TOPIK I Grammar · Ch.4 Negation 01

TOPIK I Grammar · Ch.4 Negation 01

'안 vs 못' - "Don't" vs "Can't"

This one maps onto English almost perfectly. You just need the two Korean words.

Key point 안 = don't / won't - it's your choice. 못 = can't - something prevents you. Both go directly in front of the verb.

How to use it

안 먹어요 means "I don't eat it" - you could, but you choose not to. 못 먹어요 means "I can't eat it" - allergy, religion, a full stomach, something outside your will. English draws the don't/can't line in the same place, so you can trust your instinct here.

Position is the part that needs practice: the word goes right before the verb. With 하다 verbs like 공부하다, the noun and 하다 split apart, and 안/못 slides into the gap: 공부 안 해요, not 안 공부해요. One more note for real life: 못 is also the polite way to decline. 못 가요 (= I can't go) sounds softer than 안 가요 (= I won't go), which can come across as blunt.

At a glance

Sentence	Meaning	Nuance
아침을 안 먹어요	I don't eat breakfast	my choice
아침을 못 먹어요	I can't eat breakfast	no time, sick, etc.
파티에 안 가요	I'm not going	decided not to
파티에 못 가요	I can't go	blocked; also a soft refusal
운동 안 해요	I don't exercise	하다 splits!
운전 못 해요	I can't drive	하다 splits!

Examples

저는 커피를 안 마셔요. I don't drink coffee. - Not drinking it is my choice, so 안.

아파서 학교에 못 갔어요. I was sick, so I couldn't go to school. - Circumstances blocked it, so 못.

요즘 운동을 안 해요. I don't exercise these days. - Also a choice; with 운동하다 the noun and 하다 split, and 안 goes in the gap.

Common mistakes

❌ 안 공부해요. → ⭕ 공부 안 해요. With noun+하다 verbs, 안/못 goes between the noun and 해요. This position error is the single most common mistake in this lesson - the meaning survives, but it marks the sentence as non-native instantly.

❌ 새우 알레르기가 있어요. 그래서 새우를 안 먹어요. → ⭕ 그래서 새우를 못 먹어요. Both versions are grammatical - that's what makes this tricky. But an allergy isn't a choice, so 안 sends the wrong signal ("I just don't feel like it"). Match the word to the reason.

Quick check

Fill in each blank with 안 or 못. Just think about the reason.
1. 저는 고기를 (    ) 먹어요. 채식주의자예요.
2. 다리를 다쳐서 축구를 (    ) 해요.
3. 동생은 아침에 일찍 (    ) 일어나요. (잠이 많아서)

Show answers

1. 안 (a vegetarian chooses this)   2. 못 (a hurt leg blocks it)   3. 못 (he wants to, but he cannot)

💡 Study tip - Ask "whose decision is it?" If the answer is "mine," use 안; if the answer is "the situation's," use 못. And when you need to turn down an invitation in Korean, use 못 even when it is technically a choice. In Korean it is the softer refusal, the same way "I can't make it" softens "I won't come" in English.