Negation & Prohibition
Express negation with 안/못 and prohibition with -지 마세요. Understand the difference between inability and refusal.
Building on the basic negation from Lesson 3-4, this lesson covers prohibition (telling someone NOT to do something) and the nuanced distinction between 안 (won't / don't) and 못 (can't). For prohibition, the formula is verb stem + -지 마세요 (please don't) or -지 마요 (more casual). 들어가지 마세요 (please don't enter), 하지 마요 (don't do it).
The distinction between 안 and 못 carries social weight. 안 implies choice (I'm not eating this because I don't want to). 못 implies inability (I can't eat this because of allergies / physical limitation). Using 못 when you meant 안 can imply you wanted to do something but couldn't, which may invite questions or unwanted help. Using 안 when you meant 못 can sound dismissive. Pay attention to whether refusal is voluntary or not when choosing between them.
안 vs. 못 — Negation
안 (voluntary negation): placed before a verb to express 'don't / won't'. Shows choice or unwillingness. 못 (inability): placed before a verb to express 'can't'. Shows inability due to skill, circumstance, or external reasons. 하다 verbs: 안 해요 / 못 해요 (not 안 하다요).
-지 마세요 / -지 마 — Don't (prohibition)
Attach -지 마세요 to the verb stem to tell someone not to do something (polite). Use -지 마 for casual speech. Stronger version: -지 마십시오 (formal). Common in signs, instructions, and warnings.