hwaginhagetseumnida). What does she mean?
6.Put the words in order: ask when breakfast starts.
Tap the words below in the right order.What time does breakfast start?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
조식은 몇 시부터예요?
Josigeun myeot sibuteoyeyo?
What time does breakfast start?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.