Lesson 21
In this lesson, you will learn how to create negative sentences in Korean. There are two main ways to accomplish this:
(1) Add 안 before a verb
(2) Using the negative verb ending, -지 않다
Method (1) is simpler and more colloquial, and method (2) is relatively formal but not necessarily only for formal situations. If you want to use method (1), and add 안 [an] before a verb, it is easier than method (2) because you do not have to worry about the different tenses of your sentences. The word 안 [an] does not change the tense.
Conjugation
가다 [ga-da] = to go
집에 가요. [ji-be ga-yo.] I am going home. / I go home.
집에 안 가요. [ji-be an ga-yo.] I am NOT going home. / I DO NOT go home.
집에 안 가요? [ji-be an ga-yo?] You are NOT going home? / You DO NOT go home?
버리다 [beo-ri-da] = to throw away
그거 버렸어요. [geu-geo beo-ryeo-sseo-yo.] I threw it away.
그거 안 버렸어요. [geu-geo an beo-ryeo-sseo-yo.] I DID NOT throw it away.
그거 아직 안 버렸어요. [geu-geo a-jik an beo-ryeo-sseo-yo.] I DID NOT throw it away yet.
-지 않다 [-ji an-ta] is the basic form and you need to conjugate it according to the tense, too.
Present tense: -지 않아요 [-ji a-na-yo]
Past tense: -지 않았어요 [-ji a-na-sseo-yo]
Conjugation
가다 [ga-da] = to go
가지 않다 [ga-ji an-ta] = to not go
가지 않아요 [ga-ji a-na-yo] = I DO NOT go. / I am NOT going.
가지 않았어요 [ga-ji a-na-sseo-yo] = I DID NOT go.
버리다 [beo-ri-da] = to throw away
버리지 않다 [beo-ri-ji an-ta] = to not throw away
버리지 않아요 [beo-ri-ji a-na-yo] = I DO NOT throw it away.
버리지 않았어요 [beo-ri-ji a-na-sseo-yo] = I DID NOT throw it away.
Sample Conversations
A: 아파요? [a-pa-yo?] = Does it hurt?
B: 안 아파요. [an a-pa-yo.] = It does not hurt.
A: 안 아파요? 진짜 안 아파요? [an a-pa-yo? jin-jja an a-pa-yo?] = It does not hurt? It really does not hurt?
B: 안 아파요. [an a-pa-yo.] = It does not hurt.
A: 안 먹어요? [an meo-geo-yo?] = You are not going to eat?
B: 안 먹어요! [an meo-geo-yo!] = I am not eating!
A: 정말 안 먹어요? 맛있어요! [jeong-mal an meo-geo-yo? ma-si-sseo-yo!] = You are really not going to eat? It is delicious.
B: 안 먹어요. 배 안 고파요. [an meo-geo-yo. bae an go-pa-yo.] = I am not eating. I am not hungry.
A: 이거 매워요? [i-geo mae-wo-yo?] = Is this spicy?
B: 아니요. 안 매워요. [a-ni-yo. an mae-wo-yo] = No. It is not spicy.
A: 진짜 안 매워요? [jin-jja an mae-wo-yo?] = It is really not spicy?
B: 네. 안 매워요. [ne. an mae-wo-yo.] = No, it is not spicy.
* There are two words which do not follow these rules that we just introduced. This is because they have antonyms that are very frequently used.
있다 [it-tta] = to be, to exist; to have
없다 [eop-tta] = to not be, not exist; to not have
알다 = [al-da] = to know
모르다 [mo-reu-da] = to not know