Korean Negation: 안 vs 못 (Don't vs Can't) Explained
Learn how to make any Korean sentence negative. When to use 안 (don't) and 못 (can't), the long forms -지 않아요 and -지 못해요, plus 아니에요 and 없어요.
Beginner8 min readTap any Korean word to see it explained
The short answer
Put 안 before a verb for “don’t” or “won’t”: 안 가요 (I’m not going). Put 못 before it for “can’t”: 못 가요 (I can’t go). For nouns, use 아니에요 (is not). For “don’t have,” use 없어요.
Saying “no” in Korean is easier than it looks. Most of the time you add one small word in front of the verb. The trick is picking the right word, because 안 and 못 tell the listener two different stories. Tap any word below to see what it means.
1. 안: don’t, won’t
안 is the everyday “not.” It usually means you are choosing not to do something, or it simply isn’t happening. Put it right before the verb, with a space.
안 also works with describing words (adjectives), like 비싸다 (to be expensive).
2. 못: can’t
못 means you want to, or you tried, but something stops you: no time, no skill, bad luck. It goes in the same spot as 안.
Compare this with the 안 sentence above. Only one word changed, but now it sounds like you are sick or busy.
One rule to remember: 못 goes with actions, not descriptions. You can say 안 비싸요 (not expensive), but never 못 비싸요.
3. 하다 verbs: 안 goes in the middle
Many Korean verbs are a noun plus 하다 (to do): 공부하다 (study), 운동하다 (exercise), 요리하다 (cook). With these, 안 and 못 slip in between the noun and 하다.
Say 공부 안 해요, not 안 공부해요.
This only works when the front part is a real noun. Words like 좋아하다 (to like) keep 안 in front: 안 좋아해요 (I don’t like it).
4. The long forms: -지 않아요 and -지 못해요
There is a second way to say the same thing. Take the verb stem, add -지, then add 않아요 (don’t) or 못해요 (can’t). The meaning is the same as the short form. The long form sounds a bit more careful, and you will see it a lot in writing.
| Verb | 안 (short) | 못 (short) | -지 않아요 | -지 못해요 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 가다 (go) | 안 가요 | 못 가요 | 가지 않아요 | 가지 못해요 |
| 먹다 (eat) | 안 먹어요 | 못 먹어요 | 먹지 않아요 | 먹지 못해요 |
| 자다 (sleep) | 안 자요 | 못 자요 | 자지 않아요 | 자지 못해요 |
| 공부하다 (study) | 공부 안 해요 | 공부 못 해요 | 공부하지 않아요 | 공부하지 못해요 |
In the long form, the whole 하다 verb stays together: 전화하지, not 전화 안.
5. Nouns: 아니에요
To say something is not something, you don’t use 안 at all. Use 아니에요, the opposite of 이에요/예요. The noun before it takes 이 or 가.
6. 없어요, not 안 있어요
있어요 (there is, I have) has its own opposite word: 없어요 (there isn’t, I don’t have). Koreans never say 안 있어요.
One more word like this: 알다 (to know) becomes 몰라요 (I don’t know), from 모르다. Say 몰라요, not 안 알아요.
Hear it in songs
Love songs are full of 못: 잊지 못해 (I can’t forget), 못 가 (I can’t go). Open a song in Hanbok Lyrics and tap through the lines to spot them. To keep going, read the Korean present tense or Korean sentence structure.
Check yourself
Quick check · 1 of 4You don't like coffee, so you never drink it. Which fits?
I don't drink coffee.
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between 안 and 못 in Korean?
안 means you don't or won't do something, usually by choice. 못 means you can't, because something stops you. 안 가요 is "I'm not going." 못 가요 is "I can't go."
Where does 안 go with 하다 verbs like 공부하다?
Between the noun and 하다: 공부 안 해요, not 안 공부해요. This only works when the front part is a noun, like 공부, 운동 or 요리. With words like 좋아하다, put 안 in front: 안 좋아해요.
What is the difference between 안 가요 and 가지 않아요?
They mean the same thing. The short form 안 가요 is more common in speech. The long form 가지 않아요 sounds a little more careful and is common in writing.
How do you say "is not" and "don't have" in Korean?
For "is not" with a noun, use 아니에요: 학생이 아니에요 (I'm not a student). For "there isn't" or "don't have", use 없어요, the opposite of 있어요. Never say 안 있어요.