bunrisugeoreul hagi jeone byeongirang kaeneul ssiseoyo.

분리수거 refers to separating and disposing of recyclables properly, such as sorting paper, plastic, glass, and cans into the correct categories.

In everyday Korean, it often refers to putting out the recycling or sorting the recycling, not just recycling in the abstract.

So in this sentence, 분리수거를 하기 전에 means something like:

• before doing the recycling
• before sorting/putting out the recyclables

Because 전에 usually attaches naturally to a noun phrase or to a verb clause turned into a noun-like form.

Here, 분리수거하다 means to do the recycling / to sort recyclables.
To say before doing X, Korean often uses:

• Verb stem + 기 전에

So:

• 하다 → 하기 전에 = before doing
• 분리수거를 하기 전에 = before doing the recycling

You may also hear 분리수거 전에 in real life, and it can sound natural too, but 분리수거를 하기 전에 makes the action of doing it more explicit.

-기 전에 means before doing...

It is a very common grammar pattern:

• 먹기 전에 = before eating
• 자기 전에 = before sleeping
• 나가기 전에 = before going out

In this sentence:

• 분리수거를 하다 = to do the recycling
• 분리수거를 하기 전에 = before doing the recycling

So the structure is:

• [Action 1] + 기 전에, [Action 2]
• Literally: Before doing Action 1, (I/we) do Action 2

The 를 is the object particle. It marks 분리수거 as the object of 하다.

So:

• 분리수거를 하다 = to do recycling / to sort recyclables

This is a very common Korean pattern with 하다:

• 공부를 하다 = to study
• 운동을 하다 = to exercise
• 청소를 하다 = to clean
• 분리수거를 하다 = to do the recycling

Even though English might express this with a single verb, Korean often uses noun + 를/을 하다.

Because 병이랑 캔 is treated as one combined noun phrase: bottles and cans.

So the structure is:

• 병이랑 캔 = bottles and cans
• 병이랑 캔을 씻어요 = wash bottles and cans

The object particle 을 comes after the whole phrase, not after each noun.

This is similar to how Korean often marks the final item in a list:

• 사과랑 바나나를 먹어요 = I eat apples and bananas
• 책이랑 공책을 샀어요 = I bought books and notebooks

You could also say 병을이랑 캔을? No—that is not correct.

이랑 means and / with in casual spoken Korean.

So:

• 병이랑 캔 = bottles and cans

It is similar to:

• 병하고 캔
• 병과 캔
• 병와 캔 → incorrect, because 병 ends in a consonant, so it would be 병과

The main differences are style and formality:

• 이랑/랑: casual, conversational
• 하고: also common and conversational
• 와/과: more formal or written

Examples:

• 병이랑 캔
• 병하고 캔
• 병과 캔

All can mean basically the same thing here.

Also note the form:

• after a noun ending in a consonant: 이랑
• after a noun ending in a vowel: 랑

So:

• 병이랑
• 캔이랑
• 우유랑

Korean often does not mark plural when it is already clear from context.

So:

• 병 can mean bottle or bottles
• 캔 can mean can or cans

In this sentence, the meaning is naturally understood as plural because recycling usually involves multiple items.

Korean does have a plural marker, 들, but it is not used as often as English plural -s.
So while 병들 or 캔들 is possible in some contexts, it would usually sound unnecessary here.

In Korean, the present tense often covers:

• present actions
• habitual actions
• general routines
• near-future actions depending on context

So 씻어요 can mean:

• I wash
• we wash
• I’m washing
• we usually wash

In this sentence, it most naturally sounds like a habit/routine:

• Before doing the recycling, we wash the bottles and cans.

Korean does not always need a separate form like English usually wash if the context already suggests a routine.

The subject is omitted because Korean often leaves out subjects when they are understood from context.

So 씻어요 could mean:

• I wash
• we wash
• they wash
• you wash

depending on the situation.

In isolated textbook-style sentences, English translations often use I or we, but the Korean itself does not specify the subject.

This is very normal in Korean. If needed, a speaker could add a subject:

• 저는 분리수거를 하기 전에 병이랑 캔을 씻어요.
  = I wash bottles and cans before doing the recycling.

Korean often puts the time/background/action-setting part first, and the main action later.

So the sentence structure is:

• 분리수거를 하기 전에 = before doing the recycling
• 병이랑 캔을 씻어요 = wash the bottles and cans

This order is very natural in Korean. You can think of it as:

• As for what happens before recycling: we wash the bottles and cans.

Korean frequently places clauses like before..., if..., when..., and because... before the main verb.

Yes, in this context 씻어요 most naturally means wash/rinse the bottles and cans so they are clean before recycling.

For recyclables, English might specifically say:

• rinse out the bottles and cans

But Korean often just uses 씻다, which broadly means to wash. In context, it can easily imply a quick rinse rather than a deep cleaning.

So the sentence is naturally understood as cleaning the containers before putting them out for recycling.