πŸ“˜ Grammar 28: How to Use ~γ„Ή 수 μžˆλ‹€ / μ—†λ‹€ – Expressing Ability and Possibility in Korean

πŸ“˜ How to Use ~γ„Ή 수 μžˆλ‹€ / μ—†λ‹€ – Expressing Ability and Possibility in Korean

Do you want to say “I can cook,” “She can’t drive,” or “We can meet tomorrow” in Korean?

The grammar forms ~γ„Ή 수 μžˆλ‹€ and ~γ„Ή 수 μ—†λ‹€ are essential expressions in Korean used to talk about ability, possibility, or inability.

In this lesson, we’ll break down how to conjugate and use these forms, how they compare to λͺ», and how to express both can and can’t in various situations—with real examples, tables, and a quiz!

πŸ“Œ What Does ~γ„Ή/을 수 μžˆλ‹€ / μ—†λ‹€ Mean?

~γ„Ή 수 μžˆλ‹€: can do, able to do
~γ„Ή 수 μ—†λ‹€: cannot do, unable to do

Structure:

  • Verb stem + γ„Ή 수 μžˆλ‹€ (after vowel)
  • Verb stem + 을 수 μžˆλ‹€ (after consonant)
  • Same for γ„Ή/을 수 μ—†λ‹€

✔️ These forms are polite, flexible, and commonly used in both spoken and written Korean.


πŸ“˜ Example Sentences

  • μ €λŠ” ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ₯Ό 읽을 수 μžˆμ–΄μš” – I can read Korean
    jeo-neun han-guk-eo-reul ilg-eul su it-seo-yo
  • κ·Έλ…€λŠ” μš΄μ „ν•  수 μ—†μ–΄μš” – She cannot drive
    geu-nyeo-neun un-jeon-hal su eop-seo-yo
  • μš°λ¦¬λŠ” 내일 λ§Œλ‚  수 μžˆμ–΄μš” – We can meet tomorrow
    u-ri-neun nae-il man-nal su it-seo-yo
  • μ§€κΈˆ 말할 수 μ—†μ–΄μš” – I can’t speak now
    ji-geum mal-hal su eop-seo-yo

πŸ“Š Conjugation Table

Verb Can (μžˆλ‹€) Cannot (μ—†λ‹€) Romanization
κ°€λ‹€ (to go) 갈 수 μžˆλ‹€ 갈 수 μ—†λ‹€ gal su it-da / gal su eop-da
읽닀 (to read) 읽을 수 μžˆλ‹€ 읽을 수 μ—†λ‹€ ilg-eul su it-da / ilg-eul su eop-da
ν•˜λ‹€ (to do) ν•  수 μžˆλ‹€ ν•  수 μ—†λ‹€ hal su it-da / hal su eop-da
λ¨Ήλ‹€ (to eat) 먹을 수 μžˆλ‹€ 먹을 수 μ—†λ‹€ meok-eul su it-da / meok-eul su eop-da

πŸ“Š Comparison: λͺ» vs ~γ„Ή 수 μ—†λ‹€

Expression Example Meaning Use Case
λͺ» + Verb λͺ» κ°€μš” I can’t go Casual, common in speech
~γ„Ή 수 μ—†λ‹€ 갈 수 μ—†μ–΄μš” I cannot go Polite, neutral/formal situations

Tip: Both are correct, but use λͺ» in daily chat, and ~γ„Ή 수 μ—†λ‹€ in polite or written contexts.


πŸ’¬ How to Ask “Can you…?”

  • “Can you speak Korean?” → ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ₯Ό 말할 수 μžˆμ–΄μš”?
  • “Can you help me?” → 도와쀄 수 μžˆμ–΄μš”?
  • “Can we meet tomorrow?” → 내일 λ§Œλ‚  수 μžˆμ–΄μš”?

Just raise your tone at the end, and it becomes a polite question!


❗ Common Mistakes

  • ❌ 수 μžˆμ–΄μš” κ°€μš”? → ✅ 갈 수 μžˆμ–΄μš”?
  • ❌ λͺ» 수 μžˆμ–΄μš” → ✅ 수 μ—†μ–΄μš” or λͺ» κ°€μš”
  • “수 μžˆμ–΄μš”” must follow a properly conjugated verb stem.

πŸ§ͺ Mini Quiz – Test Yourself!

  1. Translate: “I can understand Korean.”
    a) ν•œκ΅­μ–΄ 이해할 수 μžˆμ–΄μš”
    b) ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ₯Ό 이해할 수 μžˆμ–΄μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ b) ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ₯Ό 이해할 수 μžˆμ–΄μš”

  2. How do you say “He cannot come”?
    a) λͺ» μ™€μš”
    b) 올 수 μ—†μ–΄μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ Both! a) λͺ» μ™€μš” = casual, b) 올 수 μ—†μ–΄μš” = polite

  3. Which is more formal?
    a) λͺ» κ°€μš”
    b) 갈 수 μ—†μ–΄μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ b) 갈 수 μ—†μ–΄μš”


✅ Conclusion

Now you can confidently express what you can and can’t do in Korean using ~γ„Ή 수 μžˆλ‹€ / μ—†λ‹€.

  • Use ~γ„Ή 수 μžˆλ‹€ to say you can do something
  • Use ~γ„Ή 수 μ—†λ‹€ to say you can’t do something
  • More polite and formal than λͺ»

Practice examples:

  • “I can write Korean” → ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ₯Ό μ“Έ 수 μžˆμ–΄μš”
  • “I can’t drive” → μš΄μ „ν•  수 μ—†μ–΄μš”


πŸ“˜ Coming Up Next

Next lesson: How to Use ~γ„΄/은 νŽΈμ΄λ‹€ – Describing Tendencies in Korean
Learn how to say “I tend to be quiet,” “He’s on the shy side,” and more.

Related Keywords:
learn korean, korean grammar, expressing ability in korean, 수 μžˆλ‹€, 수 μ—†λ‹€, λͺ», korean for beginners, romanized korean