◼ Negation
In this lesson, we are going to study about “Negation” in Korean sentences. You will learn about how to change
verbs and adjectives into negatives.
Korean has two ways of negating. The first is to use the negatives 안[an] “not” and 못[mot] “cannot,” and the
use of these negatives has the short form and the long form. The second is to use the auxiliary verb 말다[malda]
“stop.”
◼ The short form negation [안 / 못 + predicate]
The negative 안 is an abbreviated form of 아니[ani] “no,” as in 아니에요[anieyo] “no,” or 학생이
아니에요[haksaengi anieyo] “(I) am not a student.” It is used for general negation.
The negative 못[mot] means “cannot” or “unable”.
We can make a short form negation by placing one of these negatives in front of the predicate, as shown below:
안 + verb 안 + adjective 못 + verb
안 봐요
[an bwayo]
do not see 안 좁아요
[an jobayo]
is not narrow 못 만들어요
[mot
mandeureoyo]
cannot make
안 가요
[an gayo]
do not go 안 비싸요
[an bissayo]
is not expensive 못 팔아요
[mot parayo]
cannot sell
안 먹어요
[an meogeoyo]
do not eat 안 작아요
[an jagayo]
is not small 못 자요
[mot jayo]
cannot sleep
안 마셔요
[an masyeoyo]
do not drink 안 커요
[an keoyo]
is not big 못 뛰어요
[mot ttwieoyo]
cannot run
안 배워요
[an baewoyo]
do not learn 안 높아요
[an nopayo]
is not high 못 읽어요
[mot ilgeoyo]
cannot read
Since the negative 못[mot] refers to one’s ability or volition, it cannot be used with the adjectives which describe
states or quantity.
◼ The long form negation [-지 않아요] and [-지 못해요]
Korean language class in MUNI
week
7
The long form negation has the following constructions:
stem + 지 않다
[ji anta]
수잔이 고기를 먹지 않아요
[sujani gogireul meokji anayo]
Susan does not eat meat
stem + 지 못 하다
[ji motada]
수잔이 고기를 먹지 못 해요
[sujani gogireul meokji mot haeyo]
Susan cannot eat meat
As seen above, the long form negation is created by adding 지[ji] to the stem, which is followed by a negative
auxiliary 않다[anta] or 못 하다[mot hada].
Here are examples:
verb stem + 지 않다 adjective stem + 지 않다 verb + 지 못 하다
보지 않아요
[boji anayo]
do not see 좁지 않아요
[jopji anayo]
is not narrow 만들지 못 해요
[mandeulji mot
haeyo]
cannot make
가지 않아요
[gaji anayo]
do not go 비싸지 않아요
[bissaji anayo]
is not expensive 팔지 못 해요
[palji mot
haeyo]
cannot sell
먹지 않아요
[meokji anayo]
do not eat 작지 않아요
[jakji anayo]
is not small 자지 못 해요
[jaji mot haeyo]
cannot sleep
마시지 않아요
[masiji anayo]
do not drink 크지 않아요
[keuji anayo]
is not big 뛰지 못 해요
[ttwiji mot
haeyo]
cannot run
배우지 않아요
[baeuji anayo]
do not learn 높지 않아요
[nopji anayo]
is not high 읽지 못 해요
[ikji mot haeyo]
cannot read
◼ The negative auxiliary verb [말다]
For imperative and propositive sentences, the negative auxiliary verb 말다[malda] is used instead.
