Cours de coréen ᚛ Level 2 - Korean for Beginners #1 (Lessons 31 to 60) ᚛ Leçon 32 - Negation in Korean [안] [-지 않다]
Negation in Korean [안] [-지 않다]
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
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Opposite verbs
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Summary table of structure
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Exercises
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Les nombres font partie des bases indispensables de toute langue, mais en coréen, ils représentent souvent un véritable obstacle. Deux systèmes de nombres coexistent et s’emploient dans des contextes précis qu’il faut connaître. Leur prononciation, influencée par des phénomènes propres au coréen, déroute souvent les apprenants. Et, sans comprendre les classificateurs numériques, il devient impossible d’utiliser correctement les nombres au quotidien : dire son âge, commander des plats, fixer un rendez-vous, indiquer un prix…
La formation Les nombres coréens et leurs secrets vous donne toutes les clés pour surmonter ces difficultés. Vous y apprendrez à distinguer et utiliser les deux systèmes de nombres, à prononcer naturellement grâce aux audios natifs, à employer sans erreur les classificateurs, et à manier les nombres dans des situations concrètes comme l’heure, la date, les quantités ou encore les mathématiques. Des points de culture et anecdotes viennent enrichir le contenu pour rendre l’apprentissage vivant et pertinent.
Pour garantir des résultats durables, 5 modules d’entraînement illimité vous permettent de pratiquer autant que nécessaire, jusqu’à ce que les nombres en coréen deviennent un réflexe !
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