Lesson 21. Negative Sentences / 안, -지 않다

This lesson is Lesson 21 from TTMIK Core Grammar Level 1.
We recommend starting from the beginning and studying in order!

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1. Warm Up!

Preview today’s key vocabulary and simple examples to ease in.

Core Grammar Level 1

Lesson 21

1:08

Key Vocabulary & Expressions

Listen to the audio and repeat the key expressions out loud. Focus on pronunciation and try to remember the meanings. These words and phrases will appear in the lesson, so warming up will make everything easier to follow!

Key Vocabulary & Expressions

안 [an] not
집 [jip] home / house
가다 [ga-da] to go
그거 [geu-geo] it
버리다 [beo-ri-da] to throw away
있다 [it-tta] to be / to exist / to have
없다 [eop-tta] to not be / to not exist / to not have
알다 [al-da] to know
모르다 [mo-reu-da] to not know
돈 [don] money

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2. Main Lesson

Learn with the video lesson, and use these notes afterward to review the main grammar and expressions.

Lesson Note

There are two common ways to make negative sentences in Korean.

Use 안 [an] before the verb (simple and casual)

집 [jib] house, home
집에 가요. [ji-be ga-yo] I’m going home.
집에 안 가요. [ji-be an ga-yo.] I’m not going home.

Example

그거 [geu-geo] it, that
버리다 [beo-ri-da] to throw away
그거 버렸어요. [geu-geo beo-ryeo-sseo-yo.] I threw that away.
그거 안 버렸어요. [geu-geo an beo-ryeo-sseo-yo.] I didn’t throw it away.

Use -지 않다 [-ji an-ta] (more formal or polite)

가다 [ga-da] to go
가지 않아요. [ga-ji a-na-yo.] I do not go.
가지 않았어요. [ga-ji a-na-sseo-yo.] I did not go.
버리다 [beo-ri-da] to throw away
버리지 않아요. [beo-ri-ji a-na-yo.] I do not throw (it) away.
버리지 않았어요. [beo-ri-ji a-na-sseo-yo.] I did not throw (it) away.

Compare:

집에 안 가요. [ji-be an ga-yo.] (casual)
집에 가지 않아요. [ji-be ga-ji a-na-yo.] (formal)

Some verbs use a completely different word instead of following negative patterns:

있다 [it-tta] to exist → 없다 [eop-tta] to not exist
알다 [al-da] to know → 모르다 [mo-reu-da] to not know

These are the basics of how to make negative sentences in Korean.

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3. Speaking Practice

Listen and repeat, then try short role-plays using today’s grammar.

Listen & Repeat

Listen and repeat to get used to the sounds, then jump into the role-play and respond like in a real conversation. This will help you build confidence and speak more naturally in Korean.

Listen & Repeat

집에 안 가요. I am not going home.
집에 가지 않아요. I’m not going home.
그거 안 버렸어요. I did not throw it away.
그거 버리지 않았어요. I did not throw it away.

Role-Play

A: 집에 안 가요? Are you not going home?

B: 네, 집에 안 가요. No, I’m not going home.

A: 돈 있어요? Do you have money?

B: 아니요, 돈 없어요. No, I don’t have money.

Complete Lesson

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4. Review Quiz

Check your understanding with a quick quiz and lock in what you’ve learned.

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