How can we talk about the capability like "can" or "can't" in Korean? There are two ways. One is to use adverbs and the other is to use the expressions. In this post, let's start with the easy one! You will learn the adverb level of "can" and "can't."
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0. Words
Here are some words that you will see in this lesson! Please add new words you get to know to appropriate word organizers. If you need the free organizer worksheet, click the button below.
(noun) study, studying | |
piano | |
tennis | |
song | |
(noun) dance, dancing | |
(verb) to dance | |
hit | |
to sing/to call out |
1. 잘 Grammar
You can attach adverbs before the verbs to show can or can't. They are not that difficult if you learn them by scratching surface-wise level, but if you delve deeper, there are more things to consider. I'll show you one by one with explanations!
Meaning of 잘
잘 has a lot of meanings in Korean. Here are some definitions.
① well
② skillfully
③ carefully, closely, attentively
④ properly
⑤ thoroughly
⑥ easily
Lots of meanings, right? It is a good word to know because you can apply it in many situations! Since 잘 has "well, skilfully, or easily" meanings, this word can be used to express the capability.
You can put this 잘 before a verb with a space. You can't attach 잘 before an adjective, because it is about the ability "to do" something.
Examples
타케시 씨는 테니스를 잘 쳐요.
Takesi can play tennis well. = Takesi is good at playing tennis.
잘 is placed before the verb 쳐요. It came from the basic form 치다 which means to hit. You hit the tennis ball, so we use 치다 to mean "play" tennis.
저는 피아노를 잘 쳐요.
I can play the piano well. = I am good at playing the piano.
You "hit" the keys of the 피아노(piano). So, here again, we say 치다 to mean to "play" the piano.
민지 씨는 춤을 잘 춰요.
Minji can dance well. = Minji is good at dancing.
추다 means to dance. Often, it is used as "춤을 추다." (to dance dancing) It may sound weird in English, but having an object is natural, so people use it like this.
For 하다 verbs, use "잘하다" meaning "do well/can do well". It is one word, so write 잘하다 without a space between 잘 and 하다.
켄트 씨는 공부를 잘해요.
Kent studies well. = Kent gets good grades.
공부 is a noun, meaning study. When someone is "공부를 잘해요," it usually means he or she gets good grades.
모하메드 씨는 한국어를 잘해요.
Mohamed speaks Korean well.
When someone is skilled in a foreign language, the Korean word "잘하다" is used.
Q: 앤디 씨는 노래를 잘해요? Is Andy good at singing?
A: 네, 잘해요.Yes, he is.
There are many ways to say "to sing" in Korean. One is 노래를 부르다. The other is 노래하다. Since a 하다 verb can be separated as a noun and verb, 노래를 하다 is also possible.
잘했어요!
Well done! = Good job!
It is a common phrase to give a compliment! You may hear it often in Korean language class.
잘하다 vs. 잘 하다
You've seen 잘하다 as one word above. However, actually, there is another word "잘 하다" with a space as well.
잘하다: do things well, do things right, can do things with skill = can
야구를 잘해요. I am good at playing baseball.
잘 하다: do things without any trouble, things go smoothly.
일은 잘 하고 있어요? Is your work going smoothly?
Many Koreans often mix them up. Some do not even know the difference. If you are a beginner-level student, please just know that 잘하다 without space is used to say "well."
2. 못 Grammar
못 Meaning
못 is the opposite of 잘. It indicates that someone is unable to perform the action because of a lack of ability or opportunity. It functions as an adverb and should be placed directly before a verb. You can't use it with an adjective because we are talking about the ability "to do" something.
연지 씨는 테니스를 못 쳐요.
Yeonji is not good at playing tennis. / Yeonji can't play the tennis.
You can use the word '못' to convey two different meanings. Firstly and usually, you can use it to say that Yeonji is not good at playing tennis.
Secondly, you can also use it to indicate that she is unable to play tennis at the moment for some reason, whether she has the real ability to play it well or not.
In this case, you will deliver meaning with the context. You can add more words to do so, for example, you can add '지금 now'.
Examples
저는 피아노를 못 쳐요.
I can't play the piano. / I am not good at playing the piano.
