The Korean Present Tense: Four Essential Speech Levels

In this post we’ll learn about the Korean present tense and cover essential grammar that beginner and intermediate level students of Korean should master. First, we’ll start with the meaning and usage of the Korean present tense, comparing it to verb tenses in English. Next, we’ll turn to the very important concept of Korean speech levels, focusing on the four most important ones you’re likely to come across. After that, we’ll discuss some key verb forms that will come into play and help you make sense of the different verb forms you’ll encounter. Then we’ll look at how to form each of the most important speech levels. After that we’ll look at negation and question formation. After that we’ll cover some irregulars. Finally, we’ll wrap up with a few important inherently negative verbs.

What Does the Korean Present Tense Mean?

First, let’s discuss the range of meanings of the Korean present tense. Like the English simple present, the Korean present tense can describe habitual or repeated actions. Notice that in Korean, the verb of course comes at the end of the clause.

• 저는 매일 한국어를 공부해요.
  jeoneun maeil hangugeoreul gongbuhaeyo.
  I study Korean every day.
• 아침에 커피를 마셔요.
  achime keopireul masyeoyo.
  I drink coffee in the morning.

But Korean uses its present tense more broadly than English does. It often uses the simple present for an action happening right now when the context makes this clear. Note though that there is a dedicated present progressive construction formed with –고 있다 -go idta. That form emphasizes that an action is currently in progress, much like the English present progressive. But the simple present can carry the same meaning.

• 지금 점심을 먹어요.
  jigeum jeomsimeul meogeoyo.
  I’m eating lunch now.
• 지금 점심 먹고 있어요.
  jigeum jeomsim meokgo isseoyo.
  I’m eating lunch now. (Emphasis on action in progress.)

And it can sometimes refer to a scheduled or planned future event when the time is clear from context or from a future time adverbial.

• 내일 서울에 가요.
  naeil seoure gayo.
  I’m going to Seoul tomorrow.

Speech Levels in the Korean Present Tense

The Korean present tense is not especially difficult to form, and it doesn’t have different forms for every subject like some languages do. But there is one important difference between Korean and languages like English: there isn’t just one present-tense form.

Korean has several speech levels, which allow you to express different degrees of formality, politeness, and familiarity. That means that a verb like 가다 gada (to go) can appear in several different present-tense forms depending on whom you are talking to and the situation you are in:

• 갑니다
  gamnida
  go, goes
• 간다
  ganda
  go, goes
• 가요
  gayo
  go, goes
• 가
  ga
  go, goes

All four can describe the same basic action. The difference is the speech level, which basically encodes the relationship between the speaker and the listener: relative age, formality of situation, politeness level, and so on. Korean traditionally has six or seven speech levels, depending on how they are classified, but only four are especially important for most modern learners. Let’s cover them here.

The Four Most Important Speech Levels

Modern Korean has speech levels, labeled 체 che (mode, style) in Korean grammar. but as a learner, four are particularly useful to recognize.

• formal high
  합니다체 hamnidache
• formal low
  해라체 haelache
• informal high
  해요체 haeyoche
• informal low
  해체 haeche

Formal High: –ㅂ니다/-습니다 -mnida/-seumnida

The formal high level (합니다체 hamnidache) is both formal and polite. You will hear it in professional situations, formal presentations, announcements, news broadcasts, the military, and when speakers want to sound especially respectful or official.

• 저는 서울에서 일합니다.
  jeoneun seoureseo ilhamnida.
  I work in Seoul.

It can sound rather formal in ordinary conversation, where the informal high –요 -yo level is generally more natural.

Formal Low: –ㄴ다/-는다 -nda/-neunda

The formal low level (해라체 haelache)is sometimes called the plain style. Despite the word “formal,” it is not polite. Formal here refers to the grammatical style and the distance between speaker/writer and listener/reader and not to a demonstration of respect toward the listener.

It is particularly common in writing, narration, diaries, articles, explanations, and statements made without specifically addressing a listener. It can also occur in casual speech, especially among close friends or when talking to oneself.

