haru Korean › Grammar › Level 1B › N을/를 잘하다 · 못하다
N을/를 잘하다 · 못하다 — good at, bad at — 'I'm good at …' · 'I'm not good at …'
Good at, bad at — 'I'm good at …' · 'I'm not good at …'. Korean grammar for beginner learners — Level 1B, lesson 1: 이분이 우리 할아버지세요 (This is my grandfather — family and honorifics).
What it means
잘하다 means 'to be good at' something, and the thing takes 을/를: 요리를 잘해요, 한국어를 잘해요. To say you are not very good at it, use 잘 못하다 — 노래를 잘 못해요 is the usual, softer answer. 못하다 on its own is stronger, 'bad at': 배드민턴을 못해요. Here 못하다 is written as one word. For an older person, add -(으)시-: 할머니께서 요리를 잘하세요. When someone praises you, the Korean way is to answer modestly: 아니에요, 잘 못해요. 못 + verb, 'cannot', comes in the next lesson.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| N을/를 잘해요 | ✓ good at | 요리 + 를 → 요리를 잘해요 |
| N을/를 잘 못해요 | △ not very good at | 노래 + 를 → 노래를 잘 못해요 |
| N을/를 못해요 | ✗ bad at | 요리 + 를 → 요리를 못해요 |
Key points
- N을/를 잘해요 'good at' · 잘 못해요 'not very good at' · 못해요 'bad at': 한국어를 잘해요
- For an older person 잘하세요; when someone praises you: 아니에요, 잘 못해요
Examples
- 요리를 잘해요. 노래를 잘 못해요. 배드민턴을 못해요.
- 한국어를 잘해요? — 아니요, 잘 못해요.
- 할머니께서는 요리를 정말 잘하세요.
- 어제 노래를 잘했어요.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 1B, lesson 9; Hongik University Korean 1B, lesson 9.
Also in this lesson
- A/V-(으)세요 · N(이)세요 — honorific -(으)시- — speaking politely about older people
- N께서(는) — the honorific subject particle — 이/가 → 께서 · 은/는 → 께서는
- N의 N — possession — 'N's N': 안나 씨의 가방 · 제 가방