✅ Day 13: Making Negative Sentences – I Don’t Eat, I Didn’t Go

 

Day 13: Making Negative Sentences – I Don’t Eat, I Didn’t Go

Hey Korean learner! 👋

In today’s lesson, we’ll learn how to say things like:

  • I don’t eat
  • I didn’t go
  • I don’t study on Sunday

Negative sentences are essential in any language — and luckily, Korean makes them super clear and flexible! Let’s jump in 😊


❗ How to Make Negative Sentences in Korean

There are two main ways:

  1. 안 + Verb → for simple actions (not doing something)
  2. Verb stem + -지 않아요 → more formal/polite

Both mean the same thing, but the first is more casual or spoken.


🆚 Quick Comparison Table

Positive Negative (안) Negative (-지 않아요) Romanization
먹어요 (I eat) 안 먹어요 먹지 않아요 an meo-geo-yo / meok-ji an-a-yo
가요 (I go) 안 가요 가지 않아요 an ga-yo / ga-ji an-a-yo
자요 (I sleep) 안 자요 자지 않아요 an ja-yo / ja-ji an-a-yo
공부해요 (I study) 안 공부해요 공부하지 않아요 an gong-bu-hae-yo / gong-bu-ha-ji an-a-yo

💡 Both forms are polite and acceptable!


⏪ Past Tense Negative

Same structure + past ending:

  • 안 먹었어요 → an meo-geot-sseo-yo → I didn’t eat
  • 가지 않았어요 → ga-ji an-at-sseo-yo → I didn’t go

You’re just adding “안” or “-지 않았어요” before or after the verb.


🗣️ Example Sentences

  • 저는 커피를 안 마셔요 → jeo-neun keo-pi-reul an ma-syeo-yo → I don’t drink coffee
  • 저는 어제 학교에 안 갔어요 → jeo-neun eo-je hak-gyo-e an gat-sseo-yo → I didn’t go to school yesterday
  • 저는 일요일에 공부하지 않아요 → jeo-neun il-yo-il-e gong-bu-ha-ji an-a-yo → I don’t study on Sunday


✍️ Practice – Fill in the Blanks

  1. 저는 점심을 __________. (I don’t eat lunch)
  2. 어제 친구를 __________. (I didn’t meet a friend)
  3. 저는 주말에 __________. (I don’t study on weekends)
✅ Show Answers
  1. 안 먹어요 / meo-geot-ji an-a-yo
  2. 안 만났어요 / man-nat-ji an-at-sseo-yo
  3. 공부하지 않아요 / gong-bu-ha-ji an-a-yo


🎯 Mini Quiz

Translate these into Korean:

  1. I don’t go → __________
  2. I didn’t eat → __________
  3. I don’t study → __________
✅ Quiz Answers
  1. 안 가요 / ga-ji an-a-yo
  2. 안 먹었어요 / meok-ji an-at-sseo-yo
  3. 공부하지 않아요 / gong-bu-ha-ji an-a-yo


👀 Coming Up Next

Now that you can say what you don’t or didn’t do, let’s start combining these into longer, more natural conversations!

Next time: 📘 Day 14: Conversation Practice – What Did You Do Yesterday?


✅ Conclusion

Being able to say “I don’t” or “I didn’t” gives you real power in any conversation. You’re learning how to express what’s true for you – and that’s real fluency.

Try writing 3 things you didn’t do yesterday. Keep them short and simple. You’ve got this! 💪