그 영화를
[geu
yeonghwareul]
보지 말아요
[boji marayo]
“Don’t see that movie” or “(Let us) not see that movie”
보지 마십시오
[boji masipsio]
“Don’t see that movie”
보지 맙시다
[boji mapsida]
“(Let us) not see that movie”
학교에
[hakgyoe]
가지 말아요
[gaji marayo]
“Don’t go to school” or “(Let us) not go to school”
가지 마십시오
[gaji masipsio]
“Don’t go to school”
가지 맙시다
[gaji mapsida]
“(Let us) not go to school”
매운 음식을
[maeun
eumsigeul]
먹지 말아요
[meokji marayo]
“Don’t eat spicy food” or “(Let us) not eat spicy food”
먹지 마십시오
[meokji masipsio]
“Don’t eat spicy food”
먹지 맙시다
[meokji mapsida]
“(Let us) not eat spicy food”
When you use 말다[malda], you have to notice that the stem 말[mal] changes to 마[ma] (as in
마십시오[masipsio]) and to 맙[map] (as in 맙시다[mapsida]). This is due to the fact that 말다[malda] is a ㄹ
irregular verb. In ㄹ-irregular, the stem loses ㄹ when the stem is followed by one of the following consonants:
ㄴ, ㅂ, and ㅅ.
Consequently, the stem 말[mal] loses ㄹ, as it is conjugated with the deferential imperative ending -십시오[sipsio],
and -십시다[-sipsida] (since the ending begins with ㅅ). The other ㄹ-irregular verbs include the verbs
like 살다[salda] “live,” 알다[alda] “know,” 길다[gilda] “long,” and so on.
◼ Exercise
Exercise 1. Change the following verb or adjective into the short form negation using the negative 안.
Then translate the sentence.
Example: 텔레비전을 (보다) [tellebijeoneul boda]
⇒ 텔레비전을 안 봐요. [tellebijeoneul an bwayo]
“(I) do not watch TV”
(1) 김치를 (사다) [gimchireul sada]
(2) 저녁을 (먹다) [jeonyeogeul meokda]
(3) 방이 (크다) [bangi keuda]
Exercise 2. Change the following verb or adjective into the short form negation using the negative 못.
Then translate the sentence.
Example: 공포 영화를 (보다) [gongpo yeonghwareul boda]
⇒ 공포 영화를 못 봐요. [gongpo yeonghwareul mot bwayo]
“(I) cannot see a horror movie”
(1) 도서관에서 책을 (빌리다) [doseogwaneseo chaegeul billida]
(2) 아버지한테 (전화하다) [abeojihante jeonhwahada]
(3) 문을 (열다) [muneul yeolda]
Exercise 3. Answer the following questions with the long form negation.
Example: 햄버거 먹어요? [haembeogeo meogeoyo]
“(Do you) eat hamburgers?”
⇒ 아니오, 먹지 않아요. [anio, meokji anayo]
“No, (I) do not eat (it)”
(1) 한국어를 배워요? [hangugeoreul baewoyo] “(Do you) learn Korean?
(2) 시험이 어려워요? [siheomi eoryeowoyo] “Is the test difficult?”
(3) 피곤해요? [pigonhaeyo] “(Are you) tired?”
◼ Conversation
선우[sunwoo]: 안녕하세요. 처음 뵙겠습니다. [annyeonghaseyo. cheoeum boepgetseumnida.]
Hello. Nice to meet you.
은서[eunseo]: 안녕하세요. 커피 드실래요? [annyeonghaseyo. keopi deusillaeyo?]
Hello. Do you want some coffee?
선우[sunwoo]: 아니오, 저는 커피를 안 마셔요. 차 한 잔 주시겠어요?
[anio, jeoneun keopireul an masyeoyo. cha han jan jusigesseoyo?]
No, I don’t drink the coffee. Can you give me a cup of tea?
은서[eunseo]: 네, 여기요. 혹시 저번에 제안한 건 생각해보셨나요?
[ne, yeogiyo. hoksi jeobeone jeanhan geon saenggakaebosyeonnayo?]
Yes, here it is. Have you thought about what I suggested last time?
선우[sunwoo]: 네. 근데 아무래도 저는 못 할 것 같아요. 요즘에 다른 일들로 너무 바빠서요.
[ne. geunde amuraedo jeoneun mot hal geot gatayo. yojeume dareun ildeullo neomu
bappaseoyo.]
Yes. But I think I cannot do it. I’m so busy with other things these days.
