A1 Expression Neutral 1 min de lectura

없어요

207

There isn't/I don't have

Practícalo

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use '없어요' to say something does not exist or that you do not have it.

  • Means: To not have or to not exist in a specific location.
  • Used in: Checking item availability, stating lack of possession, or denying presence.
  • Don't confuse: Do not use with '안' (negation); '없어요' is already a negative verb.
Empty hands + Shaking head = 없어요

Explicación a tu nivel:

Use '없어요' to say you don't have something. It is very simple and used every day.
This expression indicates non-existence or lack of possession. It is the negative form of '있어요' and is essential for basic survival in Korea.
Functioning as an existential negative, '없다' is used to define the absence of objects or abstract concepts like time or money. It requires the subject particle -이/가.
In complex sentences, '없어요' serves as the predicate for existential clauses. It is frequently used in conditional structures (e.g., 'If there is no X, then Y').
Linguistically, '없다' is a descriptive verb that functions as an existential negative. It is distinct from '안' (adverbial negation) because it negates the existence of the noun itself rather than the action performed on it.
The lexical item '없다' represents a fundamental ontological category in Korean. It serves as the primary mechanism for expressing null-existence, contrasting with '있다' to map the presence or absence of entities within a discourse domain.

Significado

Used to indicate non-existence or lack of possession.

🌍

Contexto cultural

Koreans often use '없어요' to avoid saying a direct 'no' to a request, as it sounds softer.

💡

Particle usage

Always use -이/가 before 없어요.

💡

Particle usage

Always use -이/가 before 없어요.

Ponte a prueba

Fill in the blank for 'I don't have a pen'.

저는 펜이 ____.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 없어요

You are stating you do not have the pen.

🎉 Puntuación: /1

Ayudas visuales

Banco de ejercicios

2 ejercicios
Elige la respuesta correcta Fill Blank

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta:
Fill in the blank for 'I don't have a pen'. Fill Blank A1

저는 펜이 ____.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 없어요

You are stating you do not have the pen.

🎉 Puntuación: /2

Preguntas frecuentes

1 preguntas

Yes, '사람이 없어요' means 'There is no one here'.

Frases relacionadas

🔗

있다

contrast

To have/exist

Dónde usarla

🍽️

At a restaurant

Customer: 물 있어요?

Waiter: 죄송합니다, 지금 물이 없어요.

neutral
📅

Checking schedule

Friend: 내일 시간 있어요?

You: 아니요, 내일은 시간이 없어요.

neutral

Memorízalo

Mnemotecnia

Think of 'Up-so-yo' (sounds like 'up' is 'so' far away it's gone).

Asociación visual

Imagine an empty fridge with a sign that says 'Up-so-yo'.

Rhyme

When you have nothing to show, just say '없어요'.

Story

Min-su went to the store. He wanted bread. He looked at the shelf. It was empty. He told the clerk, '빵이 없어요'.

In Other Languages

Similar to 'non' in French or 'no hay' in Spanish. It is a universal way to express absence.

Word Web

있다없다없어요없습니다없어없었어요

Desafío

Look around your room and name 3 things you don't have using '없어요'.

Review in 1, 3, 7, and 14 days.

Pronunciación

Acento Flat, neutral tone.

The 'b' sound is silent, focus on the 'p' ending.

Espectro de formalidad

Formal
없습니다.

없습니다. (General statement)

Neutral
없어요.

없어요. (General statement)

Informal
없어.

없어. (General statement)

Jerga
없네.

없네. (General statement)

Derived from the Middle Korean '업다'. It represents the state of void.

Joseon Dynasty:

Dato curioso

It is the exact opposite of '있다', which is the most common verb in Korean.

Notas culturales

Koreans often use '없어요' to avoid saying a direct 'no' to a request, as it sounds softer.

“시간이 없어요 (I don't have time - implies I cannot do it).”

Inicios de conversación

“

오늘 시간이 있어요?

Errores comunes

✗

먹 없어요

✓

안 먹어요

literal translation
You cannot use '없어요' with verbs. Use '안' for actions.

L1 Interference

0 1

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

No hay

Spanish uses 'no hay' for existence, whereas Korean uses '없어요' for both existence and possession.

French moderate

Il n'y a pas

Korean is a single word, while French requires a multi-word phrase.

German moderate

Es gibt nicht

German focuses on 'giving', Korean focuses on 'being'.

Japanese Very Similar

ない (nai)

Korean '없어요' is slightly more formal than the plain 'nai'.

Arabic moderate

لا يوجد (la yujad)

Arabic implies 'not found', Korean implies 'not present'.

Spotted in the Real World

📺

(2021)

“돈이 없어요.”

Character explaining his financial situation.

Fácil de confundir

없어요 vs 안

Learners use '안' with nouns.

Use '없어요' for nouns, '안' for verbs.

Preguntas frecuentes (1)

Yes, '사람이 없어요' means 'There is no one here'.

usage contexts

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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