Korean Made Simple: A beginner's guide to learning the Korean language

Chapter 14: Negative Sentences

In this chapter we’ll learn how to make negative sentences – "I do not want to eat it," as opposed to "I want to eat it." We’ll also learn about negative verbs.

Conversation

양태용: 오늘도 저와 함께 공원에 갑니까?

최소영: 아니요. 안 갑니다.

양태용: 왜 가지 않습니까?

최소영: 시간이 없기 때문에 갈 수 없습니다.

Making Verbs Negative

Up until now we’ve only worked with verbs that are positive – what I mean by positive is they’ve all been about things you do, as opposed to things that you don’t do. For example:

저는 갑니다.

"I’m going."

저는 미국 사람입니다.

"I’m an American."

This chapter will cover how to make negative sentences.

저는 안 갑니다.

"I’m not going."

저는 미국 사람이 아닙니다.

"I’m not an American."

Before we can learn how these work, we need to learn a little bit more about how the Korean language works. In English, to make a verb negative in the present tense, you can simply add "not."

"I am a student." → "I am not a student."

"I’m going." → "I’m not going."

Korean has a similar way to make verbs negative too, but some verbs act differently than others.

Verb Stem + 지 않다

You can use this form to turn any verb into a negative.

Take the verb stem and attach 지, followed by the verb 않다 conjugated; in present tense, this would become 않습니다.

공부하다

→ 공부하지 않다

가다

→ 가지 않다

먹다

→ 먹지 않다

공부합니다.

"I’m studying"

공부하지 않습니다.

"I’m not studying."

학교에 갑니다.

"I’m going to school."

학교에 가지 않습니다.

"I’m not going to school."

김치를 먹습니다.

"I’m eating kimchi."

김치를 먹지 않습니다.

"I’m not eating kimchi."

When changing a descriptive verb into an adjective, using this negative form, 지 않다 will become 지 않은.

덥지 않은 날씨

"weather that isn’t hot"

피곤하지 않은 사람

"a person who isn’t tired"

높지 않은 산

"a mountain that isn’t tall"

안 + Verb

Some verbs are a bit special, and have a second, extra way of making them negative.

For these type of verbs, all you need to do is add 안 before them to make them negative.

가다

→ 안 가다

먹다

→ 안 먹다

갑니다.

"I’m going"

안 갑니다.

"I’m not going."

김치를 먹습니다.

"I’m eating kimchi."

김치를 안 먹습니다.

"I’m not eating kimchi."

Seems simple, right? But how do you know when you should use 안 before the verb, or 지 않다 after it? Here’s the answer:

Sino-Korean Verbs and Pure Korean Verbs

In the last two chapters we learned about Sino-Korean numbers and Pure Korean numbers. But there’s more! Some verbs in Korean originally came from Chinese as well, such as 공부하다 ("to study"), and many other verbs (but not all) that end in 하다. Other verbs in Korean did not come from Chinese, but originated in Korea, such as 가다 ("to go").

Verbs that came from the Chinese language are known as Sino-Korean verbs, and verbs that did not come from Chinese are Pure Korean verbs.

Why is this important to know? If you know whether a verb is Sino-Korean or Pure Korean, you can know whether you can use 안 or 지 않다 to make it negative.

All Pure Korean verbs can use both of the above two methods.

안 가다 "to not go"

저는 안 갑니다.

"I’m not going."

가지 않다 "to not go"

저는 가지 않습니다.

"I’m not going."

안 먹다 "to not eat"

저는 안 먹습니다.

"I’m not eating it."

먹지 않다 "to not eat"

저는 먹지 않습니다.

"I’m not eating it."

These above two methods are identical. Feel free to use whichever you feel more comfortable with.

All Sino-Korean verbs can only use 지 않다. You cannot use 안 with a Sino-Korean verb.

공부하지 않다 "to not study"

저는 공부하지 않습니다.

"I’m not studying."

안 공부하다 would be incorrect, since 공부하다 is a Sino-Korean verb.

수영하지 않다 "to not swim"

저는 수영하지 않습니다.

"I’m not swimming."

안 수영하다 would also be incorrect because it is a Sino-Korean verb.

Advanced Notes:

The difference between using 안 and using 지 않다 is that 지 않다 is used a tiny bit more in formal situations or when trying to be polite. This difference is really small, and will not matter at all, but there is a difference.

But then how can you tell which verbs are Sino-Korean and which verbs are Pure Korean just by looking at them? The short answer is you can’t, but the slightly longer answer is you can, sometimes.

Any verb with only two syllables will be a Pure Korean verb 100% of the time (well, except for only one verb, which I’ll talk about in a moment). This includes verbs such as 가다, 오다, 받다, 먹다, and any other two syllable verb we’ve learned so far. There are many of these verbs, so knowing this tip alone should be useful.

There is only one exception to this rule – the verb 하다. Except when 하다 is all on its own in a sentence, you’ll have to rely on other methods to figure out whether the verb is acting as a Sino-Korean verb or as a Pure Korean verb.

안 하다 is okay (하다 is on its own), as is 하지 않다, but 안 공부하다is incorrect (공부하다 is a Sino-Korean verb).

