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Negation

Two negators, and which one you choose says whether you won't or can't.

안: not, don't

안 goes right before the verb or adjective:

안 가요. — "I'm not going." 안 먹어요. — "I don't eat (it)." 안 비싸요. — "It's not expensive."

With 하다 verbs it goes between the noun and 하다: 공부 안 해요 "I'm not studying" (not 안 공부해요).

The long form -지 않다 means the same and is a shade more formal or written: 가지 않아요, 비싸지 않습니다.

못: cannot

못 negates ability or possibility — you would, but you can't:

못 가요. — "I can't go." 한국어 못 해요. — "I can't speak Korean (well)." 술 못 마셔요. — "I can't drink (alcohol)."

Long form -지 못하다: 가지 못해요. Choosing 안 where 못 is expected — 안 가요 for "I can't make it" — sounds like a refusal. Koreans hear the difference every time.

아니다: is not (a noun)

The negative of 이다 is a separate verb, with the subject particle on the noun:

학생이 아니에요. — "I'm not a student." 이거 제 거 아니에요. — "This isn't mine."

없다: there isn't, don't have

The negative of 있다 is its own verb too:

시간 없어요. — "I don't have time." 문제 없어요. — "No problem." 맛없어요. — "It's not tasty." (맛있다 tasty → 맛없다)

말다: don't (imperative)

The negative command uses -지 마세요 (polite) / -지 마 (plain):

걱정하지 마세요. — "Don't worry." 가지 마. — "Don't go."

Never, nothing, nobody

Indefinites plus a negative verb — Korean, like Vietnamese and Chinese, has no negative pronouns:

아무도 안 왔어요. — "Nobody came." 아무것도 없어요. — "There's nothing." 절대 안 해요. — "I never do that." 전혀 몰라요. — "I have no idea at all."

Answering a negative question

Korean answers the fact, the opposite of English:

안 가요? — 네, 안 가요. — "Aren't you going? — (Right,) I'm not." — 아니요, 가요. — "(No,) I am going."

If you speak Vietnamese

안 is không, 못 is không … được, 아직 + negative is chưa, -지 마세요 is đừng, and 아니다 for nouns is không phải. The answer-the-fact rule for negative questions is the same in both.

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