beginner · freeInteractive lesson
알다 vs 모르다
Try it freeContrast quizPick the right form in a mini quiz.Open →Explanation
알다 is “to know”; 모르다 is the usual neutral “not know”. 안 알다 is grammatical in contrastive or specific contexts.
Polite: 알아요 / 몰라요. Past: 알았어요 / 몰랐어요.
알아요 can also mean “got it / understood” in conversation after an explanation.
르 irregular shows up: 모르다 → 몰라요: drill it early.
Examples
길을 알아요.
I know the way.
잘 모르겠어요.
I’m not sure / I don’t really know.
아, 알겠어요.
Ah, I understand. / Got it.
Common mistakes
- Treating 안 알다 as always wrong instead of learning its contrastive uses.
- 모르아요 instead of 몰라요.
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