• 나는 매일 운동한다.
  naneun maeil undonghanda.
  I exercise every day.

Because this level does not mark politeness toward the listener, beginners should be cautious about using it directly with strangers or people who should be treated respectfully. Instead, think of it as a form you’ll hear or read rather than one you’re likely to use.

Informal High: –요 -yo

The informal high level (해요체 haeyoche) is the everyday polite form and one of the most useful speech levels for learners. It is appropriate in most ordinary interactions with people you do not know intimately: coworkers, shop employees, acquaintances, strangers, and many people who are older than you. So, as a Korean learner, you should consider this your go-to speech level. If you are unsure which level to use in ordinary conversation, the –요 -yo level is usually the safest choice.

• 저는 한국어를 공부해요.
  jeoneun hangugeoreul gongbuhaeyo.
  I study Korean.

Informal Low: Plain –아/-어 Forms

The informal low level (해체 haeche) is casual and intimate. It is commonly used with close friends, family members, children, and people with whom you have established an appropriately informal relationship.

• 나 지금 집에 가.
  na jigeum jibe ga.
  I’m going home now.

Using this level with a stranger, an older person, or someone in a position deserving respect can sound rude or overly familiar. So as a learner, avoid it unless you’re speaking with a friend your own age or someone very close to you.

Key Verb Forms: Dictionary Form, Verb Stem, and Verb Base

Before forming the four present tenses, you need to be familiar with three important forms of the Korean verb: the dictionary form, verb stem, and verb base. Knowing these forms is essential for Korean learners because different verb forms – and many other constructions related to verbs – use the different forms.

Dictionary Form

The dictionary form is the form you look up in a dictionary, ending in –다 -da. These forms do have an independent grammatical use, but as a learner, you’ll most likely only use it when you look things up in a dictionary. (Note that this form is not the equivalent of an infinitive or gerund in English.)

• 하다 hada (to do)
• 가다 gada (to go)
• 먹다 meogda (to eat)
• 쓰다 sseuda (to write)
• 읽다 ilgda (to read)
• 보다 boda (to see, watch)
• 듣다 deutda (to hear, listen)

Verb Stem

The verb stem is formed by removing –다 -da. Its form is very regular and predictable based on the dictionary form.

• 하다 hada > 하– ha- (do)
• 가다 gada > 가– ga- (go)
• 먹다 meogda > 먹– meog- (eat)
• 쓰다 sseuda > 쓰– sseu- (write)
• 읽다 ilgda > 읽– ilg- (read)
• 보다 boda > 보– bo- (see)
• 듣다 deutda > 듣– deut- (listen)

Verb Base

The verb base is the probably the only form that will give you headaches. It can sometimes look quite irregular, but there are fairly clear rules used to form it. It involves adding –아 -a or –어 -eo to the stem, often with contractions or other changes to the end of the stem. Korean uses the verb base to build the informal high and informal low forms.

• 하다 hada > 해– hae- (do)
• 가다 gada > 가– ga- (go)
• 먹다 meogda > 먹어– meogeo- (eat)
• 쓰다 sseuda > 써– sseo- (write)
• 읽다 ilgda > 읽어– ilgeo- (read)
• 보다 boda > 봐– bwa- (see)
• 듣다 deutda > 들어– deureo- (listen)

For a more detailed explanation of these forms see our post on Essential Korean Verb Forms. You’ll find a detailed explanation of the changes made to form the verb base.

Korean Present Tense of the Most Important Speech Levels

Now let’s look at each speech level. We’ll cover how to form it, and we’ll see some examples of how to use it.

Present Formal High: –ㅂ니다/-습니다 -mnida/-seumnida

The formal high present tense is formed from the verb stem, which is the very predictable verb form you get by simply removing –다 -da from the dictionary form.

Vowel-Ending Verb Stems

If the stem ends in a vowel, add –ㅂ니다 -mnida:

• 가- ga- > 갑니다 gamnida (go)
• 하– ha- > 합니다 hamnida (do)
• 쓰– sseu- > 씁니다 sseumnida (write)

Notice that the ㅂ in this ending is pronounced –m-.

