📘 How to Use ~지 못하다 vs 못 – Expressing Inability in Korean Do you want to say “I can’t go,” “I couldn’t sleep,” or “I’m not able to speak Korean well” in Korean? Then you should learn the difference between 못 and ~지 못하다 , the two main ways to express inability or failure to do something in Korean. Though they mean similar things, they differ in nuance, formality, and usage. 📌 What Do 못 and ~지 못하다 Mean? 못 + verb : can’t, unable to (casual and spoken) ~지 못하다 : cannot, unable to (more formal or written) Both expressions are negative and indicate inability or failure, but the way they’re built and used is slightly different. Structure: 못 + verb (placed directly before the verb) Verb stem + 지 못하다 (conjugated like any verb) 📘 Example Sentences 못 가요 – I can’t go mot ga-yo 가지 못해요 – I cannot go ga-ji mot-hae-yo 못 봤어요 – I couldn’t see mot bwat-seo-yo 보지 못했어요 – I wasn’t able to see bo-ji mot-haet-seo-yo 한국어를 잘 못 해요 – I can’t speak Korean well...

📘 How to Use ~지 못하다 – Expressing Inability in Korean Want to say “I can’t swim,” “She couldn’t come,” or “They can’t speak Korean” in Korean? Then you need to learn how to use ~지 못하다 , the polite and formal way to express inability , lack of skill , or impossibility . This guide will teach you how to use ~지 못하다 naturally, how it differs from 못, and how to make polite negative sentences with examples and Romanization. 💡 What Does ~지 못하다 Mean? ~지 못하다 is used to say “cannot do” something in a formal and polite way. It can be used with any verb to express inability due to skill, circumstance, or permission. Structure: Verb stem + 지 못하다 🔤 Conjugation Forms Present: 지 못해요 Past: 지 못했어요 Future: 지 못할 거예요 Examples: 하다 → 하지 못해요 – I can’t do it 가다 → 가지 못해요 – I can’t go 먹다 → 먹지 못해요 – I can’t eat 📘 Example Sentences 저는 수영하지 못해요 – I can’t swim jeo-neun su-yeong-ha-ji mot-hae-yo 그녀는 오지 못했어요 – She couldn’t come geu-nyeo-neun o-ji mot-haet-se...