KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -지 말라고 하다
Korean Grammar “-지 말라고 하다”: How to Use It (TOPIK 4)
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 말라고 하다 | boji mallago hada |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽지 말라고 하다 | ikji mallago hada |
| 하다 | to do | 하지 말라고 하다 | haji mallago hada |
| 살다 | to live | 살지 말라고 하다 | salji mallago hada |
What changes
- This ending attaches directly to the stem. Nothing changes, whether the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant.
Explanation
의사 선생님이 저에게 술을 마시지 말라고 하셨어요.
“-지 말라고 하다” reports a prohibition: “told (someone) not to ….” The direct form “-지 마세요” becomes “-지 말라고” in indirect speech; you cannot say “-지 않으라고.” The sentence means “The doctor told me not to drink alcohol.”
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 의사 선생님이 저에게 술을 마시지 말라고 하셨어요.
Said aloud, it sounds like [의사 선생니미 저에게 수를 마시지 말라고 하셔써요].
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 의사 | ||
| 의 | ㅇ+ㅢ | ui |
| 사 | ㅅ+ㅏ | sa |
| 선생님이 | ||
| 선 | ㅅ+ㅓ+ㄴ | seon |
| 생 | ㅅ+ㅐ+ㅇ | saeng |
| 님 | ㄴ+ㅣ+ㅁ | [니] ni |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | [미] mi |
| 저에게 | ||
| 저 | ㅈ+ㅓ | jeo |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | e |
| 게 | ㄱ+ㅔ | ge |
| 술을 | ||
| 술 | ㅅ+ㅜ+ㄹ | [수] su |
| 을 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [를] reul |
| 마시지 | ||
| 마 | ㅁ+ㅏ | ma |
| 시 | ㅅ+ㅣ | si |
| 지 | ㅈ+ㅣ | ji |
| 말라고 | ||
| 말 | ㅁ+ㅏ+ㄹ | mal |
| 라 | ㄹ+ㅏ | la |
| 고 | ㄱ+ㅗ | go |
| 하셨어요 | ||
| 하 | ㅎ+ㅏ | ha |
| 셨 | ㅅ+ㅕ+ㅆ | [셔] syeo |
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | [써] sseo |
| 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. 님이 → [니미]
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.
It contains the honorific -(으)시-, which shows respect to the person being talked about or talked to.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 술 | noun | alcohol, liquor | TOPIK level 1 |
| 하다 | verb | to do | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 의사 선생님이 저에게 술을 마시지 ____ 하셨어요.
Show the answer
Answer: 의사 선생님이 저에게 술을 마시지 말라고 하셨어요.
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