Explanation
Cannot. Express inability due to circumstances/ability.
Examples
못 가요
mot ga-yo
I cannot go
한국어를 못 해요
han-guk-eo-reul mot hae-yo
I cannot speak Korean
못: complete usage guide
Ability failure adverb.
안 is won't.
Start with “못 가요.” (I can't go.). Say the whole sentence first, then identify exactly what 못 contributes before changing any other words.
Compare “못 먹어요.” with “어제 못 잤어요.”. Keep the function of 못 the same while noticing what changes around it; then rebuild one of the examples with vocabulary you already know.
Usage notes
- Production check: say “못 가요.” naturally, then change one content word without changing the job 못 is doing.
- When a related pattern is listed below, compare both forms in the same situation instead of memorizing two English glosses separately.
More examples
못 가요.
I can't go.
못 먹어요.
I can't eat it.
어제 못 잤어요.
I couldn't sleep yesterday.
Common mistakes
- Do not choose 못 only because an English translation contains “cannot / fail to”. Check the Korean function, attachment, and speech level in the full sentence.
- Do not memorize 못 as an isolated ending. Mark the stem or phrase it attaches to in one example, then rebuild that example with new vocabulary.
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