• -다는 거 아니니?
This is used for dramatic presentation of new or surprising information. 내가 부동산 중개인이 됐다는 거 아니니?
I’ve become a real estate agent. Can you believe it? 제가 이번에 승진한다는 거 아 니까?
I’m getting promoted this time. Can you believe it? •
-단냔잔란 말이다, -다냐자라구요, -다냐자라니까, -다냐자라니? These are employed with the quoting pattern see 22.1 to repeat what one has
already said or sometimes just to say something in an emphatic way. A:
어떻게 그렇게 내 일에 무관심할 수가 있어? B:
무관심한 게 아니라 바쁘다니까. A:
그래도 그렇지. 좀 관심 좀 가져보란 말야. B:
알았다니까. 잔소리 좀 이제 그만 하라구. A:
잔소리라니? 이게 잔소리로 밖에 안 들리니?
A: How can you be so indifferent and show no concern for what I do? B: It’s not that I’m being indifferent. I told you that I’m busy.
A: Even so, you should show some interest, I’m telling you. B: Okay, I said I got your point. No more nagging please.
A: Nagging? Does it sound like nothing but nagging to you?
17.6.2 Exclamatory and beyond
•
-네 spontaneous emotional reaction
이 옷 못 보던 건데, 색깔이 참 예쁘네요. I haven’t seen that dress before; its color is really pretty.
하와이는 본토에 비해 물가가 비싸네. Things are expensive in Hawaii compared to the mainland.
•
-데 general exclamation
모자가 잘 어울리는데 The hat looks very good on you
이 오징어볶음 정말 맛있는데요 This panbroiled cuttlefish is really delicious •
-구나, -군요 first realization
너 왔구나. Oh, you’re here.
네가 그 영수네 반 친구구나. Oh, you’re that classmate of Youngsoo’s.
하와이는 공기가 정말 좋군요. The air quality in Hawaii is really good.
• -다 no audience intended
저 강아지 너무 귀엽다 That puppy is so cute
커피 향기 진짜 좋다. The aroma of the coffee is really good.
•
-구만 casually noticing something that wasn’t expected
화난 거 아니구만. Hey, she’s not angry.
문이 잠겼구만. Oh, the door’s locked.
• -담, 는담 lightly expressing a complaint or dissatisfaction
그렇게 남을 헐뜯는 법이 How can he back-bite me like that?
어디 있담? 뭘 그렇게 비싸게 받는담?
Why do they charge so much? 뭘 그렇게 꾸물거린담?
Why is she so slow like a snail? •
-을라 warning or showing endearing concern
우산 갖고 가라. 비 맞을라. Take an umbrella with you. You’re going to
get rained on. 그렇게 뛰어가다 넘어질라.
You’re going to fall, running like that. 깨진 유리 만지지 마. 다칠라.
Don’t touch the broken glass. You’re going to get hurt.
18 Negation
18.1 How to negate statements and questions
18.1.1 Short versus long negation
Except for a very small number of verbs that have an inherently negative counterpart 있다 ~ 없다, 알다 ~ 모르다, etc., there are two basic ways to
negate a verb in Korean. One is to place 안못 in front of the verb short negation and the other is to attach -지 않다못하다 at the end of the verb long
negation. The table below presents examples involving an action verb, a descriptive verb, and the copula verb. na = non-applicable
Short negation Long negation
with 안 with 못 with -지 않다 with
-지 못하다 가요
안 가요 못 가요
가지 않아요 가지 못해요
비싸요 안 비싸요
na 비싸지 않아요
na
see 18.1.2
책이에요 책이 아니에요
na na na
Notice that the action verb 가다 allows both short negation and long negation, as does the descriptive verb 비싸다 although not with 못. The copula verb
책이다 allows only short negation by 안, whose spelling changes to 아니. The contrast between 안 and 못 is discussed in 18.1.2.
Meaning-wise, short negation and long negation are usually interchangeable. However, the short form is more direct and therefore more colloquial, while the
long form is less direct and is more frequently used in formal writing. In long negation, a particle can be added after -지 in order to emphasize the
verb – 불이 났을 때 빠져 나오지를 못했어 ‘I couldn’t escape when there was a fire.’ Short negation is more widely used than long negation, but the latter often
sounds more natural with verbs that are three or more syllables in length.
