Lesson 7

Negation & Prohibition

Express negation with 안/못 and prohibition with -지 마세요. Understand the difference between inability and refusal.

Building on the basic negation from Lesson 3-4, this lesson covers prohibition (telling someone NOT to do something) and the nuanced distinction between 안 (won't / don't) and 못 (can't). For prohibition, the formula is verb stem + -지 마세요 (please don't) or -지 마요 (more casual). 들어가지 마세요 (please don't enter), 하지 마요 (don't do it).

The distinction between 안 and 못 carries social weight. 안 implies choice (I'm not eating this because I don't want to). 못 implies inability (I can't eat this because of allergies / physical limitation). Using 못 when you meant 안 can imply you wanted to do something but couldn't, which may invite questions or unwanted help. Using 안 when you meant 못 can sound dismissive. Pay attention to whether refusal is voluntary or not when choosing between them.

안 vs. 못 — Negation

안 (voluntary negation): placed before a verb to express 'don't / won't'. Shows choice or unwillingness. 못 (inability): placed before a verb to express 'can't'. Shows inability due to skill, circumstance, or external reasons. 하다 verbs: 안 해요 / 못 해요 (not 안 하다요).

저는 고기를 안 먹어요. (채식주의자예요.)jeoneun gogireul an meogeoyo. chaesikjuuijayeyoI don't eat meat. (I'm a vegetarian.)

목이 아파서 노래를 못 해요.mogi apaseo noraereul mot haeyoMy throat hurts so I can't sing.

-지 마세요 / -지 마 — Don't (prohibition)

Attach -지 마세요 to the verb stem to tell someone not to do something (polite). Use -지 마 for casual speech. Stronger version: -지 마십시오 (formal). Common in signs, instructions, and warnings.

여기서 뛰지 마세요.yeogiseo twiji maseyoPlease don't run here.

걱정하지 마. 내가 도와줄게.geokjeong haji ma. naega dowajulgeDon't worry. I'll help you.

절대jeoldaenever / absolutely

Examples절대 거짓말하지 마세요.jeoldae geojitmal haji maseyoNever tell lies.

금지geumjiprohibition / ban

Examples여기는 사진 촬영이 금지예요.yeogineun sajin chwalyeongi geumjiyeyoPhotography is prohibited here.

허락heorakpermission

Examples부모님께 허락을 받아야 해요.bumonimkke heorak-eul badaya haeyoYou need to get permission from your parents.

거절하다geojeorhadato refuse / to decline

Examples부탁을 거절하기가 어려워요.butak-eul geojeorhagi-ga eoryeowoyoIt's hard to refuse a favor.

불가능하다bulganeunghadato be impossible

Examples오늘 안에 끝내는 건 불가능해요.oneul ane kkeunnaeneun geon bulganeunghaeyoFinishing it within today is impossible.

어렵다eoryeopdadifficult / hard

Examples혼자서 하기 어려워요.honjaseo hagi eoryeowoyoIt's hard to do alone.

Cultural & Language Note

지 마세요 is the standard prohibition and appears constantly on public signage, but in conversation Koreans often soften it further with 지 마시고 followed by an alternative. Direct prohibition to someone older or of higher status is generally avoided altogether in favour of indirect phrasing, so the grammar you learn here is used more downward and laterally than upward.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

안 negates choice while 못 negates ability, and this carries into prohibition: 못 가요 means you are unable, 안 가요 means you decline. Learners also attach 지 마세요 to adjectives, but prohibition applies only to actions — 예쁘지 마세요 is meaningless.