Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
'People' is always plural in English, so it pairs with 'do', never 'does'.
- Use 'do' for 'people' because it acts like 'they' (e.g., People do care).
- Use 'does' for 'person' because it acts like 'he' or 'she' (e.g., That person does care).
- In questions, always start with 'Do people...?' (e.g., Do people like this?).
Overview
do와 does의 구분입니다. 한국어 모어 화자들에게 이 개념이 생소하게 느껴지는 이유는 우리말의 구조와 근본적으로 다르기 때문입니다. 한국어에서는 «커피 마셔?»라고 물을 때 동사 '마시다'의 어미를 변형(마셔?, 마십니까?)하는 것으로 충분하지만, 영어에서는 do나 does라는 소위 '조동사(Auxiliary Verb)'의 도움을 빌려야만 의문문과 부정문을 만들 수 있습니다.do와 does는 단순 현재 시제(Simple Present Tense)에서 문장의 뼈대를 잡아주는 핵심적인 역할을 합니다. 단순히 문법 문제를 맞히기 위한 규칙이 아니라, 상대방에게 질문을 던지고 나의 의사를 명확히 부정하는 등 일상적인 소통의 기초가 됩니다. 특히 영어의 대원칙인 '주어와 동사의 일치(Subject-Verb Agreement)'를 실전에서 구현하는 첫 단추라고 할 수 있습니다.do와 does를 어떻게 하면 원어민처럼 자연스럽게 사용할 수 있는지 깊이 있게 살펴보겠습니다.do나 does라는 '도우미'를 불러오는 것이죠.- 평서문: «철수는 공부한다.»
- 의문문: «철수는 공부하니?»
- 부정문: «철수는 공부 안 한다.»
- 평서문:
Chul-soo studies. - 의문문:
Does Chul-soo study? - 부정문:
Chul-soo doesn't study.
study를 직접 건드리기보다 문장 앞에 does를 붙이거나 doesn't를 끼워 넣어 문장의 성격을 바꿉니다.he, she, it)일 때 동사에 -s나 -es를 붙인다는 규칙을 알고 계실 겁니다. 의문문이나 부정문이 되면, 본동사에 붙어 있던 이 -s가 도우미인 do에게로 옮겨갑니다. 그래서 do가 does가 되는 것이죠. 일단 does가 -s를 가져가면, 원래의 동사는 무거운 짐을 벗고 '동사원형(Base Form)'으로 돌아갑니다.do와 does는 특별한 의미(하다)를 전달하기보다는 문법적인 기능을 수행하기 위해 존재하는 '허사(dummy)'에 가깝습니다. 문장이 의문문임을 알리는 신호탄이자, 주어가 단수인지 복수인지를 보여주는 지표 역할을 합니다.do와 does를 사용하는 패턴은 매우 규칙적입니다. 주어의 인칭과 수에 따라 어떤 형태를 쓸지 결정하는 것이 핵심입니다.I, You, We, They, 복수 명사 | don't (do not) + 동사원형 | Do + 주어 + 동사원형? | Do you like K-pop? |He, She, It, 단수 명사 | doesn't (does not) + 동사원형 | Does + 주어 + 동사원형? | Does she work in Seoul? |don't나 doesn't를 넣습니다. 일상 대화에서는 축약형을 훨씬 더 많이 사용합니다.I don't (do not) have a car.(나는 차가 없어요.)The delivery app doesn't (does not) work.(배달 앱이 작동 안 해요.)
Do나 Does를 배치하고 주어를 쓴 뒤, 반드시 동사원형을 씁니다.Do you exercise at the gym?(헬스장에서 운동하세요?)Does your boss like the report?(팀장님이 그 보고서 좋아하셔?)
