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There are two common ways to make negative sentences in Korean:
- Adding 안 (an) before a verb
- Using the negative verb ending, 지 않다 (ji an-ta)
Let’s look at each method with examples to help you understand and use them confidently.
Adding 안 (an) Before a Verb
This is the simplest way to make a verb negative in Korean. You just need to add 안 right before the verb.
Structure: 안 + Verb
Example Sentences:
가다 = to go
가요 = go or going
안 가요 = don’t go or not going
집에 가요. (jib-e ga-yo) = I’m going home. / I go home.
집에 안 가요. (jib-e an ga-yo) = I’m not going home. / I don’t go home.
In this example, we take the positive sentence “집에 가요.” (I’m going home.) and simply place 안 before the verb 가요 (going) to turn it into “집에 안 가요.” (I’m not going home.)
This form is widely used in conversation and is quick and easy to apply to almost any verb.
Another example:
먹다 = to eat
먹어요 = eat or eating
안 먹어요 = don’t eat, not eating, not going to eat
밥을 먹어요. (bab-eul meo-geo-yo) = I’m eating rice. / I eat rice.
밥을 안 먹어요. (bab-eul an meo-geo-yo) = I’m not going to eat rice. I don’t eat rice.
In these examples, 안 먹어요 (an meo-geo-yo) simply adds 안 before 먹어요 to create the negative form, turning it into “I’m not going to eat” or “I don’t eat.”
Using the Negative Verb Ending, 지 않다 (ji an-ta)
This second method is a little more complex but adds flexibility to your Korean. Here, you attach 지 않다 to the verb stem to create the negative meaning. This method is also commonly used and is more formal than 안.
For Example:
- 가다 (to go) → 가 (verb stem) + 지 않다 = 가지 않다, meaning “to not go.”
- 하다 (to do) → 하 (verb stem) + 지 않다 = 하지 않다, meaning “to not do.”
Explanation of Verb Conjugation
When using 지 않다, make sure to conjugate 않다 according to the tense of the sentence.
Structure: Verb Stem + 지 않다 (with appropriate conjugation)
가다 = to go
Polite Present Tense: 가 + 지 않 + 아요 = 가지 않아요 → don’t go or not going
Polite Past Tense: 가 + 지 않 + 았어요 = 가지 않았어요 → didn’t go
집에 가지 않아요. (jib-e ga-ji a-na-yo) = I’m not going home. / I don’t go home.
집에 가지 않았어요. (jib-e ga-ji a-na-sseo-yo) = I didn’t go home
Both methods are useful, but they can feel different in tone. Using 안 is often quicker and more casual, while 지 않다 is more formal. Feel free to try these structures out with your own sentences, and see which one feels most natural for you.
