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doseogwaneseo chaegeul billil su isseoyo.

도서관에서 책을 빌릴 수 있어요.doseogwaneseo chaegeul billil su isseoyo.
You can borrow a book at the library.
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Questions & Answers about doseogwaneseo chaegeul billil su isseoyo.

What does the particle 에서 do here, and why not 에?
  • 에서 marks the place where an action happens, so with an action verb like 빌리다 (to borrow), 도서관에서 means “at/in the library.”
  • 에 marks a static location (existence) or direction. It’s used with verbs like 있다 or 가다.
  • Using 도서관에 책을 빌릴 수 있어요 is unnatural.
  • Note: 에서 can also mean “from” as a source with some verbs, so the sentence can be understood as “(You) can borrow books from the library,” which still fits.
Why is it 책을 and not just 책? Can I drop the object particle?
  • 을/를 marks the direct object. 책 ends with a consonant, so use 을 → 책을.
  • In casual speech, particles are often dropped when the meaning is clear: 도서관에서 책 빌릴 수 있어요 is common. In careful speech or writing, keep 을/를.
How does 빌릴 수 있어요 express “can/could”? How do I make this with other verbs?
  • Pattern: Verb + -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 = can/be able to.
  • After a vowel, add -ㄹ 수; after a consonant, add -을 수.
  • Examples:
    • 가다 → 갈 수 있어요 (can go)
    • 먹다 → 먹을 수 있어요 (can eat)
    • 하다 → 할 수 있어요 (can do)
Why is it 빌릴 and not 빌리?
  • The dictionary form is 빌리다. Attach -ㄹ 수 to the stem 빌리-, yielding 빌릴 수 (the two ㄹ’s meet).
  • Quick guide:
    • Vowel-ending stem + -ㄹ 수 → 가- + ㄹ 수 = 갈 수
    • Consonant-ending stem + -을 수 → 먹- + 을 수 = 먹을 수
    • If the stem ends in ㄹ, just use 수 → 알- + 수 = 알 수
Does this mean ability or permission? What if I want to ask “Is it allowed?”
  • -ㄹ/을 수 있다 primarily expresses ability/possibility. It can imply permission from context, but it’s not the clearest way.
  • To ask permission, use -(아/어)도 되다:
    • 도서관에서 책을 빌려도 돼요? / 빌려도 될까요? (Is it okay/May I borrow a book at the library?)
What’s the difference between 빌리다, 빌려주다, and 대출하다?
  • 빌리다 = to borrow (the subject receives).
  • 빌려주다 = to lend (the subject gives).
  • 대출하다 = to check out/loan (formal/library term).
  • Examples:
    • 저는 도서관에서 책을 빌렸어요. (I borrowed a book from the library.)
    • 도서관이 책을 대출해 줘요. / 대출이 가능합니다. (The library lends books/Checkout is available.)
    • 친구가 책을 저에게 빌려줬어요. (A friend lent me a book.)
What politeness level is -어요, and what are alternatives?
  • 빌릴 수 있어요 is polite informal (해요체), good for most situations.
  • More formal: 빌릴 수 있습니다.
  • Casual: 빌릴 수 있어.
  • Very polite/soft question: 빌릴 수 있을까요?
How do I turn this into a question naturally?
  • Just use rising intonation or a question mark: 도서관에서 책을 빌릴 수 있어요?
  • To ask permission more directly: 도서관에서 책을 빌려도 될까요?
  • To politely ask about someone’s ability (honorific subject): 도서관에서 책을 빌리실 수 있어요?
Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?
  • 도서관에서 → roughly “do-seo-gwa-ne-seo” (the ㄴ from 관 links to 에서).
  • 책을 → “chae-geul” (ㄱ sound carries over: 책-을 → 채글).
  • 빌릴 → “bil-lil” with a long/lightly tense L sound because of ㄹㄹ.
  • 있어요 → pronounced “i-sseo-yo”; together 수 있어요 flows as “su i-sseo-yo.”
  • Whole sentence roughly: “do-seo-gwa-ne-seo chae-geul bil-lil su i-sseo-yo.”
Can I change the word order?
  • Yes, Korean word order is flexible as long as the verb phrase stays at the end:
    • 도서관에서 책을 빌릴 수 있어요. (neutral)
    • 책을 도서관에서 빌릴 수 있어요. (slight focus on “book”)
    • 도서관에서는 책을 빌릴 수 있어요. (contrast: at the library, at least, you can)
  • Don’t break up 빌릴 수 있어요 unnaturally.
How do I say “cannot”?
  • Neutral: 빌릴 수 없어요.
  • Emphatic: 빌릴 수가 없어요. (adds strong emphasis)
  • Inability/failure nuance: 못 빌려요. (can’t/failed to due to some impediment)
Who is the subject here? How do I add it or make it honorific?
  • The subject is omitted; context decides (I/you/people).
  • To specify: 저는/우리는/학생들은 도서관에서 책을 빌릴 수 있어요.
  • Honorific subject: 선생님은 도서관에서 책을 빌리실 수 있어요. (add -시- to the verb)
How do I say how many books I can borrow?
  • Use the counter 권 after the number (native numbers):
    • 도서관에서 책 한 권(을) 빌릴 수 있어요. (one book)
    • 도서관에서 책 세 권(을) 빌릴 수 있어요. (three books)
  • The object particle usually attaches to the whole counter phrase: 책 세 권을.
Is there any tricky spacing?
  • Yes: 수 is a noun, so write 수 있어요 with a space.
  • Do not write 수있어요 (incorrect).
  • Particles attach to nouns with no space: 도서관에서 (not 도서관 에서).
How do I put this in the past or future?
  • Past ability/possibility: 빌릴 수 있었어요. (was able to/could)
  • Future likelihood: 빌릴 수 있을 거예요. (will be able to / will probably be able to)
Can 에서 also mean “from,” and how do I say “from a person”?
  • Yes, with sources/places: 도서관에서 책을 빌렸어요. (borrowed a book from the library).
  • From a person, use 한테서/에게서: 친구한테서 책을 빌렸어요. (borrowed a book from a friend).