Without context, it can mean both! You can judge the meaning with context, in real life.
저는 팔을 다쳤어요. 그래서 지금 피아노를 못 쳐요.
I injured my arm. So, I can't play the piano now.
Q: 민수 씨는 노래를 잘 불러요? Is Minsu good at singing?
A: 아니요, 못 불러요. No, he can't.
Let's think about the 하다 verb version. The antonym of 잘하다 is 못하다. In this case, 못하다 means you are not good enough to do something.
사라 씨는 공부를 못해요.
Sara is not good at studying.
When someone is not good at studying, usually by getting low grades, people say 공부를 못하다.
존 씨는 한국말을 못해요.
John can't speak Korean.
When someone can't speak a language, you can add the language name and 못하다.
수미 씨는 음치예요. 노래를 못해요.
Sumi is a tone-deaf. She can't sing well.
음치 is a person who has no sense of music. Like these examples, 못하다 shows a lack of ability.
안 vs. 못
If you follow my free language course, you remember that you learned the negative adverb '안' before. If not or if you want to learn about it, please click here to read my other post.
안 means 'not'. It indicates that you can do something, but you choose not to do it. On the other hand, '못' means 'can't'. It implies that you don't have the ability or opportunity to do something.
저는 우유를 안 마셔요.
I don't drink milk. (I don't like the flavor of it, so choose not to drink.)
저는 우유를 못 마셔요.
I can't drink milk. (I have lactose intolerance.)
Knowing the differences between 안 and 못 and using the appropriate word is very important!
못하다 vs. 못 하다
Just like 잘하다, 못하다 also has a version with a space―못 하다. How can they be different?
못하다: the capability is not good enough ↔ 잘하다
노래를 못해요. I can't sing. - I can sing, but my singing ability is horrible. I am a bad singer!
못 하다: impossible to do
노래를 못 해요. I can't sing. - I have a cold, so my voice is not coming out today! / My friends took the microphone, so I didn't have a chance to sing.
Can you see the difference? One is about the ability the other is about the unable. Many Koreans often use it mixed. But since you are a student, it'll be good to know the difference! 🤗
3. 잘 못 Grammar
잘 못 Meaning
Here's an interesting fact! You can combine the two adverbs and say "잘 못." Now, it means "not doing well". It is used to show that one doesn't have the ability to do the action.
Despite containing the word "잘" which means "well", the phrase actually has the same meaning as "못 can't". Just like English, "Can't do well," Koreans say 잘 못.
노래를 잘해요. I am good at singing.
↔ 노래를 못해요. = 노래를 잘 못해요. I am not good at singing.
피아노를 잘 쳐요. I can play the piano well.
↔ 피아노를 못 쳐요. = 피아노를 잘 못 쳐요. I can't play the piano well.
잘못 vs. 잘 못
There is a word 잘못 (잘 and 못 but without any space), this word means a mistake, error, fault, or wrong! It is usually used as a verb―잘못하다 to make a mistake, to blunder. This verb is used in the past tense (잘못했어요) to ask someone's forgiveness.
이건 네 잘못이야. It's your fault.
죄송해요. 잘못했어요. I'm sorry. It was my fault.
잘 못했어요. I didn't do well.
Can you see the difference from the examples above? When you talk, the meaning will be delivered with context so you don't have to worry about a space. But if you practice writing, it will be good to pay attention to decide which one to use.
4. Wrap-up & Worksheet: can and can't in Korean
Today, you learned the adverbs to express "can" and "can't" in Korean. Here is the summary for you!
Do well: 잘 V
잘 치다, 잘 먹다, 잘 추다 & 잘하다 (no space)
Can't do: 못 V
못 치다, 못 먹다, 못 추다 & 못하다(no space)
잘 못 is the same with 못.
I prepared the free PDF worksheet for you. Please print it and practice your 잘 and 못 grammar!
How was the lesson? 잘 읽었어요? (Did you read well?) If this lesson was helpful, please like my post and subscribe to my website for future updates! In the next lesson, you'll learn how to say "because" in Korean. Thank you for studying using My Korean lesson. 감사합니다! 🤗
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