• 저는 학교에 갑니다.
  jeoneun hakgyoe gamnida.
  I go to school.
• 저는 한국어를 공부합니다.
  jeoneun hangugeoreul gongbuhamnida.
  I study Korean.
• 저는 매일 일기를 씁니다.
  jeoneun maeil ilgireul sseumnida.
  I write in my diary every day.

Consonant-Ending Verb Stems

If the stem ends in a consonant, add –습니다 -seumnida:

• 먹– meog- > 먹습니다 meokseumnida (eat)
• 읽– ilg- > 읽습니다 ikseumnida (read)

• 저는 아침을 먹습니다.
  jeoneun achimeul meokseumnida.
  I eat breakfast.
• 저는 신문을 읽습니다.
  jeoneun sinmuneul ikseumnida.
  I read the newspaper.

L-Ending Verb Stems

If the stem ends in ㄹ l, the ㄹ disappears and –ㅂ니다 is added:

• 살– sal- > 삽니다 samnida (live)
• 저는 뉴욕에 삽니다.
  jeoneun nyuyoge samnida.
  I live in New York.

Present Formal Low: –ㄴ다/-는다 -nda/-neunda

The formal low present is also formed from the verb stem.

Vowel-Ending Verb Stems

After a vowel, add –ㄴ다 -nda:

• ga- > 간다 ganda (go)
• 하– ha- > 한다 handa (do)

• 나는 집에 간다.
  naneun jibe ganda.
  I go home.
• 나는 매일 운동한다.
  naneun maeil undonghanda.
  I exercise every day.

Consonant-Ending Verb Stems

After a consonant, add –는다 -neunda:

• 먹– meog- > 먹는다 meongneunda (eat)
• 듣– deut- > 듣는다 deunneunda (listen)

• 나는 아침을 먹는다.
  naneun achimeul meongneunda.
  I eat breakfast.
• 나는 음악을 듣는다.
  naneun eumageul deunneunda.
  I listen to music.

L-Ending Verb Stems

Final ㄹ disappears before –ㄴ다:

• 살– sal- > 산다 sanda (live)
• 나는 서울에 산다.
  naneun seoure sanda.
  I live in Seoul.

One important point: the –ㄴ다/-는다 pattern applies only to action verbs. Korean descriptive verbs (often corresponding to English adjectives) behave differently in the formal low style. They generally use the dictionary-style –다 ending:

• 날씨가 춥다.
  nalssiga chupda.
  The weather is cold.
• 이 책은 재미있다.
  i chaegeun jaemiitda.
  This book is interesting.

Present Informal High: –요 -yo

The informal high form is especially easy once you know the verb base: simply add –요 -yo. But the hard part is forming the verb base. For many verbs, it’s just a two-step process:

• First, remove –다 –da from the dictionary form to get the verb stem.
• Second, add eitherㅏa orㅓeo to that stem, following these guidelines:
  • a to verb stems whose last vowel is ㅏ a or ㅗ o
  • ㅓ eo to all other verb stems.
• Third, add –요 -yo.

Let’s see that with a few common verbs.

dictionary	stem	+ㅏ a orㅓ eo	+ –요 -yo
살다 salda	살– sal-	살아– sara	살아요 sarayo	live,
찾다 chatda	찾– chat-	찾아– chaja-	찾아요 chajayo	look for
먹다 meogda	먹– meog-	먹어– meogeo-	먹어요 meogeoyo	eat
읽다 ilgdda	읽– ilg-	읽어– ilgeo-	읽어요 ilgeoyo	read

• 열쇠를 찾아요.
  yeolsoereul chajayo.
  I’m looking for the key.
• 저는 점심을 먹어요.
  jeoneun jeomsimeul meogeoyo.
  I eat lunch.

