haru Korean › Grammar › Level 1A › 안 V
안 V — 안 before the verb — 'I don't eat', 'I don't study'
안 before the verb — 'I don't eat', 'I don't study'. Korean grammar for beginner learners — Level 1A, lesson 5: 한국어를 공부해요 (I study Korean — your first verbs).
What it means
안 makes a verb negative. Put it right before the verb: 먹어요 → 안 먹어요, 'I don't eat'. A place or an object stays in front, and 안 still sits next to the verb: 교실에서 안 먹어요, 책을 안 읽어요. For 하다 verbs made from a noun (공부하다, 숙제하다), 안 goes between the noun and 해요: 공부 안 해요, not 안 공부해요. To answer no, say 아니요 and use 안: 자요? — 아니요, 안 자요. Two verbs have their own 'not' word instead of 안: 알아요 → 몰라요, 있어요 → 없어요.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 안 V | most verbs — 안 right before the verb | 먹어요 → 안 먹어요 |
| N 안 해요 | 하다 verbs — 안 before 해요 | 공부해요 → 공부 안 해요 |
Key points
- 안 V — 안 먹어요 · 안 자요 · 공부 안 해요
- 안 sits right before the verb, even after a place or a thing: 교실에서 안 먹어요 · 책을 안 읽어요
Examples
- 먹어요 → 안 먹어요. 자요 → 안 자요.
- 공부해요 → 공부 안 해요. 숙제해요 → 숙제 안 해요.
- 교실에서 먹어요? — 아니요, 교실에서 안 먹어요.
- 책을 안 읽어요.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 1A, lesson 3; Yonsei University Korean 1-1, lesson 10; Sogang University Korean 1A, lesson 4; Ewha Womans University Korean 1-1, lesson 6; Hanyang University Korean 1-2, lesson 6.