Who, What, Where, When, Why, How 같은 의문사가 있을 때는 의문사를 맨 앞에 두고 그 뒤에 do/does 구조를 이어 붙입니다.Where do you live?(어디 사세요?)What does this word mean?(이 단어는 무슨 뜻인가요?)How often does he go to the PC-bang?(그는 PC방에 얼마나 자주 가나요?)
do/does를 쓰지 않습니다.Who lives here?(누가 여기 사니? -Who가 주어이므로Does who live라고 하지 않음)What happens next?(다음에 무슨 일이 일어나니?)
do와 does는 단순히 문법적 규칙을 넘어, 우리가 일상에서 나누는 대화의 대부분의 상황에서 쓰입니다.Do you go to the English academy every day?(매일 영어 학원에 가시나요?)My brother doesn't eat breakfast.(제 남동생은 아침을 안 먹어요.)
Does water boil at 100 degrees?(물은 100도에서 끓나요?)The sun doesn't rise in the west.(해는 서쪽에서 뜨지 않습니다.)
Do you prefer iced Americano?(아이스 아메리카노를 더 좋아하세요?)She doesn't like horror movies.(그녀는 공포 영화를 좋아하지 않아요.)
do나 does를 쓰면 «정말로», «진짜로»라는 의미의 강조가 됩니다.I do like you!(난 너를 정말 좋아해!)He does study hard, believe me.(그는 정말 공부 열심히 해요, 믿어주세요.)
does가 이미 3인칭 단수를 표시했는데, 뒤에 오는 동사에도 -s를 붙이는 경우입니다.- 잘못된 예:
Does she likes coffee?(X) - 올바른 예:
Does she like coffee?(O) - 설명:
does는 'S를 삼키는 괴물'이라고 생각하세요. 문장에does가 등장하면 뒤에 오는 동사의-s를 뺏어 먹어버립니다.
- 잘못된 예:
Are you like pizza?(X) - 올바른 예:
Do you like pizza?(O) - 설명:
like는 일반 동사입니다. 일반 동사의 의문문은be동사가 아니라do/does가 도와줘야 합니다.Are you...는 뒤에 명사나 형용사가 올 때(상태를 물을 때) 사용합니다.
do를 쓸지 does를 쓸지 헷갈려 합니다.- 잘못된 예:
Do one of your friends live here?(X) - 올바른 예:
Does one of your friends live here?(O) - 설명: 주어의 핵심은
one입니다.friends가 복수라고 해서do를 쓰면 안 됩니다. '친구들 중 한 명'이므로 단수 취급하여does를 써야 합니다.
do/does와 가장 많이 헷갈려 하는 be 동사(am/are/is)를 비교해 보겠습니다.Do / Does (일반동사 조동사) | Am / Are / Is (Be 동사) |eat, go, study...) | 명사, 형용사, 장소 (student, happy, here...) |Do you work here? (여기서 일해요?) | Are you a worker here? (여기 직원이세요?) |He doesn't know. (그는 몰라요.) | He isn't a teacher. (그는 선생님이 아니에요.) |do/does를, 주어의 상태나 정체를 나타낸다면 be 동사를 선택하세요.do가 '하다'라는 뜻의 일반 동사로 쓰일 때도 do/does를 또 써야 하나요?do가 '숙제를 하다', '운동을 하다'처럼 일반 동사로 쓰일 때도 의문문/부정문을 만들려면 도우미 do/does가 필요합니다.- 예:
Do you do your homework?(첫 번째Do는 도우미, 두 번째do는 '하다'라는 뜻의 본동사) - 예:
He doesn't do any exercise.(그는 운동을 전혀 안 해요.)
I와 You는 단수인데 does가 아니라 do를 쓰나요?He, She, It)만 특별 대우를 하기로 약속했기 때문입니다. I(1인칭)와 You(2인칭)는 대화의 당사자들이므로 가장 기본 형태인 do를 사용합니다. 이것은 논리보다는 언어의 관습적인 규칙으로 받아들이는 것이 좋습니다.do/does를 구분하나요?did 하나로 통일됩니다.Did you go?,Did she go?모두did를 사용하면 됩니다. 인칭에 따른 구분은 오직 현재 시제에서만 존재합니다.
don't와 doesn't 대신 do not, does not을 쓰면 틀리나요?don't/doesn't를 쓰는 것이 훨씬 자연스럽습니다.Conjugating 'Do' with People vs. Person
| Subject Type | Subject | Affirmative | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Singular
|
A person
|
does
|
doesn't
|
Does a person...?
