Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 2 - Korean for Beginners #1 (Lessons 31 to 60) ᚛ Lesson 32 - Negation in Korean [안] [-지 않다]

Negation in Korean [안] [-지 않다]

In this course: 안 / 지 않다 / 지 않아 / 지 않아요 / 지 않습니다

There are two ways to express negation in Korean.

Negation with -지 않다

It is possible to express negation in Korean with the form -지 않다 which is attached to the verb as follows:
[Stem]지 않다

• 먹다 (= to eat) → 먹지 않다 (= not to eat)
• 읽다 (= to read) → 읽지 않다 (= not to read)
• 하다 (= to do) → 하지 않다 (= not to do)

The -지 않다 form is actually a new verb that can be conjugated in all the forms and tenses, as we had seen in the previous lessons.

먹지 않아?
→ Aren't you eating?

이 책을 읽지 않았어요.
→ I haven't read this book.

그거 하지 않을 거야.
→ I won’t do it.

Negation with 안

A second way of expressing negation, which is much more widely used in speech than the -지 않다 form because it is shorter, is by using the word 안 before the verb, as follows:
안 [Verb]

• 먹다 (= to eat) → 안 먹다 (= not to eat)
• 읽다 (= to read) → 안 읽다 (= not to read)
• 하다 (= to do) → 안 하다 (= not to do)

The verb can of course be conjugated as we wish.

안 먹어?
→ Aren't you eating?

이 책을 안 읽었어요.
→ I haven't read this book.

그거 안 할 거야.
→ I won’t do it.

안 and verbs in -하다

General rule

Many verbs ending in -하다 like 공부하다 (= to study), 일하다 (= to work), 청소하다 (= to clean), 요리하다 (= to cook), etc., are somewhat peculiar verbs. Indeed, most of these verbs are in fact a shortcut to express the act of doing something. So, in their long version, we use the object particle 을 / 를.

• 하다 (= to do)
• 청소하다 = 청소를 하다 (= to do cleaning = to clean)
• 요리하다 = 요리를 하다 (= to do cooking = to cook)

When you use the word 안 to express negation, it is necessary to use the long version of verbs in -하다.

청소를 안 해요?
→ Aren't you cleaning up?
(not 안 청소해요?)

요리를 안 했어.
→ I haven't cooked.
(not 안 요리했어.)

Also, as you know, the object particle 을 / 를 is optional in simple cases. So, it can usually be omitted.

일 안 할 거야.
→ I won’t work.

운동 안 했어.
→ I haven’t done exercise.

Exceptions in -하다

Please note that this rule is only valid for verbs that are compositions of a common noun and the verb 하다 to express the concept of performing an action. Verbs like 좋아하다 (= to like), 싫어하다 (= to hate) or adjectives such as 약하다 (= to be weak), 강하다 (= to be strong), 똑똑하다 (= to be smart), 친절하다 (= to be kind) are not action compositions.

안 좋아해.
→ I don't like.
(not 좋아를 안 해. which makes no sense)

안 피곤해.
→ I'm not tired.
(not 피곤을 안 해. which makes no sense)

안 and compound verbs

Opposite verbs

Summary table of structure

Exercises

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