아름 지 않다. rather than 안 아름 다. It’s not beautiful. 자 지 않다. rather than 안 자 다. She’s not scholarly.
Nonetheless, short negation sounds natural with certain highly frequent multi- syllable verbs.
안 좋아한다. or 좋아하지 않는다. I don’t like it.
안 어울린다. or 어울리지 않는다. They don’t look good together.
안 잘라진다. or 잘라지지 않는다. It the meat won’t cut.
안 깨끗하다. or 깨끗하지 않다. It’s not clean.
안 보고 싶다. or 보고 싶지 않다.
I don’t want to see it.
18.1.2 안 versus 못
안 expresses the meaning of ‘don’t intend,’ ‘does not,’ and ‘is not,’ while 못 is typically used to express inability as well as the meaning of ‘definitely not’ or ‘be
impossible.’
불어를 일부러 안 썼어. I deliberately didn’t use French.
불어를 못 썼어. 이해할 수 있는 사람이 없어서. I couldn’t use French. Because there was no one who could understand me.
안 can be used with any verb, but 못 is usually not employed for either short or long negation involving descriptive verbs. In the case of certain descriptive verbs
denoting desirable qualities, the use of 못 in long negation -지 못하다 expresses the lack of such qualities or the speaker’s dissatisfaction with the
negative state of affairs.
하지 못하다. He’s not well-to-do. 똑똑하지 못하다. She’s not smart. 정 하지 못하다. She’s not honest.
너그럽지 못하다. He’s not generous. NOTE: The -하지 in -하지 못하다않다 may sometimes be contracted to -치 for
frequently used expressions – 똑똑치 못하다, 만만치 않다 ‘It’s no easy matter.’
The descriptive verb 못하다 by itself means ‘be not as good as,’ as in 동생이 형만 못하다 ‘The little brother is not as good as the older brother.’
18.1.3 Fixed expressions in which the choice of negative is frozen
조퇴해야지 안 되겠다.
I think I’ll have to leave work early.
가지 않으면 안 돼요.
I must go. 사고를 당했다니 정말 안됐다.
I hear they had an accident; it’s too bad.
칼이 너무 안 들어요.
The knife is too dull. 걔 정말 못생겼다.
He’s really bad-looking. 이런 못난 자 .
Oh, you fool.
저런 되지 못한 자 .
What a bastard.
걔 정말 못됐다.
He’s really a brat.
못돼 먹었다. 돼먹지 못했다.
그런 말 하면 못 쓴다.
You shouldn’t say such a thing.
걔네집 못 산다.
His family is poor.
돈이라면 맥을 못 춘다.
If it’s money, she can’t resist. •
Not ~ but ~
가수가 아니고아니라 배우다.
He’s not a singer but an actor. 영화배우지 가수가 아니다.
He’s an actor, not a singer. •
Neither ~ nor ~ 가수도 아니고 영화배우도 아냐.
She’s neither a singer nor an actress. 예쁘지도 않고 애교스럽지도 않다. She’s neither pretty nor affectionate.
차가
혀 오지도 가지도 못해. I’m stuck in traffic, unable to move
forward or backward. •
It’s no ~ 어제 오늘 일이 아니에요.
It’s no recent matter. 홀몸이 아니야.
She’s pregnant [no single body]. 장난이 아니다.
It’s no joke.
18.1.4 How to negate complex verb constructions
• ‘Verb + verb’ compounds are treated as one unit.
먹어 봤어. 못 먹어 봤어. or 먹어 보지 못했어.
I tried the food. I haven’t tried the food.
보고 싶어요. 안 보고 싶어요. or 보고 싶지 않아요.
I want to see it. I don’t want to see it.
좋아 보인다. 안 좋아 보인다. or 좋아 보이지 않는다.
You look good. You don’t look good.
사 주었다. 못 사 주었다. or 사 주지 못했다.
I bought it for him. I couldn’t buy it for him.
가야 됩니다. 안 가도 됩니다. or 가지 않아도 됩니다.
I have to go. I don’t have to go.
• ‘Bound noun + verb’ compounds are treated as one unit.
하다. 안 하다.
or 하지 않다.
He’s weak. He’s not weak.
깨끗해요. 안 깨끗해요.
or 깨끗하지 않아요. It’s clean.
It’s not clean.
