haru Korean › Grammar › Level 1B › 할 수 있어요 · 못 해요 · -아야 돼요 · -지 마세요

할 수 있어요 · 못 해요 · -아야 돼요 · -지 마세요 — can, can't, must and please don't — four endings for what you can and have to do

Can, can't, must and please don't — four endings for what you can and have to do. Korean grammar for beginner learners — Level 1B, lesson 12: 1급 정리 · 나의 한국 생활 (Level 1 round-up — my life in Korea).

What it means

Four endings tell what is possible and what is necessary. -(으)ㄹ 수 있어요 says you can: 갈 수 있어요. For 'can't' you have -(으)ㄹ 수 없어요, the short 못 + verb (못 가요) or -지 못해요 (가지 못해요) — they mean the same. With 하다 verbs, 못 goes right before 해요: 운동 못 해요. -아야/어야 돼요 says you must: 가야 돼요 · 먹어야 돼요 · 운동해야 돼요. -지 마세요 asks the person you are talking to not to do something: 가지 마세요. Keep 안 and 못 apart: 안 가요 means you choose not to go, 못 가요 means you can't.

Forms

Key points

• One verb, four endings: 갈 수 있어요 (can) · 못 가요 (can't) · 가야 돼요 (must) · 가지 마세요 (please don't)
• The first three talk about you or other people; -지 마세요 asks the person you are talking to

Examples

• 가다 → 갈 수 있어요 · 못 가요 · 가야 돼요 · 가지 마세요.
• 먹다 → 먹을 수 있어요 · 못 먹어요 · 먹어야 돼요 · 먹지 마세요.
• 수영 못 해요. = 수영을 할 수 없어요. = 수영을 하지 못해요.
• 내일 시험이 있어요. 그래서 오늘은 공부해야 돼요.

Where university textbooks teach it

This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 1B, lesson 11; Seoul National University Korean 1B, lesson 16; Yonsei University Korean 1-2, lesson 15; Sogang University Korean 1B, lesson 1; Ewha Womans University Korean 1-2, lesson 14; Hongik University Korean 1B, lesson 9; Hanyang University Korean 1-2, lesson 7.

Also in this lesson

• 시제 정리 — tense review — what you did, what you are doing, what you are going to do
• 높임 정리 — honorifics review — talking about older people in three layers
• 연결어미 정리 — linking endings review — and, so, while and but: two sentences in one
• A-다 · V-ㄴ다/는다 · N(이)다 (이야기의 말) — the plain narrative style — diaries and stories

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