안 vs 못: don't and can't in Korean

안 goes before the verb

To make a verb negative, put 안 right before it. 가요 → 안 가요 ('I don't go'). 먹어요 → 안 먹어요 ('I don't eat'). It's that simple — 안 is a small word that flips the whole verb. (This is the everyday 'short' negation.)

• 밥을 안 먹어요

  I don't eat (rice).

• 안 가요

  I don't go

안 goes between the noun and 하다

Watch out: with 하다 verbs like 공부하다, the 안 does NOT go in front of the whole word. It slips between the noun and 하다: 공부 안 해요 ('I don't study'), NOT 안 공부해요. This is the most common negation mistake — the noun and 하다 split apart.

• 공부 안 해요

  I don't study.

못 = 'can't' (unable)

못 works like 안, but means 'can't' — something stops you. 못 가요 = 'I can't go' (maybe you're busy). 못 먹어요 = 'I can't eat (it)'. Like 안, 못 sits before the verb, and 하다 verbs split the same way: 공부 못 해요.

• 밥을 못 먹어요

  I can't eat (rice).

• 못 가요

  I can't go

Choice vs circumstance

안 = you DON'T (a choice): 안 먹어요 = 'I don't eat (it)'. 못 = you CAN'T (something prevents it): 못 먹어요 = 'I can't eat (it)' — maybe you're full or allergic. Same verb, different 'no'.

• 오늘 못 가요

  Today I can't go.

• 못 먹어요

  I can't eat (it)

• 안 먹어요

  I don't eat it

안/못 just sit before the past verb

Negating the past is easy: keep 안/못 before the verb and put the verb in the past. 안 갔어요 = 'I didn't go'. 못 먹었어요 = 'I couldn't eat'. 어제 공부 안 했어요 = 'Yesterday I didn't study'.

• 어제 공부 안 했어요

  Yesterday I didn't study.

• 어제 안 갔어요

  I didn't go yesterday

• 안 갔어요

  I didn't go

Check yourself

Questions from the course. Open each one to see the answer.

1. 1. 'I don't go.' Pick the Korean.

   • 가요 안
   • 안가요를
   • 못 가요
   • 안 가요
   Show answer

   안 가요

   안 sits BEFORE the verb: 안 가요. (못 가요 = 'can't go'.)

2. 2. 'I don't drink coffee.' Pick the Korean.

   • 커피를 마셔요 안
   • 커피를 안 마셔요
   • 커피를 안마셔요를
   • 커피 안를 마셔요
   Show answer

   커피를 안 마셔요

   Object first, then 안 + verb: 커피를 안 마셔요.

3. 3. 'I don't study.' Pick the Korean.

   • 공부 안 해요
   • 안 공부해요
   • 공부해요 안
   • 공부 못 해요
   Show answer

   공부 안 해요

   안 splits in: 공부 안 해요. (안 공부해요 is the classic mistake.)

4. 4. 'I can't go.' Pick the Korean.

   • 안 가요
   • 못 가요
   • 가요 못
   • 못가요를
   Show answer

   못 가요

   못 = 'can't'. 못 가요. (안 가요 = 'don't go'.)

5. 5. 'I can't study.' Pick the Korean.

   • 못 공부해요
   • 공부해요 못
   • 공부 안 해요
   • 공부 못 해요
   Show answer

   공부 못 해요

   하다 verbs split: 공부 못 해요.