|
|
Plural
|
People
|
do
|
don't
|
Do people...?
|
|
Singular Pronoun
|
He/She/It
|
does
|
doesn't
|
Does he...?
|
|
Plural Pronoun
|
They
|
do
|
don't
|
Do they...?
|
|
Singular Group
|
Everyone
|
does
|
doesn't
|
Does everyone...?
|
|
Specific Group
|
The crowd
|
does/do*
|
doesn't/don't*
|
Does/Do the crowd...?
|
Common Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction | Usage Example |
|---|---|---|
|
People do not
|
People don't
|
People don't like waiting.
|
|
Person does not
|
Person doesn't
|
That person doesn't know.
|
Meanings
The verb 'do' is used with plural subjects (I, you, we, they), while 'does' is used for third-person singular subjects (he, she, it). Since 'people' is the plural form of 'person', it requires the plural verb form 'do'.
General Plurality
Referring to a group of individuals as a collective plural entity.
“People do not always agree on politics.”
“Why do people wait in line for hours?”
Ethnic/National Groups
Using 'people' as a singular countable noun to mean a nation or ethnic group (rare, but important for B1+).
“The Japanese are a people that does value tradition.”
“Every people does have its own unique history.”
Reference Table
| 주어 | 긍정문 동사 | 부정문 | 질문 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
I / you / we / they
|
I go.
|
They **do not** (don't) go.
|
**Do** you go?
|
|
he / she / it
|
She go**es**.
|
He **does not** (doesn't) go.
|
**Does** it go?
|
|
복수 명사 (the cats)
|
The cats play.
|
The cats **do not** (don't) play.
|
**Do** the cats play?
|
|
단수 명사 (the cat)
|
The cat play**s**.
|
The cat **does not** (doesn't) play.
|
**Does** the cat play?
|
|
친구들 (your friends)
|
Your friends know.
|
Your friends **don't** know.
|
**Do** your friends know?
|
|
친구 (your friend)
|
Your friend know**s**.
|
Your friend **doesn't** know.
|
**Does** your friend know?
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
It is observed that people do provide assistance when requested. (Community behavior)
People do help each other in this neighborhood. (Community behavior)
People do be helping out, you know? (Community behavior)
Folks do be helping. (Community behavior)
'Do' vs. 'Does' 개념 지도
DO를 사용하는 경우...
- I / You Do you agree?
- We / They We don't know.
- 복수 명사 Do the kids want ice cream?
DOES를 사용하는 경우...
- He / She / It She doesn't live here.
- 단수 명사 Does the store have milk?
- 부정 대명사 Does anyone know?
'Do' vs. 'Does' 한눈에 보기
무엇을 선택할까? 흐름도
주어가 he, she, it 또는 단수 명사인가요?
주어가 I, you, we, they 또는 복수 명사인가요?
누가 'Do'를 쓰고 누가 'Does'를 쓸까?
'DO' 팀
- • I
- • You
- • We
- • They
- • My friends
- • The books
'DOES' 팀
- • He
- • She
- • It
- • My friend
- • The book
- • Everybody
수준별 예문
People do like music.
People like music.
Do people eat here?
Do people eat here?
People do not sleep in class.
People don't sleep in class.
Many people do yoga.
Many people do yoga.
People don't usually work on Sundays.
People don't usually work on Sundays.
Why do people buy expensive cars?
Why do people buy expensive cars?
Some people do their best every day.
Some people do their best every day.
Do people in your country drink tea?
Do people in your country drink tea?
Most people do not realize how much time they spend on their phones.
Most people don't realize how much time they spend on their phones.
Do people really think that this plan will work?
Do people really think that this plan will work?
People who do exercise regularly feel much better.
People who exercise regularly feel much better.
Rarely do people find such a great opportunity.
Rarely do people find such a great opportunity.
The people of this city do not appreciate the new tax laws.
The people of this city do not appreciate the new tax laws.
