Conversation 5: Where's the art gallery?

Minjun is now visiting SOAS in London, but has lost his way. Fortunately, he has met a student who is studying Korean at SOAS. She is helping him to find the Brunei Gallery and Senate House Library from the main gate of SOAS.

민준: 저, 실례지만 미술관이 어디에 있어요?

학생: 미술관요? 저기 (pointing) 학교 맞은편에 있어요.

민준: 아, 네. 그럼 도서관은요?

학생: 도서관요? 바로 그 미술관 뒤에 있어요.

민준: 고맙습니다.

Minjun: Excuse me, but where’s the art gallery?

Student: The art gallery? (pointing) It’s on the opposite side of the school, over there.

Minjun: Oh, yes. In that case, what about the library?

Student: The library? It’s just behind that/the art gallery.

Minjun: Thank you.

Vocabulary and notes

실례지만… Excuse me, but… 실례 means something like ‘lack of courtesy, rudeness’. 이지만 means ‘is but’. The 이 drops after 례 which is pronounced 레 here.

미술관 art gallery = 미술 fine art + 관 building (Sino-Korean elements which cannot stand on their own)

어디에 where = 어디 where + 에 at (particle indicating a location where no dynamic activity is occurring)

있어요 is, exist (in the sense of location, not identity); Dictionary Form: 있다. Strangely, the equivalent negative uses another verb: 없어요; Dictionary Form: 없다, pronounced /업따/ (cf. 알다 know and 모르다 not know). Although the basic meaning is location, these two are frequently used where English would use ‘have’.

-는요? What about? How about? This is the contrastive use of 는, the topic particle. Note how 요 may be put after raw particles or nouns (e.g. 미술관) to make them sound less abrupt.

저기 over there. Cf. 여기 here and 거기 there. Also 이 this, 그 that and 저 that (over there).

학교 school

맞은편 opposite side, across. This is a Place Noun. See Elementary Korean p74. 뒤 ‘back, behind’ is another.

바로 just exactly

고맙습니다 thank you. Dictionary Form: 고맙다 Note that although the conversation is in the Polite Form (어요), this expression is usually in the Formal Style (습니다). In more formal situation with people superior to one, 감사합니다 would be appropriate for 'thank you'.