않다

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Usage of '않다'

'않다' is a common Korean auxiliary verb used to negate verbs and adjectives. It attaches directly after the verb stem or adjective stem to express the meaning 'to not do' or 'to not be'.

Common Patterns

  • Verb stem + 않다: to negate an action.
  • Adjective stem + 않다: to negate a state or quality.

For example, '가다' (to go) becomes '가지 않다' (to not go).

Politeness and Formality

'않다' itself is neutral but often appears in various conjugated forms depending on politeness level, such as '않아요' (polite) or '않습니다' (formal).

Common Collocations

  • 하지 않다: to not do
  • 가지 않다: to not go
  • 믿지 않다: to not believe

Tips

Learners sometimes confuse '않다' with '못하다'. '않다' means 'do not', while '못하다' means 'cannot' or 'unable to'. For example, '가지 않다' means 'do not go', but '가지 못하다' means 'cannot go'.

Using '않다' correctly helps express negation clearly in Korean sentences.

Example Sentences

나는 그 일을 하지 않는다.

Naneun geu ireul haji anhneunda.

I do not do that work.

그는 학교에 가지 않는다.

Geuneun hakgyoe gaji anhneunda.

He does not go to school.

나는 그 말을 믿지 않는다.

Naneun geu mareul mitji anhneunda.

I do not believe that statement.