Meaning
Forbidding or advising against an action.
Cultural Background
In Korea, public etiquette is highly valued. You will often hear '~하면 안 돼요' in subways regarding priority seating for the elderly or pregnant women. It's not just a rule; it's a social expectation. When a junior employee makes a mistake, a senior might use '~하면 안 되지' (You shouldn't do that, right?) as a soft but firm correction. The '-지' ending adds a nuance of 'you should know better.' Korean dining has specific rules, like not holding your rice bowl in your hand. An elder might say this to a child to teach them proper {禮節|예절} (etiquette). On Korean social media and forums, users often use '안 돼' as a meme to react to something bad or unfortunate happening, similar to 'Nooooo' in English.
The 'ㄹ' Rule
Remember that verbs ending in 'ㄹ' like '살다' or '만들다' don't take '으'. It's '살면 안 돼요', not '살으면 안 돼요'.
Spelling Alert
It's always '돼요', never '되요'. '돼' is a contraction of '되어'.
Meaning
Forbidding or advising against an action.
The 'ㄹ' Rule
Remember that verbs ending in 'ㄹ' like '살다' or '만들다' don't take '으'. It's '살면 안 돼요', not '살으면 안 돼요'.
Spelling Alert
It's always '돼요', never '되요'. '돼' is a contraction of '되어'.
Softening the Blow
If you want to sound less bossy, add '제 생각에는' (In my opinion) before saying '~하면 안 돼요'.
Indirectness
If a Korean person says '그건 좀 안 될 것 같은데요' (I think that might not work), they are actually saying 'You can't do that' very politely.
Test Yourself
Conjugate the verb in parentheses to complete the prohibition.
수업 시간에 (자다) _______ 안 돼요.
The stem '자-' ends in a vowel, so we add '-면'.
Which sentence is the most natural for a sign in a library?
도서관에서 어떻게 말해야 할까요?
Formal settings like libraries use the '-습니다' form, and '안 됩니다' is the correct spelling.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form.
A: 이 버섯 먹어도 돼요? B: 아니요, 독버섯이에요. (먹다) _______.
Since A used '해요체' (돼요?), B should respond in the same level. '먹으면 안 돼요' is the correct prohibition.
Match the situation to the correct Korean phrase.
Situation: You see someone trying to enter a 'Staff Only' room.
'들어가다' means 'to enter'.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Prohibition vs. Command
Practice Bank
4 exercises수업 시간에 (자다) _______ 안 돼요.
The stem '자-' ends in a vowel, so we add '-면'.
도서관에서 어떻게 말해야 할까요?
Formal settings like libraries use the '-습니다' form, and '안 됩니다' is the correct spelling.
A: 이 버섯 먹어도 돼요? B: 아니요, 독버섯이에요. (먹다) _______.
Since A used '해요체' (돼요?), B should respond in the same level. '먹으면 안 돼요' is the correct prohibition.
Situation: You see someone trying to enter a 'Staff Only' room.
'들어가다' means 'to enter'.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
12 questionsUsually, no. This pattern is for actions (verbs). If you want to say 'You shouldn't be sad,' you'd use a different structure like '슬퍼하지 마세요.'
It depends. If they are breaking a clear rule (like cutting in line), it's acceptable. If you're giving unsolicited advice, it might be seen as intrusive.
'안 돼요' is polite/informal (standard), while '안 됩니다' is formal/polite (used for announcements or to superiors).
Use the past tense: '~하면 안 됐어요.' For example, '그걸 사면 안 됐어요' (I shouldn't have bought that).
No, 'I can't' is '~할 수 없어요.' '~하면 안 돼요' specifically means it's not allowed or not a good idea.
No, you can use it with close friends of the same age or younger, but never to someone older or in a higher position.
In that context, it's an exclamation meaning 'No way!' or 'This can't be happening!'
Yes! '~하면 안 돼요?' means 'Am I not allowed to...?' or 'Can't I...?'
The most formal version is '~해서는 안 됩니다.'
Not always. It can also mean 'it's not a good idea' or 'it won't work out well.'
It's an 'ㄷ' irregular, so it becomes '들으면 안 돼요.'
It's a 'ㅂ' irregular, so it becomes '도우면 안 돼요.'
Related Phrases
~하지 마세요
similarPlease don't do it.
~하면 안 됩니다
formalIt is not allowed (formal).
~해서는 안 된다
specialized formMust not do (emphatic).
금지되다
synonymTo be prohibited.
안 돼
informalNo / Don't.
