지 않다

Overview

The grammatical pattern -지 않다 is one of the most common ways to express negation in Korean. It is attached to the stem of both verbs and adjectives to indicate that an action is not performed or a state/quality does not exist. It is often referred to as the 'long-form negation' in contrast to the 'short-form negation' using '안'.

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Usage

-지 않다 is used to negate a preceding verb or adjective stem. It conveys a general sense of 'not doing' or 'not being'. While it can be used interchangeably with '안' in many situations, -지 않다 can sometimes feel slightly more formal or deliberate. It is particularly useful for longer verb or adjective phrases where '안' might sound awkward if placed directly before the main verb/adjective. The '않다' part of the expression conjugates according to tense, politeness level, and mood.

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Conjugation Rules

This pattern is very straightforward to conjugate as it simply attaches to the verb or adjective stem without any stem changes based on final consonant or vowel.

Rule: Verb/Adjective Stem + 지 않다

• Verbs:

  • 가다 (to go) → 가지 않다 (not to go)
  • 먹다 (to eat) → 먹지 않다 (not to eat)
  • 읽다 (to read) → 읽지 않다 (not to read)

• Adjectives:

  • 예쁘다 (to be pretty) → 예쁘지 않다 (not to be pretty)
  • 크다 (to be big) → 크지 않다 (not to be big)
  • 좋다 (to be good) → 좋지 않다 (not to be good)

Note: The '않다' part then conjugates like a regular verb/adjective:

• Present informal polite: 가지 않아요, 먹지 않아요, 예쁘지 않아요
• Present formal polite: 가지 않습니다, 먹지 않습니다, 예쁘지 않습니다
• Past tense: 가지 않았다, 먹지 않았다, 예쁘지 않았다
• Future tense: 가지 않을 거예요, 먹지 않을 거예요, 예쁘지 않을 거예요

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Knowledge Plus

• Comparison with '안': The primary difference between -지 않다 and '안' is their placement and sometimes their nuance. '안' is placed directly before the verb or adjective (e.g., 안 가다, 안 예쁘다), while -지 않다 is attached to the stem. While often interchangeable, -지 않다 is generally preferred for longer or more complex verbs/adjectives, or when a slightly more formal or emphatic negation is desired. '안' is typically shorter and more casual.

• Negating '하다' verbs: For compound verbs ending in -하다 (e.g., 공부하다, 운동하다), '안' is placed before '하다' (e.g., 공부 안 하다, 운동 안 하다). However, -지 않다 attaches to the entire verb stem (e.g., 공부하지 않다, 운동하지 않다). This is a key distinction to remember.

• Expressing lack of intention/refusal: When used with verbs, -지 않다 can sometimes imply a lack of intention or a refusal to perform an action, especially in polite contexts. For example, '안 먹어요' might simply mean 'I don't eat it', while '먹지 않아요' could imply 'I choose not to eat it' or 'I won't eat it'.