Modifications to the Verb Stem

Many Korean verbs involve further modifications when moving from the verb stem to the verb base. As a student, you may prefer to simply memorize the –요 –yo form for each new verb that you come across. But you can also familiarize yourself with these patterns to see how a verb stem will be modified to form the verb base.

• All하다 hada verbs have the verb base 해– hae-.
• If the verb stem ends in ㅏa,ㅓeo, orㅐae, the verb base and verb stem are the same:
  • 가다 gada > 가– ga- (go)
  • 서다 seoda  > 서– seo- (stand, stop)
  • 보내다 bonaeda > 보내– bonae- (send)
• If the verb stem ends inㅗ,ㅗandㅏcombine to form와wa:
  • 보다 boda  >  봐– bwa- (see)
  • 오다 oda > 와– wa– (come)
• If the verb stem ends inㅜ,ㅜand ㅓcombine to form워weo:
  • 배우다 baeuda > 배워– baeweo- (learn)
  • 주다 juda > 줘– jweo– (give)
• If the verb stem ends inㅣ,ㅣandㅓcombine to formㅕyeo:
  • 마시다 mashida  > 마셔– mashyeo- (drink)
  • 달리다 dallida > 달려– dallyeo- (run)
• If the verb stem ends in 외, 외 and ㅓ combine to form 왜wae:
  • 되다 dwida > 돼– dwae– (become, be okay)
• If the verb stem ends inㅡ, theㅡis dropped before ㅓ:
  • 쓰다 sseuda  > 써– sseo- (write)

Irregular Modifications

There are a few irregular verbs with still further modifications. A common one that you’ve seen in this post is 듣다 deutda > 들어- deureo- (listen/listens), where ㄷ changes to ㄹ before ㅓ. You can read a little bit more about these irregular patterns in this post on Essential Korean Verb Forms, and we’ll also summarize the most important ones below.

• 저는 매일 운동해요.
  jeoneun maeil undonghaeyo.
  I exercise every day.
• 저는 지금 집에 가요.
  jeoneun jigeum jibe gayo.
  I’m going home now.
• 저는 저녁에 텔레비전을 봐요.
  jeoneun jeonyeoge tellebijeoneul bwayo.
  I watch television in the evening.
• 저는 음악을 들어요.
  jeoneun eumageul deureoyo.
  I listen to music.

Present Informal Low

Once you’ve mastered the verb base, you’ve also mastered the Present Informal Low form, because it’s identical.

• 하다 hada > 해– hae- > 해 hae (do)
• 가다 gada > ga- > 가 ga (go)
• 먹다 meogda먹어– meogeo- > 먹어 meogeo (eat)
• 보다 boda > 봐– bwa- > 봐 bwa (see)

• 나 매일 운동해.
  na maeil undonghae.
  I exercise every day.
• 나 지금 집에 가.
  na jigeum jibe ga.
  I’m going home now.
• 나 지금 점심 먹어.
  na jigeum jeomsim meogeo.
  I’m eating lunch now.
• 나 그 영화 봐.
  na geu yeonghwa bwa.
  I’m watching that movie.

Negating the Korean Present Tense

Now that we’ve covered the most important speech levels, let’s turn to negation. There are two major ways to make Korean verbs negative. You can check out this post if you’d like more information, but we’ll cover the essentials here.

Short Negation with 안 an

The simplest option is to put 안 an before the verb. The verb itself is then conjugated normally for the appropriate speech level. Let’s see the same sentence in all four speech levels that we’ve covered.

• 저는 고기를 안 먹습니다.
  jeoneun gogireul an meokseumnida.
  I don’t eat meat. (formal high)
• 나는 고기를 안 먹는다.
  naneun gogireul an meongneunda.
  I don’t eat meat. (formal low)
• 저는 고기를 안 먹어요.
  jeoneun gogireul an meogeoyo.
  I don’t eat meat. (informal high)
• 나 고기 안 먹어.
  na gogi an meogeo.
  I don’t eat meat. (informal low)

Notice, by the way, that the form of the pronoun for I changes depending on the speech level. 저 jeo is for higher speech levels, while 나 na is for lower ones. Also note that the particles are often dropped in casual speech.