안 심심하다 is okay (심심하다 is a Pure Korean verb), and 심심하지 않다 is also okay.

Advanced Notes:

All verbs in this book containing 하다 that are listed with an Object Marker before them can also be used with both 안 and 지 않다. This is because these verbs are a combination of a noun and the verb 하다, and can be separated into two pieces as such.

Remember that 안 will still come directly before the verb itself, just as usual. Here are some example conjugations.

공부(를) 하다 "to study"

공부하지 않다 "to not study"

*공부를 안 하다 "to not study"

안 공부하다 would still be incorrect, for the same reasons as explained above.

Just to reiterate once more, not all verbs containing 하다 can be separated in this way, such as 심심하다 which is mentioned above. Be certain the verb can be separated in this way before using 안 before 하다.

However, if the verb has more than two syllables, the only way to tell whether it is Sino-Korean or Pure Korean is through learning how each verb is used in real conversation. If you notice a certain longer verb being used with 안, then you can know for the future that it’s a Pure Korean verb.

If you have access to a dictionary (physical or online), then here’s another trick. Check if the verb has any Chinese characters listed next to it. If it does, then it’s a Sino-Korean verb. If it doesn’t, then it’s a Pure Korean verb.

But when all else fails, use 지 않다. Every verb can become negative using the 지 않다 form, so this is a safe bet when you’re not sure whether a verb is Sino-Korean or Pure Korean.

Advanced Notes:

Using a dictionary to check for Chinese characters will let you know whether a verb is Sino-Korean or Pure Korean almost every single time, but as languages go there will always be exceptions here and there. An example is the common verb 사랑하다 ("to love"), which is Sino-Korean but will not have Chinese characters next to its listing in a dictionary because its origin in the Chinese language is not certain.

Already Negative Verbs

Korean is a bit unique in another way from English. Saying "I know" and "I don’t know" in English uses the same verb – "to know." However there are some cases in Korean where a separate verb exists that can be used instead.

Take the verb 알다 which means "to know."

저는 압니다.

"I know."

Since this verb (알다) only has two syllables, we can know for sure that it is a Pure Korean verb, and should therefore be able to become negative with either 안 or 지 않다.

But there’s actually already a negative verb for 알다 that exists in Korean – 모르다, which means "to not know."

Instead of using 안 알다 or 알지 않다, you would use 모르다.

저는 모릅니다.

"I don’t know."

김 선생님을 모릅니까?

"You don’t know Mr. Kim?"

Another common verb which has a negative version already in Korean is 있다 ("to exist"). Its opposite is 없다 ("to not exist").

저는 돈이 있습니다.

"I have money."

저는 돈이 없습니다.

"I don’t have money."

철수 씨가 지금 집에 없습니다.

"Chul-soo is not at home now."

이 음식은 맛이 없습니다.

"This food is not delicious."

재미없습니다.

"It’s not entertaining."

When used as an adjective, 없다 becomes 없는.

맛없는 음식

"food that doesn’t taste good"

재미없는 이야기

"a story that’s not entertaining"

Advanced Notes:

For verbs that contain 없다 and 있다, the Subject Marker is optional, as indicated by being surrounded in parentheses. However, these types of verbs are most often used without the Subject Marker. Instead of 재미(가) 있다, it’s more common to see 재미있다, and instead of 맛(이) 없다, it’s more common to see 맛없다.

이다 and 아니다

Let’s go over another useful negative verb.

아니다 ("to not be") is the opposite of 이다 ("to be").

아니다 is used slightly differently than 이다, in that when you use 아니다 you must mark what it is that you aren’t (or what isn’t) by using the Subject Marker.

저는 미국 사람입니다.

"I’m an American."

저는 미국 사람이 아닙니다.

"I’m not an American."

그것은 고양이입니다.

"As for that, it is a cat."

그것은 고양이가 아닙니다.

"As for that, it is not a cat."

Advanced Notes:

Even for verbs that already have negatives such as 알다, 있다, and 이다 feel free to use 지 않다 instead if you are unable to remember their negative forms. This is why I recommend falling back on 지 않다 if you’re not sure. Of course, if you know the negative form of the verb, it’s much preferred to use it instead.

Advanced Notes:

There are also a small number of Sino-Korean verbs that can use 안 before them as if they were Pure Korean verbs, but they are the exception and not the norm. One common example is 통하다 ("to go through").

Now that we can make verbs negative, let’s go over the conversation.

양태용: 오늘도 저와 함께 공원에 갑니까?

"Are you going to the park with me today too?"

Noun + 와/과 함께

Saying "together with" is simple.

Take a noun and attach 와/과 followed by 함께.

저와 함께 집에 걸어가고 싶습니까?

"Do you want to walk home together with me?"

김 씨와 함께 있습니까?

"Are you together with Mr. Kim?"

Although 오늘도 means "also today" or "today too," in this context it translates much better as "today again."

Advanced Notes:

In the above form, 함께 is actually optional, but using it gives a stronger meaning of "together." Using 와/과 on its own after a noun will mean simply "with."

저와 가고 싶습니까?

