A2 phrase #200 am häufigsten 2 Min. Lesezeit

~지 않다

This is the standard way to say 'no' or 'not' in Korean.

~ji anta
Practice it

Explanation at your level:

Hello! You want to say 'no'? Use ~지 않다. If you want to say 'I do not eat', you say '먹지 않아요'. It is easy! Just take your verb, add '지', and then add '않아요'. You can use this for everything.

At this level, you should know that ~지 않다 is the formal way to negate. Use it when you are talking to teachers or strangers. It makes you sound very polite and respectful. Remember to conjugate 않다 based on the tense, like 않았어요 for the past tense.

Intermediate learners should distinguish between short-form negation (안) and long-form negation (~지 않다). While '안' is for casual speech, ~지 않다 is essential for written assignments and formal presentations. Using the wrong one can make you sound too casual in a business meeting.

When writing formal essays or reports, ~지 않다 is the standard. It allows for more nuance in complex sentences. You will often see it paired with connective endings to create sophisticated negative clauses that provide context or contrast to your main argument.

At the advanced level, you will notice ~지 않다 is used in literary and academic prose to maintain objectivity. It is often found in passive voice constructions and formal statements where the speaker wishes to sound detached or highly professional. It is the hallmark of a well-structured, formal Korean text.

Mastering this form at the C2 level involves understanding the subtle interplay between ~지 않다 and other negative forms like ~지 못하다 (inability). While ~지 않다 denotes a simple negation of will or state, ~지 못하다 implies an external constraint. Discerning these nuances is what separates a fluent speaker from a master of the language.

Wort in 30 Sekunden

  • Used for negation
  • Works with verbs and adjectives
  • Formal and polite
  • Standard in writing

Welcome to the world of Korean negation! ~지 않다 is your go-to tool for saying 'no' or 'not'. Think of it as the 'not' in English, but instead of putting it before the verb, you attach it to the end of the verb stem.

It is incredibly versatile because it works with both verbs (actions) and adjectives (states). Whether you want to say you are not going (안 가다) or that something is not big (크지 않다), this phrase is your best friend. It makes your Korean sound smooth and grammatically correct.

The structure ~지 않다 evolved from the combination of the nominalizer -지 and the verb 않다 (to not do). Historically, Korean had different ways to negate, but this long-form negation became standard for its clarity.

The verb 않다 itself is a contraction of 아니하다 (to not do). Over centuries, speakers shortened this to 않다 to make speech faster and more efficient. It is a beautiful example of how language naturally streamlines itself over time to serve the needs of the speaker.

You will use this in almost every conversation! It is considered the standard polite form. While there is a shorter version (안 + verb), ~지 않다 is preferred in writing, formal speeches, and professional settings.

It is very common to see this in news reports, essays, and polite emails. If you are writing a report, always use ~지 않다 instead of the shorter 안 to maintain a professional tone.

While it is a grammar rule, it appears in many set phrases. 1. 변함없지 않다 (It is not unchanging - implying something is constant). 2. 좋지 않다 (It is not good/bad). 3. 알지 못하다 (To not know - a variation of negation). 4. 가지 않다 (To not go). 5. 먹지 않다 (To not eat).

These are the building blocks of negative sentences. Mastering these will help you express boundaries and denials with ease.

To use this, take the verb stem and add -지, then add the conjugated form of 않다. For example, '먹다' (eat) becomes '먹지 않다' (not eat).

Pronunciation tip: The 'ㅈ' sound in '지' is soft, and the '않' combines the 'ㄴ' and 'ㅎ' sounds. In fast speech, the 'ㅎ' might become silent, sounding like '안타'. It rhymes loosely with words ending in 'ta' sounds.

Fun Fact

It is a contraction of '아니하다'.

