In today’s lesson, we will introduce you to a phrase that will help you find a place you are looking for. Today’s phrase is, is there a bathroom near here? In Korean, is there a bathroom near here is 여기 화장실 있어요 (yeogi hwajangsil isseoyo)? One time slowly, 여기 화장실 있어요 (yeogi hwajangsil isseoyo)? And let’s break it down by syllable, 여-기 화-장-실 있-어-요 (yeo-gi hwa-jang-sil i-sseo-yo)? One more time, it’s 여기 화장실 있어요 (yeogi hwajangsil isseoyo)? The first word 여기 (yeogi) means here. Let’s break it down, 여-기 (yeo-gi). This is followed by 화장실 (hwajangsil). The word for bathroom in Korean is 화장실 (hwajangsil). Let’s break it down by syllable, 화-장-실 (hwa-jang-sil). So far we have 여기 화장실 (yeogi hwajangsil). Literally this means here bathroom. Lastly we have 있어요 (isseoyo). This pretty much means to have or to exist. |
Let’s go over it again. 있어요 (isseoyo). So altogether we have 여기 화장실 있어요 (yeogi hwajangsil isseoyo)? Literally this means here bathroom to have or do you have a bathroom here. Now, to ask for something else, you can just replace the word bathroom. Let’s try 편의점 (pyeonuijeom) which is a convenience store. One time slowly, 편의점 (pyeonuijeom). And now by syllable, 편-의-점 (pyeon-ui-jeom). Now let’s put it in the question. 여기 편의점 있어요 (yeogi pyeonuijeom isseoyo)? One time slowly, 여기 편의점 있어요 (yeogi pyeonuijeom isseoyo)? And now by syllable, 여-기 편-의-점 있-어-요 (yeo-gi pyeon-ui-jeom i-sseo-yo)? So notice here how the two phrases are almost identical. The only thing that changes is the word in the middle, bathroom or convenience store. Let’s listen to them side by side. 여기 화장실 있어요 (yeogi hwajangsil isseoyo)? 여기 편의점 있어요 (yeogi pyeonuijeom isseoyo)? Because the word 여기 (yeogi) is an exact translation of the word here, it maybe a little confusing if you mean around here or in the neighborhood or close by. |
We are not exactly ready for those phrases yet. So for the time being, let’s just go with here. Just make sure you use your hands and wave them around like you mean around here. Personally, I’d go with the one finger pointing up swirling around just here. Just be careful which finger you use. So this phrase will come in handy when you got to go real bad, when you need that late night beer, that late night snack before leaving the hotel talking with the taxi driver or just asking other people to help you locate something. |
Now that you are able to ask, you are going to get an answer. As we are running out of time, we are going to have to cover that in the next lesson. Okay, to close our today’s lesson, we’d like for you to practice what you’ve learned. I will provide you with the English equivalent of the phrase and you are responsible for shouting it out loud. You will have a few seconds before I give you the answer. So 화이팅 (hwaiting)! |
Is there a bathroom near here - 여기 화장실 있어요 (yeogi hwajangsil isseoyo)? |
Is there a convenience store around here - 여기 편의점 있어요 (yeogi pyeonuijeom isseoyo)? |
All right, that’s going to do it for today. |
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