KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -지 않다
Korean Grammar “-지 않다”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 1)
How to attach it
Attach the pattern to the verb stem, which is the dictionary form without 다. Compare how each verb below changes depending on its last sound.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | With this pattern | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보다 | to see, to watch | 보지 않다 | boji anta |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽지 않다 | ikji anta |
| 하다 | to do | 하지 않다 | haji anta |
| 살다 | to live | 살지 않다 | salji anta |
What changes
- This ending attaches directly to the stem. Nothing changes, whether the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant.
Explanation
오늘은 날씨가 좋지 않아요.
“-지 않다” is attached to a verb or adjective stem to make it negative (“is not…”), and the form is the same with or without a final consonant. The sentence means “The weather isn’t good today.” “않다” must be preceded by “-지,” so other endings such as “-고” or “-게” cannot be used.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 오늘은 날씨가 좋지 않아요.
Said aloud, it sounds like [오느른 날씨가 조치 아나요].
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 오늘은 | ||
| 오 | ㅇ+ㅗ | o |
| 늘 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [느] neu |
| 은 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄴ | [른] reun |
| 날씨가 | ||
| 날 | ㄴ+ㅏ+ㄹ | nal |
| 씨 | ㅆ+ㅣ | ssi |
| 가 | ㄱ+ㅏ | ga |
| 좋지 | ||
| 좋 | ㅈ+ㅗ+ㅎ | [조] jo |
| 지 | ㅈ+ㅣ | [치] chi |
| 않아요 | ||
| 않 | ㅇ+ㅏ+ㄶ | [아] a |
| 아 | ㅇ+ㅏ | [나] na |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 늘은 → [느른]
- Aspiration: ㅎ next to ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ or ㅈ blends with it into ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ or ㅊ. 좋지 → [조치]
- Silent ㅎ: a final ㅎ (including the ㅎ inside ㄶ and ㅀ) is not pronounced before a vowel. 않아 → [아나]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 날씨 | noun | weather | TOPIK level 1 |
| 좋다 | adjective | good, nice | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 오늘은 날씨가 좋____ 않아요.
Show the answer
Answer: 오늘은 날씨가 좋지 않아요.
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