Whether or not people do agree with the decision is irrelevant.
Whether or not people agree with the decision is irrelevant.
Do people in management positions always have to work late?
Do people in management positions always have to work late?
It is essential that people do their part to protect the environment.
It is essential that people do their part to protect the environment.
Seldom do people acknowledge the complexity of the issue.
Seldom do people acknowledge the complexity of the issue.
The very people who do the most work are often paid the least.
The very people who do the most work are often paid the least.
Do people not understand that resources are limited?
Do people not understand that resources are limited?
Only when people do come together can real change happen.
Only when people come together can real change happen.
Lest people do forget, history has a way of repeating itself.
Lest people forget, history has a way of repeating itself.
The indigenous people, as a singular entity, does possess unique rights.
The indigenous people, as a singular entity, does possess unique rights.
Hardly do people ever question the status quo in this society.
Hardly do people ever question the status quo in this society.
Should people do as they are told, the system functions perfectly.
Should people do as they are told, the system functions perfectly.
혼동하기 쉬운
Learners think because both refer to a group, they conjugate the same way.
In some dialects, 'family' can take 'do', leading to confusion with 'people'.
Seeing 'a people' in a book and thinking 'people' can be singular in all cases.
자주 하는 실수
People does like pizza.
People do like pizza.
Does people live here?
Do people live here?
The people is happy.
The people are happy.
One people do it.
One person does it.
People doesn't know.
People don't know.
Why does people say that?
Why do people say that?
Every people do this.
Everyone does this.
Most people does their work.
Most people do their work.
A person do what they can.
A person does what they can.
The people in my office does not like the coffee.
The people in my office do not like the coffee.
Seldom does people realize...
Seldom do people realize...
The Japanese people does...
The Japanese people do...
문장 패턴
Do people in ___ usually ___?
Most people do not ___ because ___.
Why do people ___ when they ___?
The things that people do for ___ are ___.
Real World Usage
Do people know about the party?
I like to see how people do under pressure.
Why do people do this? SMH.
Do people speak English in this village?
People do not recommend the extra spicy sauce.
The people do not support the new law.
'S' 규칙
'S'를 두 번 붙이지 마세요!
Does he run fast?
대명사로 바꿔 생각하기
Does the team win often?
미국 vs. 영국 영어: 단체 명사
Smart Tips
Stop and think of the word 'They'. You would never say 'They does', right?
Check your relative clauses. If you write 'People who does...', change it to 'People who do...'
Draw a small '1' over everyone and a '2+' over people to remind you of the verb form.
Always start with 'Do people...'. It's a fixed phrase you can memorize.
발음
Reduction of 'do'
In the phrase 'Do people...', the 'do' is often reduced to a short /də/ sound.
Linking
The 'p' in people is aspirated. When saying 'don't people', the 't' often becomes a stop or disappears.
Question Rise
Do people LIKE it? ↗
Standard yes/no question intonation.
암기하기
기억법
People are many, so 'do' is the penny—always plural, never singular!
시각적 연상
Imagine a huge crowd of people all holding a giant letter 'O' (from DO). A single person is holding a letter 'S' (from DOES).
Rhyme
One person does, but people do. This is always, always true!
Story
In a small village, one man (the Person) always 'does' the laundry alone. But when the whole village (the People) comes together, they 'do' the laundry in the river together. The 'S' in 'does' is for 'Solo'.
Word Web
챌린지
Look around you in a public place. Write 5 sentences about what the 'people' there are doing using 'do' or 'don't'.
문화 노트
Americans use 'people' very frequently in political discourse ('The American people do...').
In the UK, collective nouns like 'the team' or 'the government' can take 'do', making 'people do' feel even more natural.
The word 'folks' is often used instead of 'people', but it follows the same 'do' rule.
From Old French 'pople', from Latin 'populus' (a people, nation, body of citizens).
대화 시작하기
Do people in your country celebrate New Year's Eve?
Why do people spend so much money on weddings?
Do people in your profession usually work from home?
What do people do for fun in your hometown?
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
My cat ___ like to be woken up from his nap.
