geollero chaeksang miteul dakkeun da-eume bisjaruwa sseurebatgireul beranda-e dueosseo.

After wiping under the desk with a rag, I put the broom and dustpan on the veranda.

Breakdown of geollero chaeksang miteul dakkeun da-eume bisjaruwa sseurebatgireul beranda-e dueosseo.

• ~을: object particle
• ~를: object particle
• ~에: location particle
• 책상: desk

Questions & Answers about geollero chaeksang miteul dakkeun da-eume bisjaruwa sseurebatgireul beranda-e dueosseo.

Why is -로 used in 걸레로?

-로 marks the tool, means, or instrument used to do something.

So 걸레로 닦다 means to wipe/clean with a rag.

A useful contrast:

• 걸레로 닦았어 = I wiped it with a rag
• 걸레를 닦았어 = I cleaned/wiped the rag

Here, 걸레 is not the thing being cleaned; it is the thing used to clean.

What exactly does 책상 밑 mean?

책상 밑 means under the desk or the area underneath the desk.

• 책상 = desk
• 밑 = bottom, underside, underneath

In this kind of phrase, 밑 acts like a noun meaning the lower/under area of something. So 책상 밑 is literally the desk’s underside/under-area.

Why is it 책상 밑을 닦은 and not 책상 밑에 닦은?