The Verb World · Lesson 3 of 6

Saying No — Negation

Two ways to say “don't” and one way to say “can't” — 안, ~지 않다, and 못.

11 min

Korean gives you two ways to say “don't” and a separate way to say “can't.” The difference between them is small but real — and worth getting right.

안 — the quick “not”

Put 안 right before the verb. Done.

안 가요 / 안 먹어요 / 안 좋아요

an gayo / an meogeoyo / an joayo

don't go / don't eat / isn't good

안 simply negates — it's the everyday choice in speech.

~지 않다 — the longer “not”

Attach ~지 않다 to the stem. Same meaning as 안, a little more deliberate and common in writing:

가지 않아요

gaji anayo

don't go

먹지 않아요, 좋지 않아요. Pick whichever feels easier — both are correct.

못 — “can't” (inability)

This one is different: 못 before the verb means not able to, regardless of whether you want to:

못 가요

mot gayo

can't go (something prevents me)

안 가요 = I don't go (choice). 못 가요 = I can't go (unable). The distinction matters.

매워서 못 먹어요

maewoseo mot meogeoyo

It's too spicy, I can't eat it.

A real, useful sentence — and a preview of ~아서/어서, two lessons ahead.

Two things to watch

With 하다 verbs, 안 and 못 split the word — they go before 해요, not before the noun:

공부 안 해요 / 공부 못 해요

gongbu an haeyo / gongbu mot haeyo

don't study / can't study

Not 안 공부해요 — the 안/못 hugs the 해요.

팁

Some negatives are their own words, which you already know: 있다 → 없다 (not 안 있다), and 알다 (know) → 모르다 (not know). 잘 모르겠어요 (“I'm not sure”) from Course 4 is this 모르다 in action.

Try it

Say “I don't drink coffee” with 안.Show answer

커피 안 마셔요.

Your friend offers peanuts but you're allergic. “Can't eat” or “don't eat”?Show answer

못 먹어요 — it's inability (못), not choice (안).

Negate 공부해요 (study) two ways — “don't” and “can't.”Show answer

공부 안 해요 / 공부 못 해요 — the 안/못 goes before 해요.

What you just learned

안 + verb and ~지 않다 both mean “don't” — same meaning.
못 + verb means “can't” (inability), a real difference from 안.
With 하다 verbs: 공부 안/못 해요 — split before 해요.
있다 → 없다 and 알다 → 모르다 are their own negative words.

Quick check

Did it stick?

Three quick questions — instant answers, no grades, no pressure.

1.What's the difference between 안 가요 and 못 가요?

2.Negate 공부해요 (study) with 안:

3.The negative of 있다 is…

Found this helpful? Share it with a fellow learner.

Want the why behind the words?

The reading path explains the culture and logic that make Korean click — a perfect companion to these lessons.

Back to the Learning Path