How to Make Negative Sentences in Korean: 안 vs ~지 않아요

One of the most useful things you can learn in any language is how to say no - or more precisely, how to say something is not the case.

In Korean, there are two main ways to make a sentence negative:

1. 안 - short, casual, spoken
2. ~지 않아요 - slightly more formal, versatile

Both mean the same thing. But they're used in different situations, and knowing when to reach for each one will make your Korean sound much more natural.

Method 1: 안 + Verb/Adjective

The simplest way to negate a sentence is to place 안 directly in front of the verb or adjective.

Structure: 안 + verb/adjective

Method 2: Verb stem + ~지 않아요

The second method attaches 지 않아요 to the verb or adjective stem.

Structure: verb/adjective stem + 지 않아요

💡 To form ~지 않아요, remove 아요/어요/해요 from the conjugated form and add 지 않아요. Or simply take the verb stem + 지 않아요.

Which One to Use?

Both are grammatically correct and mean the same thing. The difference is tone and context:

In daily conversation, 안 is used far more often. ~지 않아요 tends to appear when you want to be more deliberate or emphatic, or in slightly more formal situations.

오늘 학교 안 가요. (casual - I'm not going to school today.) 오늘 학교에 가지 않아요. (slightly more formal/deliberate)

⚠️ Special Rule: 하다 Verbs

This is the most important exception to know.

With 하다 verbs, you cannot place 안 directly before 해요. Instead, 안 goes between the noun and 하다.

~지 않아요 has no such restriction - it works with all verbs including 하다 verbs: 공부하지 않아요 ✅ / 운동하지 않아요 ✅

Negatives in Real Sentences

🍽️ Food & Daily Life

저는 고기를 안 먹어요.

• Natural: I don't eat meat.

저는 술을 마시지 않아요.

• Natural: I don't drink alcohol.

아침을 안 먹었어요.

• Natural: I didn't eat breakfast.

오늘은 요리 안 할 거예요.

• Natural: I'm not going to cook today.

커피는 안 마셔요. 차를 좋아해요.

• Natural: I don't drink coffee. I like tea.

😴 Feelings & State

오늘 안 피곤해요.

• Natural: I'm not tired today.

날씨가 안 추워요. 따뜻해요.

• Natural: The weather isn't cold. It's warm.

별로 안 바빠요.

• Natural: I'm not that busy.

그 영화 안 재미있었어요.

• Natural: That movie wasn't interesting.

생각보다 안 어려웠어요.

• Natural: It wasn't as hard as I thought.

📅 Plans & Actions

오늘 학교 안 가요.

• Natural: I'm not going to school today.

주말에 일하지 않아요.

• Natural: I don't work on weekends.

그 사람 안 왔어요.

• Natural: That person didn't come.

아직 안 했어요.

• Natural: I haven't done it yet.

거기는 안 갈 거예요.

• Natural: I'm not going to go there.

Negative Past Tense

Both methods work in the past tense too - just conjugate 않아요 into 않았어요:

Negative Future Tense

For the future, 안 goes before the verb as usual:

Real Conversations Using Negatives

📍 Conversation 1: Explaining dietary preferences

A: 같이 삼겹살 먹을까요? (Shall we eat samgyeopsal together?)

B: 저 고기 안 먹어요. 채식주의자예요. (I don't eat meat. I'm vegetarian.)

A: 아, 그럼 다른 거 먹을까요? (Oh, then shall we eat something else?)

B: 네, 비빔밥은 괜찮아요. 고기 안 넣어도 돼요. (Yes, bibimbap is fine. You don't have to put meat in it.)

📍 Conversation 2: Turning down plans

A: 오늘 저녁에 시간 있어요? (Are you free tonight?)

B: 아, 오늘은 안 돼요. 약속이 있어요. (Oh, today doesn't work. I have plans.)

A: 그럼 내일은요? (What about tomorrow?)

B: 내일도 바빠요. 이번 주는 시간이 별로 없어요. (I'm busy tomorrow too. I don't have much time this week.)

A: 그럼 다음 주에 만나요! (Then let's meet next week!)

📍 Conversation 3: Talking about habits

A: 아침에 뭐 먹어요? (What do you eat in the morning?)

B: 저는 아침을 잘 안 먹어요. 커피만 마셔요. (I don't really eat breakfast. I just drink coffee.)

A: 저도요! 아침에 밥 먹기 싫어요. (Me too! I don't want to eat rice in the morning.)

B: 맞아요. 저는 점심을 많이 먹어요. (Right. I eat a lot at lunch.)

이에요/예요 Negative: 이/가 아니에요

One more important negative to know - the negative of 이에요/예요 (to be):

N + 이/가 아니에요 = "is not"

⚠️ Never use 안 or ~지 않아요 with 이에요/예요. The negative of "to be" always uses 이/가 아니에요.

Quick Practice

Make these sentences negative using 안 OR ~지 않아요 (both are correct):

1. 가요. (I go.)
2. 먹었어요. (I ate.)
3. 운동해요. (I exercise.) - 하다 verb, use 안 correctly!
4. 좋아요. (It's good.)
5. 갈 거예요. (I'm going to go.)

Answers:

1. 안 가요 / 가지 않아요
2. 안 먹었어요 / 먹지 않았어요
3. 운동 안 해요 / 운동하지 않아요
4. 안 좋아요 / 좋지 않아요
5. 안 갈 거예요 / 가지 않을 거예요

Summary

Learning how to say "no" in Korean is just as important as learning how to say "yes." With 안 and ~지 않아요, you can instantly flip any sentence into its negative - and with the 하다 verb rule under your belt, you'll avoid the most common mistake beginners make.

📚 This Concept Runs Through the Entire A1 Masterclass

Negatives appear in every chapter of the Today Korean A1 Masterclass - starting from Chapter 1 and building through each lesson. From simple 안 sentences to nuanced negative expressions, you'll practice them in context so they become automatic.

👉 See the full A1 curriculum