मतलब
Stating one's limited ability in Korean.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
The 'Compliment Trap': Koreans are very encouraging to learners. Even if you only say 'Hello', they might say your Korean is amazing. Using '잘 못합니다' is the expected humble response. Respect for hierarchy means that admitting a lack of knowledge to an elder or superior is seen as a sign of good upbringing and honesty. On platforms like Instagram or HelloTalk, learners often put '한국어 잘 못함' in their bio to signal they are students and to excuse any grammar mistakes in their posts. In a business setting, being precise about your limitations is better than over-promising. Using the formal '-합니다' version shows professional respect.
Add '아직' for extra points
Saying '아직 한국어 잘 못합니다' (I can't speak Korean well *yet*) sounds much more natural and positive.
Watch the 'p' sound
In '합니다', the 'p' (ㅂ) is followed by 'n' (ㄴ). This makes the 'p' sound like an 'm'. It's 'ham-ni-da', not 'hap-ni-da'.
मतलब
Stating one's limited ability in Korean.
Add '아직' for extra points
Saying '아직 한국어 잘 못합니다' (I can't speak Korean well *yet*) sounds much more natural and positive.
Watch the 'p' sound
In '합니다', the 'p' (ㅂ) is followed by 'n' (ㄴ). This makes the 'p' sound like an 'm'. It's 'ham-ni-da', not 'hap-ni-da'.
Smile while saying it
Since you are admitting a limitation, a small polite smile or a slight bow makes the interaction much warmer.
खुद को परखो
Choose the most polite and natural way to say you aren't good at Korean to a stranger.
저기요, 질문이 있는데... (Excuse me, I have a question...)
'못합니다' is the correct polite form for lack of ability.
Fill in the missing adverb to soften the negation.
저는 한국어를 ___ 못합니다.
'잘' (well) is the standard adverb used with '못하다' to mean 'not good at'.
Match the speech level to the person you are talking to.
1. A grandmother at a bus stop. 2. A close friend from school. 3. A standard polite situation.
Formal (-합니다) for elders, Informal (-해) for friends, Polite (-해요) for general use.
Complete the dialogue with the most humble response.
한국인: '한국어 정말 잘하시네요!' 외국인: '아니에요. _______.'
In Korea, it is polite to deflect compliments about your skills.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
अभ्यास बैंक
4 अभ्यास저기요, 질문이 있는데... (Excuse me, I have a question...)
'못합니다' is the correct polite form for lack of ability.
저는 한국어를 ___ 못합니다.
'잘' (well) is the standard adverb used with '못하다' to mean 'not good at'.
1. A grandmother at a bus stop. 2. A close friend from school. 3. A standard polite situation.
Formal (-합니다) for elders, Informal (-해) for friends, Polite (-해요) for general use.
한국인: '한국어 정말 잘하시네요!' 외국인: '아니에요. _______.'
In Korea, it is polite to deflect compliments about your skills.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
5 सवाल한국어 ({韓國語}) is the formal term for the language (the 'language of Korea'). 한국말 is more casual and literally means 'Korean speech'. Both work with this phrase.
Yes, that is the most common way to say it in daily life. It is polite but less stiff than '못합니다'.
Without '잘', it sounds like you can't speak a single word. '잘 못해요' means 'I'm not good at it', which is usually more accurate and sounds softer.
Yes! In fact, it's often expected as a form of modesty. It prevents you from sounding boastful.
You can say '한국어 전혀 못합니다' (Hangugeo jeonhyeo mothamnida).
संबंधित मुहावरे
한국어 조금 해요
similarI speak a little Korean.
한국어 공부 중이에요
builds onI am in the middle of studying Korean.
다시 말씀해 주세요
builds onPlease say it again.
한국어 잘하시네요
contrastYour Korean is good.
