Negation: 안/-지 않다 and 못/-지 못하다
There are two ways to make negatives in Korean: the short form and the long form.
Simple Negation with 안 (an)
Put '안 (an)' before the verb or adjective, or add '-지 않다 (-ji anta)' to the stem. Both carry the same meaning.
| Positive | Short form | Long form |
|---|---|---|
| 가요 (gayo) | 안 가요 (an gayo) | 가지 않아요 (gaji anayo) |
| 먹어요 (meogeoyo) | 안 먹어요 (an meogeoyo) | 먹지 않아요 (meokji anayo) |
| 바빠요 (bappayo) | 안 바빠요 (an bappayo) | 바쁘지 않아요 (bappeuji anayo) |
저는 오늘 학교에 안 가요.
jeo-neun oneul hakgyo-e an gayo.
I am not going to school today.
Note: for 'noun + 하다 (hada)' verbs like 공부하다, put '안' between the noun and '하다': 공부 안 해요 (gongbu an haeyo), not 안 공부해요.
Negation with 못 (mot): Inability
'못 (mot)' means 'cannot' and marks inability or circumstance. Put '못' before the verb, or use '-지 못하다 (-ji mothada)'.
| Positive | Short form | Long form |
|---|---|---|
| 수영해요 (suyeonghaeyo) | 수영 못 해요 (suyeong mot haeyo) | 수영하지 못해요 (suyeonghaji mothaeyo) |
| 와요 (wayo) | 못 와요 (mot wayo) | 오지 못해요 (oji mothaeyo) |
다리를 다쳐서 오늘은 운동을 못 해요.
dari-reul dachyeoseo oneur-eun undong-eul mot haeyo.
I hurt my leg, so I can't exercise today.
표가 없어서 영화를 보지 못해요.
pyo-ga eopseoseo yeonghwa-reul boji mothaeyo.
There are no tickets, so I can't watch the movie.
동생은 매운 음식을 안 먹어요.
dongsaeng-eun maeun eumsig-eul an meogeoyo.
My younger sibling doesn't eat spicy food.
주말에는 회사에 안 가요.
jumar-eneun hoesa-e an gayo.
I don't go to the office on weekends.
아직 운전을 못 해요.
ajik unjeon-eul mot haeyo.
I can't drive yet.
오늘은 바빠서 친구를 안 만나요.
oneur-eun bappaseo chingu-reul an mannayo.
I'm busy today, so I'm not meeting my friend.
Negating 있다 (have) & 알다 (know)
'있다 (itda)' and '알다 (alda)' don't use '안'; they take opposite words instead: 있다 → 없어요 (eopseoyo, not 안 있어요), 알다 → 몰라요 (mollayo, not 안 알아요).
지금은 시간이 없어요.
jigeum-eun sigan-i eopseoyo.
I don't have time right now.
💡 Tip: Tip: '안' is closer to 'don't want to' (choice), while '못' is closer to 'unable to' (inability). Adjectives normally don't take '못'.