올바른 문장을 선택하세요:
Find and fix the mistake:
They doesn't have the key for the apartment.
Score: /3
연습 문제
8 exercisesMost people ___ (do/does) not like working on Saturdays.
Find and fix the mistake:
Why does people always forget their umbrellas?
That person ___ not have a ticket, but these people ___.
He doesn't like spicy food. -> ___
The word 'people' is a singular collective noun in English.
A: Do people usually tip here? B: Yes, they ___.
Select all subjects that use 'do'.
1. People, 2. Everyone, 3. A person
Score: /8
Practice Bank
13 exercises___ you know how to get to the train station from here?
It ___ seem like a good idea to start now; it's too late.
올바른 문장을 선택하세요:
Why do that machine make so much noise?
주어와 올바른 형태를 짝지으세요:
다음 문장을 영어로 번역하세요: '¿Ella quiere venir con nosotros?'
이 단어들을 문장으로 배열하세요:
What ___ people usually do on this holiday?
올바른 문장을 선택하세요:
It don't matter what I think.
이 단어들을 문장으로 배열하세요:
다음 문장을 영어로 번역하세요: 'Él no hace ejercicio muy a menudo.'
문장 부분을 짝지으세요:
Score: /13
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
Only when referring to an ethnic group or nation (e.g., 'The Cherokee are a people'). In 99% of cases, it is plural.
Probably because your native language (like Spanish or French) treats the word for people as a singular noun.
The singular is 'person'. One person does, two people do.
Yes, but only if you are talking about multiple different ethnic groups (e.g., 'The peoples of Africa').
No! 'Everyone' is singular and takes 'does'. This is a very common point of confusion.
It is always 'people don't'.
No, 'people' is plural in all dialects of English.
Use the 'They' test: if you can say 'They do', you must say 'People do'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
La gente
Spanish 'gente' is singular; English 'people' is plural.
Les gens / Tout le monde
English 'people' matches 'les gens', not 'tout le monde'.
Die Leute
The logic is identical to English.
人々 (Hitobito)
Japanese has no subject-verb agreement.
الناس (An-nas)
Arabic has more complex plural types, but 'people' is straightforwardly plural.
人们 (Rénmen)
No plural/singular verb distinction in Chinese.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
관련 동영상
00:48 Tom Forgets To Hide The Easter Eggs | Parks and Recreation
08:25 Niall Horan Teaches You How To Be Irish | Going Places | Condé Nast Traveler
02:47 The Witcher - Geralt vs Renfri 4K UHD
Do와 Does의 차이점! 언제 어떻게 사용해야 할까?
라이브 아카데미 Live Academy
Do, Does, Did, Done, Doing! 5가지 형태 완벽 정리! [영어문법]
시원스쿨
Do, Does, Did, Don't, Doesn't, Didn't 언제 쓸까?
진심영어
Related Grammar Rules
방언 대 언어: 차이점은 무엇인가요?
### Overview 우리가 영어를 배울 때 흔히 마주치는 질문 중 하나가 바로 "이건 사투리인가요, 아니면 다른 언어인가요?"라는...
Nowadays vs. Now-a-days: 차이점은 무엇인가요?
### Overview 언어는 살아있는 생명체와 같아서 시간이 흐르면서 그 형태와 쓰임새가 끊임없이 변하곤 합니다. 오늘 우리가 함...
Let them vs. Let they: 차이점이 무엇인가요?
### Overview 영어 학습을 하다 보면 `let them`과 `let they` 중 어떤 것이 맞는지 헷갈릴 때가 있습니다. 결론부터 말씀드리...
Quite vs. Quiet: 차이점이 무엇인가요?
### Overview 영어 학습의 여정에서 우리 한국인 학습자들을 가장 당혹스럽게 만드는 것 중 하나는 바로 '비슷하게 생겼지만 완...
Said vs. Told: 차이점이 무엇인가요?
### Overview 영어를 배우는 한국인 학습자들에게 `say`와 `tell`은 마치 '숙명적인 라이벌'과 같습니다. 우리말로는 둘 다 단...