"Do you want to go with me?"

저는 김 선생님과 있습니다.

"I am with Mr. Kim."

최소영: 아니요. 안 갑니다.

"No. I’m not going."

양태용: 왜 가지 않습니까?

"Why aren’t you going?"

Remember that since 가다 is a Pure Korean verb, it can become negative by either adding 안 before it, or by adding 지 않다 after it.

최소영: 시간이 없기 때문에 갈 수 없습니다.

"I’m not going because I don’t have time."

Can and Can’t

Verb Stem + (을/ㄹ) 수 있다/없다

To say can or can’t, take the verb stem and attach 을 if it ends in a consonant, or ㄹ if it ends in a vowel. Then add 수. Finally, use 있다 if you want to say "can," or use 없다 if you want to say "can’t."

저는 그것을 먹을 수 있습니다.

"I can eat that."

저는 그것을 먹을 수 없습니다.

"I can’t eat that."

그분은 노래를 부를 수 있습니다.

"He/she can sing."

그분은 노래를 부를 수 없습니다.

"He/she can’t sing."

주제를 이해할 수 있습니다.

"I can understand the topic."

주제를 이해할 수 없습니다.

"I can’t understand the topic."

저도 갈 수 있습니다.

"I can go too."

저도 갈 수 없습니다.

"I can’t go either."

Advanced Notes:

It’s also common for 수 to be followed by a marker, such as the Subject Marker (가) or Topic Marker (는). Although the meaning will stay the same, doing so will slightly alter the nuance of the sentence. We’ll learn more about how these markers can affect the nuance of a sentence in the next chapter.

In negative sentences, 도 can also translate to "either."

저도 이해할 수 없습니다.

"I can’t understand it either."

저도 쇠고기를 먹을 수 없습니다.

"I can’t eat beef either."

Advanced Notes:

Here’s an extra trick. If you know that a verb is a Pure Korean verb, there is a much easier way to say "can’t" than the above method. Instead, attach 못 before the verb, then conjugate it normally. As with 안, this does not work for Sino-Korean verbs.

저는 갈 수 없습니다.

"I can’t go."

저는 못 갑니다.

"I can’t go."

먹을 수 없습니다.

"I can’t eat it."

못 먹습니다.

"I can’t eat it."

그분도 할 수 없습니다.

"He can’t do it either."

그분도 못합니다.

"He can’t do it either."

However, you will still need to use the above form like normal if you want to say "can."

저는 갈 수 있습니다.

"I can go."

Using the 수 없다 form is a tiny bit more formal than using 못, but feel free to use either one.

Remember that using 못 and using 안 have different meanings – while 못 is used to mean "can’t" (unable to), 안 means "doesn’t" (maybe can, but does not).

Let’s look at an example with the verb 이해(를) 하다 ("to understand"). Using 이해(를) 안 하다 would be incorrect, as using 안 means that you are not doing something on your own free will – instead, this verb would need to be either 이해(를) 못 하다, or 이해(를) 할 수 없다.

Culture Notes:

노래방 ("song room") and PC방 (피시방 – "personal computer room") are popular places for Koreans, both young and old, to meet with each other.

A 노래방 is a private room for karaoke with friends and family. You are not expected to sing well, so relax and enjoy the time. If you are able to learn and sing a song in Korean at a 노래방, your experience will even be more memorable.

A typical PC방 will contain several dozens of high-end computers, as well as pre-installed popular games. Instead of owning a powerful gaming computer at home, most Koreans will simply spend money in a PC방 when they want to play games, which charge by the hour and are quite inexpensive.

Practice

Translate to Korean:

1. "I’m not going to school today." (Using 안)

2. "He is not going to the hospital." (Using 지 않다)

3. "You’re not coming to my house?" (Using 안)

4. "He is not at school." (Using 없다)

5. "I do not know him."

6. "I can swim quickly."

7. "Do you want to go together with me to the party?"

8. "I am not a Korean."

Translate to English:

9. 왜 병원에 안 갑니까?

10. 정말 숙제를 하지 않습니까?

11. 저는 학교에 가고 싶지 않습니다.

12. 저는 소고기를 싫어하기 때문에 먹고 싶지 않습니다.

13. 영희 씨를 압니까?

14. 아니요. 저는 영희 씨를 모릅니다.

15. 저는 영국 사람이 아닙니다.

16. 저는 돈이 없기 때문에 영희 씨와 함께 놀이 공원에 갈 수 없습니다.

New Vocabulary

노래 - "song"

부르다 - "to sing"

노래(를) 부르다 - "to sing a song"

이야기 - "story"

이야기(를) 하다 - "to chat," "to gossip"

외우다 - "to memorize"

기억(을) 하다 - "to remember"

공원 - "a park"

놀이 공원 - "amusement park"

심심하다 - "to be bored"

지루하다 - "to be boring"

유명하다 - "to be famous"

아니다 - "to not be"

없다 - "to not exist"

재미(가) 없다 - "to not be fun," "to not be entertaining"

맛(이) 없다 - "to not be delicious," "to not taste good"

멋(이) 없다 - "to not be cool," "to be unstylish"