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🚫 Saying No

Unit 9 of 30 in the Kaja Hangul course. Every phrase below is shown in 한글 with a romanisation, what it actually means, and a recording you can play.

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The phrases

안 먹어요

an meogeoyo

I don't eat it

안 is the 'I don't / I choose not to' negative. Compare 못, which is 'I can't'.

저는 술을 안 마셔요

jeoneun sureul an masyeoyo

I don't drink alcohol

안 still sits right before the verb, after the object. 술 = alcohol.

못 가요

mot gayo

I can't go

못 means something outside your control stops you. 안 가요 would mean you've decided not to.

오늘은 못 만나요

oneureun mot mannayo

I can't meet today

오늘은 with 은 rather than 오늘 alone quietly implies 'today specifically' — another day is fine.

재미없어요

jaemieopseoyo

It's not interesting

재미 (fun) + 없어요 (doesn't exist). Its opposite 재미있어요 is built the same way.

시간이 없어요

sigani eopseoyo

I don't have time

없어요 negates HAVING. You cannot say 안 있어요 — 있다 and 없다 are a separate pair.

저는 학생이 아니에요

jeoneun haksaengi anieyo

I'm not a student

아니에요 negates a NOUN. 안 and 못 only ever negate verbs.

맵지 않아요

maepji anayo

It's not spicy

The long negative: drop 다, add -지 않아요. Same meaning as 안 매워요, slightly more written.

아직 안 했어요

ajik an haesseoyo

I haven't done it yet

아직 = still / not yet, and it pairs with a negative almost every time.

잘 못 들었어요

jal mot deureosseoyo

I didn't catch that

Literally 'I couldn't hear well'. 듣다 → 들었어요 is irregular: the ㄷ becomes ㄹ.

하나도 몰라요

hanado mollayo

I have no idea

하나도 + a negative = 'not even one', i.e. not at all.

별로 안 좋아해요

byeollo an joahaeyo

I don't really like it

별로 always takes a negative and softens it to 'not particularly'.

Words introduced here

아직 — still / not yet
시간 — time
없다 — to not exist / not have
학생 — student
술 — alcohol
신다 — to wear (shoes)
보내다 — to send
맵다 — to be spicy
별 — star
별로 — not particularly
씻다 — to wash
청소하다 — to clean
연습하다 — to practise
돕다 — to help
시작하다 — to start
끝나다 — to finish
받다 — to receive
가지다 — to have / hold

A conversation using them: Not today

Turning down an invitation without making it awkward.

오늘 같이 영화 봐요?

oneul gachi yeonghwa bwayo?

Shall we watch a film together today?

오늘은 못 만나요.

oneureun mot mannayo

I can't meet today.

왜요?

waeyo?

Why?

일이 있어요. 시간이 없어요.

iri isseoyo. sigani eopseoyo

I have work. I don't have time.

그럼 주말에 만나요.

geureom jumare mannayo

Then let's meet at the weekend.

네, 좋아요.

ne, joayo

Yes, sounds good.

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Kaja Hangul is a free Korean course. No ads, no tracking. The Korean here was written by a learner and is being checked by a native speaker — if something reads wrong to you, it may well be.