은서[eunseo]: 아, 그렇군요. 알겠습니다. [a, geureokunyo. algetseumnida.]
Oh, I got it. Okay.
◼ Vocabulary
건너다 [geonneoda] v. cross/ go over
아버지 [abeoji] n. father
내일 [naeil] n. tomorrow
늦게 [neutge] adv. lately
도서관 [doseogwan] n. library
마시다 [masida] v. drink
만나다 [mannada] v. meet
말하다 [malhada] v. speak
바쁘다 [bappeuda] adj. to be busy
버리다 [beorida] v. throw away
병원 [byeongwon] n. hospital
보내다 [bonaeda] v. send
부르다 [bureuda] v. call out/ sing
비싸다 [bissada] adj. to be expensive
빌리다 [billida] v. borrow
사다 [sada] v. buy
쉬다 [swida] v. rest
식당 [sikdang] n. cafeteria
신다 [sinda] v. wear (shoes)
쓰다 [sseuda] v. use/ write
쓰레기 [sseuregi] n. garbage
씻다 [ssitda] v. wash
팔다 [palda] v. sell
타다 [tada] v. ride
◼ Sentence drill practice
<Topic: Private topics>
1. 가족은 몇 분이나 됩니까? [gajogeun myeot bunina doemnikka]
How many people are there in your family?
→ (noun)은 몇 (counter)이나 됩니까?
2. 남편은 무슨 일을 하세요? [nampyeoneun museun ireul haseyo]
What does your husband do for a living?
→ (noun)은 무슨 (noun)을 하세요?
3. 아들은 둘이고 딸은 없습니다. [adeureun durigo ttareun eopseumnida]
I have two sons, but no girls.
→ (noun)은 (number)고 (noun)은 (number)입니다.
4. 기혼입니다. / 미혼입니다. [gihonimnida. / mihonimnida]
I’m married. / I’m single.
→ (noun)입니다.
5. 나이를 여쭤봐도 될까요? [naireul yeojjwobwado doelkkayo]
May I ask your age?
→ (noun)을 여쭤봐도 될까요?
6. 부여에서 태어나 서울에서 자랐습니다. [buyeoeseo taeeona seoureseo jaratseumnida]
I was born in Buyeo and raised in Seoul.
→ (place)에서 (verb) (place)에서 (verb).
7. 당신의 종교는 뭡니까? [dangsinui jonggyoneun mwomnikka]
What’s your religion?
→ 당신의 (noun)은 뭡니까?
8. 저는 기독교 신자입니다. [jeoneun gidokgyo sinjaimnida]
I’m a Christian.
→ 저는 (religion) 신자입니다.
9. 어느 학교 나오셨나요? [eoneu hakgyo naosyeonnayo]
Which school did you graduate from?
→ 어느 (noun) (verb)?
10. 교육학을 전공하고 있습니다. [gyoyukageul jeongonghago itseumnida]
I’m majoring in education.
→ (major)을 전공하고 있습니다.
◼ Answer
Exercise 1.
(1) 김치를 안 사요. [gimchireul an sayo] “(I) do not buy kimchi”
(2) 저녁을 안 먹어요. [jeonyeogeul an meogeoyo] “(I) do not eat dinner”
(3) 방이 안 커요. [bangi an keoyo] “Room is not big”
Exercise 2.
(1) 도서관에서 책을 못 빌려요. [doseogwaneseo chaegeul mon billyeoyo]
“(I) cannot borrow book in the library”
(2) 아버지한테 못 전화해요. [abeojihante mon jeonhwahaeyo] “(I) cannot call to my father”
(3) 문을 못 열어요. [muneul mon yeoreoyo] “(I) cannot open the door”
Exercise 3.
(1) 아니오, 배우지 않아요. [anio, baeuji anayo] “No, (I) do not learn (it)”
(2) 아니오, 어렵지 않아요. [anio, eoryeopji anayo] “No, (It) is not difficult”
(3) 아니오, 피곤하지 않아요. [anio, pigonhaji anayo] “No, (I) am not tired”