Pronunciation Guide

UK /dʒi antɐ/

Sounds like 'jee an-ta'

US /dʒi antə/

Sounds like 'jee an-ta'

Common Errors

  • Pronouncing '지' as 'jee' with a hard j
  • Dropping the 'ㄴ' sound
  • Adding extra syllables

Rhymes With

안타 산타 만타 간타 판타

Difficulty Rating

Lesen 1/5

easy

Writing 1/5

easy

Speaking 1/5

easy

Hören 1/5

easy

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

먹다 가다 좋다

Learn Next

~지 못하다 아니다 없다

Fortgeschritten

~지 않기로 하다

Grammar to Know

Negative Verb Conjugation

먹다 -> 먹지 않다

Adjective Negation

크다 -> 크지 않다

Formal Speech

해요체 vs 합니다체

Examples by Level

1

저는 먹지 않아요.

I do not eat.

Verb stem + 지 않다

2

가지 않아요.

I am not going.

Basic negation

3

보지 않아요.

I do not watch.

Present tense

4

크지 않아요.

It is not big.

Adjective negation

5

좋지 않아요.

It is not good.

Adjective negation

6

덥지 않아요.

It is not hot.

Adjective negation

7

재미있지 않아요.

It is not fun.

Adjective negation

8

비싸지 않아요.

It is not expensive.

Adjective negation

1

공부하지 않아요.

2

일하지 않아요.

3

자지 않아요.

4

읽지 않아요.

5

쓰지 않아요.

6

만나지 않아요.

7

듣지 않아요.

8

말하지 않아요.

1

도착하지 않았습니다.

2

시작하지 않았어요.

3

준비하지 않았습니다.

4

잊지 않았어요.

5

믿지 않았습니다.

6

바쁘지 않아요.

7

어렵지 않아요.

8

멀지 않아요.

1

결정하지 않았습니다.

2

동의하지 않습니다.

3

참여하지 않았습니다.

4

발생하지 않았습니다.

5

필요하지 않습니다.

6

중요하지 않습니다.

7

다르지 않습니다.

8

틀리지 않았습니다.

1

예상하지 않았던 결과입니다.

2

포기하지 않기로 했습니다.

3

부정하지 않을 수 없습니다.

4

이해하지 못하지 않습니다.

5

반대하지 않는 입장입니다.

6

만족하지 않는 상황입니다.

7

고려하지 않았던 부분입니다.

8

변하지 않는 사실입니다.

1

그는 결코 후회하지 않았노라 말했다.

2

그 사실을 부인하지 않을 수 없었다.

3

어떠한 경우에도 타협하지 않겠다.

4

그것은 결코 간단하지 않은 문제였다.

5

우리는 멈추지 않을 것이다.

6

그녀는 불평하지 않는 성격이다.

7

상황은 생각보다 좋지 않았다.

8

그는 결코 실패하지 않을 것이다.

Häufige Kollokationen

먹지 않다
가지 않다
좋지 않다
크지 않다
알지 않다
보지 않다
자지 않다
비싸지 않다
재미있지 않다
어렵지 않다

Idioms & Expressions

"않은 것보다 낫다"

Better than nothing

조금이라도 하는 것이 하지 않은 것보다 낫다.

neutral

"변함없지 않다"

It is not unchanging (it is changing)

세상은 변함없지 않다.

literary

"좋지 않은 예감"

Bad feeling

좋지 않은 예감이 든다.

neutral

"말하지 않아도 안다"

I know even if you don't say it

우리는 말하지 않아도 안다.

casual

"가지 않으면 오지 않는다"

Nothing ventured, nothing gained

가지 않으면 오지 않는다, 도전해라.

proverbial

"끝나지 않는 이야기"

Never-ending story

이것은 끝나지 않는 이야기다.

literary

Easily Confused

~지 않다 vs 안

Both mean not

안 is short/casual, ~지 않다 is long/formal

안 가요 vs 가지 않아요

~지 않다 vs 못

Both are negative prefixes

못 means inability

못 가요 (cannot go)

~지 않다 vs 아니다

Both are negative

아니다 is for nouns

학생이 아니다

~지 않다 vs 없다

Both are negative

없다 is for existence

시간이 없다

Sentence Patterns

A1

Subject + Verb-지 않다

저는 가지 않습니다.

