Korean Conversation Dry cleaner

When living in Korea or even traveling for a short stay, everyday tasks can quickly become a language challenge. One of these tasks is visiting the dry cleaner (세탁소). Whether you need to iron a shirt, hem your pants, or sew a hole in your sweater, knowing a few basic Korean expressions will save you stress and help you interact confidently. This lesson will guide you through realistic Korean dialogues, key vocabulary, and practice activities designed for English speakers learning Korean.

Why Learn Korean Conversation Dry cleaner?

Laundry and alteration services are common in Korea. Many people bring their clothes to a 세탁소 (dry cleaner) for ironing, dry-cleaning, or small sewing repairs. While some shop owners may know a little English, most will speak only Korean. By preparing yourself with simple Korean phrases, you can easily explain what you want, ask about prices, and know when to return for your clothes. This is not only practical but also a great way to practice speaking Korean in a real-life context.

Dialogue Examples for Korean Conversation Dry cleaner

1. Dry Cleaning (드라이 맡기기)

English
Customer: Hello, I’d like to have this jacket dry-cleaned.
Clerk: Sure. When do you need it back?
Customer: Can I pick it up by Friday?
Clerk: Yes, it will be ready by Friday afternoon.
Customer: Great, thank you.

Korean
손님: 안녕하세요, 이 재킷 드라이 맡기고 싶어요.
직원: 네, 언제 필요하세요?
손님: 금요일까지 찾을 수 있을까요?
직원: 네, 금요일 오후에 준비됩니다.
손님: 좋아요, 감사합니다.

맡기다

Here’s the explanation of 맡기다 (matkida) in English. This Korean verb has multiple meanings depending on context, but the core idea is “to entrust, assign, or leave something/someone in another’s care.”

1. To leave an object with someone / somewhere

• Example: 가방을 친구에게 맡기다 → leave a bag with a friend
• English expressions: leave something with someone, leave something at, check in
• Sentences:
  • I left my bag at the front desk.
  • I checked in my luggage at the storage room.

2. To assign or delegate a task / responsibility

• Example: 프로젝트를 부하 직원에게 맡기다 → assign a project to a subordinate
• English expressions: entrust, assign, put someone in charge of
• Sentences:
  • He entrusted me with an important task.
  • I assigned her to prepare for the meeting.

3. To leave someone (child, pet, etc.) in another’s care

• Example: 아이를 유치원에 맡기다 → leave a child at daycare
• English expressions: leave someone with, put someone in someone’s care, entrust someone to
• Sentences:
  • I left my child at daycare.
  • I entrusted my dog to a friend.

4. To request service or repair

• Example: 옷을 세탁소에 맡기다 → take clothes to the dry cleaner
• English expressions: take something to (for service), leave something for repair/service
• Sentences:
  • I took my clothes to the dry cleaner.
  • I left my car at the garage for repair.

5. To delegate an abstract or official responsibility

• Example: 나라의 미래를 젊은 세대에게 맡기다 → entrust the nation’s future to the young generation
• English expressions: entrust, delegate, leave something to
• Sentences:
• We entrusted the country’s future to the younger generation

2. Ironing (다리미질)

English
Customer: Hi, can you iron this shirt?
Clerk: Of course. Do you want heavy starch or light starch?
Customer: Light starch, please.
Clerk: Got it. It will be ready tomorrow.

Korean
손님: 안녕하세요, 이 셔츠 다려주시겠어요?
직원: 네. 빳빳하게 할까요, 살짝만 할까요?
손님: 살짝만 해주세요.
직원: 알겠습니다. 내일 준비됩니다.

3. Hemming Pants (바지 줄이기)

English
Customer: I need to shorten these pants.
Clerk: How many centimeters do you want to cut?
Customer: About 5 centimeters.
Clerk: Okay, they will be ready in two days.

Korean
손님: 이 바지 줄이고 싶어요.
직원: 몇 센티미터 줄일까요?
손님: 5센티미터 정도요.
직원: 네, 이틀 후에 준비됩니다.

4. Sewing Holes (옷 구멍 꿰매기)

English
Customer: Can you fix this hole in my sweater?
Clerk: Yes, we can sew it neatly.
Customer: Will it be noticeable?
Clerk: It will look almost new.
Customer: Perfect, please do it.

Korean
손님: 제 스웨터 구멍을 수선해주실 수 있나요?
직원: 네, 깔끔하게 꿰맬 수 있습니다.
손님: 티가 많이 날까요?
직원: 거의 새 것처럼 보일 거예요.
손님: 좋아요, 부탁드려요.

Key Vocabulary

• Dry-clean (드라이클리닝하다) – to have clothes cleaned with chemicals instead of water
• Iron (다리미질하다) – to press clothes with heat
• Hem (옷단을 줄이다) – to shorten pants, skirts, or dresses
• Sew a hole (구멍을 꿰매다) – to repair clothing with a needle and thread
• Starch (풀 먹이다) – to make fabric stiff when ironing
• Pick up (찾다 / 찾아가다) – to collect your laundry from the shop

📝 Quick Quiz: Test Your Korean

Questions (영어 문장을 한국어로 번역하세요)

1. Can you iron this shirt?
2. I’d like to hem these pants.
3. Can I pick it up by Friday?
4. Can you fix this hole in my sweater?
5. I want to dry-clean this jacket.
6. How many centimeters do you want to cut?
7. When will it be ready?
8. Thank you, I’ll come back tomorrow.

✅ Answers (정답)

1. 이 셔츠 다려주시겠어요?
2. 이 바지 줄이고 싶어요.
3. 금요일까지 찾을 수 있을까요?
4. 제 스웨터 구멍을 수선해주실 수 있나요?
5. 이 재킷 드라이 맡기고 싶어요.
6. 몇 센티미터 줄일까요?
7. 언제 준비되나요?
8. 감사합니다, 내일 다시 올게요.

Conclusion

Learning Korean through practical daily situations like visiting the dry cleaner will make your experience in Korea much smoother. Even short sentences such as “이 바지 줄이고 싶어요” (“I want to hem these pants”) can make a big difference in daily life. Use these dialogues, practice them with a friend, and you will feel more confident the next time you step into a 세탁소 in Korea.

By studying simple Korean conversations for laundry and sewing, you are not only solving daily problems but also building real communication skills. Keep practicing, and soon you will be able to handle more situations like shopping, eating at restaurants, or even booking a trip in Korean!