-지 않다
Not
The 'long form' of negation. Attach -지 않다 to a verb or adjective stem to say 'not'.
How It Works
-지 않다 is one of the most common ways to create a negative sentence in Korean. It's often called the 'long form' of negation, in contrast to the 'short form' using 안.
How to use it:
1. Take the dictionary form of a verb or adjective (e.g., 먹다 - to eat, 예쁘다 - to be pretty).
2. Remove the -다 to get the stem (먹-, 예쁘-).
3. Attach -지 않다 to the stem.
- 먹다 → 먹지 않다
- 예쁘다 → 예쁘지 않다
The final part, 않다, is a verb itself and must be conjugated to the correct tense and politeness level.
Common Conjugations:
- Present (informal polite): -지 않아요
- Past (informal polite): -지 않았어요
- Future (informal polite): -지 않을 거예요
- Present (formal polite): -지 않습니다
This pattern is very regular and works consistently with almost all verbs and adjectives, including many irregular ones, which makes it very useful for learners.
Examples (4)
- 저는 학교에 가지 않아요.
I don't go to school.
Word by Word: I school-to go not.
- 이 음식은 맵지 않아요.
This food is not spicy.
Word by Word: This food spicy not.
Here, -지 않다 is attached to the adjective stem 맵- (from 맵다).
- 어제 숙제를 하지 않았어요.
I didn't do my homework yesterday.
Word by Word: Yesterday homework do not did.
The past tense is formed by conjugating 않다 to 않았어요.
- 주말에는 일하지 않을 거예요.
I'm not going to work on the weekend.
Word by Word: Weekend-on work not will do.
The future tense is formed by conjugating 않다 to 않을 거예요.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting to conjugate 않다
Not Quite저는 김치를 먹지 않다.Better저는 김치를 먹지 않아요.않다 is a verb and must be conjugated. In the present informal polite style, it becomes 않아요.
Using -지 않다 to negate nouns
Not Quite이것은 사과지 않아요.Better이것은 사과가 아니에요.-지 않다 is used for verbs and adjectives. To negate a noun (like 'apple'), you must use the pattern 'Noun + 이/가 아니다'.
Learn This First
To use this negative form, you need both conjugation and negation knowledge.
Related Patterns
- 안/못Not
안 is the 'short form' of negation and is often interchangeable with -지 않다. For example, '안 가요' and '가지 않아요' both mean 'I don't go'. -지 않다 can sound slightly more formal or emphatic.
- Verb stems
This pattern attaches directly to the verb or adjective stem. Understanding how to find the stem (by removing -다 from the dictionary form) is the first step to using -지 않다 correctly.
- -지 말다Don't Do
Both are negative patterns using -지. However, -지 않다 is a statement ('do not'), while -지 말다 is a negative command ('don't do'). For example, '가지 않아요' (I don't go) vs. '가지 마세요' (Please don't go).
- 이다To Be
While -지 않다 negates verbs and adjectives, the negative form of 이다 (to be) is '아니다'. This is used to negate nouns, as shown in the common mistakes section.
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.