A1

Subject + Adjective-지 않다

날씨가 춥지 않습니다.

A2

Subject + Time + Verb-지 않다

오늘 공부하지 않습니다.

A2

Subject + Object + Verb-지 않다

책을 읽지 않습니다.

B1

Subject + Adverb + Verb-지 않다

빨리 가지 않습니다.

Wortfamilie

Nouns

아니 No

Verbs

않다 To not do

Adjectives

아니다 To be not

Verwandt

못하다 Negative ability

How to Use It

frequency

10

Formality Scale

Formal written Polite spoken Neutral Casual (안)

Häufige Fehler

Adding '안' and '~지 않다' together → 안 먹다 OR 먹지 않다
This is a double negative which is redundant.
Using '안' in formal writing → ~지 않다
Formal writing requires the full form.
Negating nouns with ~지 않다 → ~이/가 아니다
Use '아니다' for nouns, not '지 않다'.
Conjugating the first verb → Stem + 지 않다
Only '않다' should be conjugated.
Using ~지 않다 for 'cannot' → ~지 못하다
Use '못하다' for inability, not '않다'.

Tips

💡

Memory Palace

Place the word on your front door.

💡

Native Usage

Use it in emails.

🌍

Cultural Insight

It shows respect.

💡

Shortcut

Verb stem + 지 않다.

💡

Say It Right

Practice the '지' sound.

💡

Don't Double Negate

Don't use '안' + '지 않다'.

💡

Did You Know?

It comes from '아니하다'.

💡

Study Smart

Flashcards!

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'G' (지) and 'Ant' (않). 'G' the ant is not there.

Visual Association

A red 'X' mark over a verb.

Word Web

negation grammar politeness verbs

Herausforderung

Write 5 things you are NOT doing today.

Wortherkunft

Korean

Original meaning: To not do

Kultureller Kontext

None

Directly maps to the English 'not'.

Many K-pop song titles use this structure

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

at school

  • 숙제를 하지 않았습니다.
  • 공부하지 않습니다.
  • 졸지 않습니다.

at work

  • 동의하지 않습니다.
  • 참여하지 않습니다.
  • 결정하지 않았습니다.

traveling

  • 가지 않습니다.
  • 먹지 않습니다.
  • 보지 않습니다.

daily life

  • 자지 않습니다.
  • 일하지 않습니다.
  • 말하지 않습니다.

Conversation Starters

"What is something you do not like?"

"Why do you not go to that place?"

"Is the weather not good today?"

"Do you not eat meat?"

"Why do you not sleep early?"

Journal Prompts

Write about a habit you do not have.

Describe a place you do not want to visit.

Explain why you do not like a certain food.

List things you do not do on weekends.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

8 Fragen

Yes, for verbs and adjectives.

Grammatically yes, but '안' is casual.

Conjugate '않다' to '않았다'.

Use '~지 못하다'.

No, it's a simple pattern.

All the time.

No, use '아니다'.

At the end of the verb stem.

Teste dich selbst

fill blank A1

저는 사과를 ___ 않아요.

Richtig! Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: 먹지

The correct form is verb stem + 지 않다.

multiple choice A2

Which is the formal negative?

Richtig! Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: 먹지 않아요

The long form is more formal.

true false B1

Is ~지 않다 used for nouns?

Richtig! Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Falsch

We use ~이/가 아니다 for nouns.

match pairs B1

Word

Bedeutung

All matched!

Match the verb to its negative.

sentence order B2

Tippe auf die Wörter unten, um den Satz zu bilden
Richtig! Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort:

Subject + time + verb + negation.

Ergebnis: /5

Related Content

War das hilfreich?

Kommentare (0)

Zum Kommentieren Anmelden
Noch keine Kommentare. Sei der Erste, der seine Gedanken teilt!