Long Negation with 않다 anta

There is also a longer negative construction using the verb stem + –지 -ji followed by the conjugated form of 않다 anta (not do). Notice that the speech level difference is only seen on the form of 않다 anta.

• 저는 고기를 먹지 않습니다.
  jeoneun gogireul meokji anseumnida.
  I don’t eat meat. (formal high)
• 나는 고기를 먹지 않는다.
  naneun gogireul meokji anneunda.
  I don’t eat meat. (formal low)
• 저는 고기를 먹지 않아요.
  jeoneun gogireul meokji anayo.
  I don’t eat meat. (informal high)
• 나 고기 먹지 않아.
  na gogi meokji ana.
  I don’t eat meat. (informal low)

Negating Ability

Another important negative particle is 못 mot. While 안 an means that an action does not happen or someone does not do it, 못 mot means that someone cannot do something. Compare:

• 저는 술을 안 마셔요.
  jeoneun sureul an masyeoyo.
  I don’t drink alcohol.
• 저는 술을 못 마셔요.
  jeoneun sureul mot masyeoyo.
  I can’t drink alcohol.

There is also a long negative form with –지 못하다 -ji mothada:

• 저는 한국어를 잘 말하지 못해요.
  jeoneun hangugeoreul jal malhaji mothaeyo.
  I can’t speak Korean well.

Asking Questions in the Korean Present Tense

Now that we’ve covered statements and negation, let’s turn to questions. The four speech levels behave a bit differently when they form questions.

Formal High Questions: –ㅂ니까/-습니까?

The formal high statement ending –ㅂ니다/-습니다 -mnida/-seumnida changes to –ㅂ니까/-습니까 -mnikka/-seumnikka in questions. In other words, replace the final –다 -da with –까 -kka. This is polite but quite formal.

• 한국어를 공부합니까?
  hangugeoreul gongbuhamnikka?
  Do you study Korean?
• 아침을 먹습니까?
  achimeul meokseumnikka?
  Do you eat breakfast?
• 서울에 삽니까?
  seoure samnikka?
  Do you live in Seoul?

Formal Low Questions

The formal low or plain style has its own interrogative endings. A common traditional plain-style question ending is –느냐? -neunya? for action verbs.

• 어디에 가느냐?
  eodie ganeunya?
  Where are you going?
• 무엇을 먹느냐?
  mueoseul meongneunya?
  What are you eating?

This form can sound literary, authoritative, or hierarchical in conversation, so learners should not simply use it as an everyday equivalent of English “Do you…?” You will probably have little use to ask a question in this form yourself, but you may encounter it, especially in writing.

In contemporary familiar speech you will also encounter endings such as –니? -ni?:

• 어디 가니?
  eodi gani?
  Where are you going?
• 뭐 먹니?
  mwo meongni?
  What are you eating?

These forms belong to the broader family of non-polite/plain speech and their social nuances depend heavily on context. Questions like this may sound gentle, or very familiar, because they are plain and don’t code politeness or formality. Again, as a student you probably won’t use these forms, but you may come across them.

Informal High Questions

One of the nice things about the –요 style is that a statement can usually become a question without changing the verb ending. Intonation and the question mark do the work.

• 한국어를 공부해요.
  hangugeoreul gongbuhaeyo.
  I study Korean.
• 한국어를 공부해요?
  hangugeoreul gongbuhaeyo?
  Do you study Korean?
• 커피를 마셔요?
  keopireul masyeoyo?
  Do you drink coffee?
• 어디에 살아요?
  eodie sarayo?
  Where do you live?

Informal Low Questions

The same thing happens with the informal low form. In casual conversation, the verb can remain unchanged and rising or questioning intonation makes it a question.

• 한국어 공부해?
  hangugeo gongbuhae?
  Do you study Korean?
• 커피 마셔?
  keopi masyeo?
  Do you drink coffee?
• 어디 살아?
  eodi sara?
  Where do you live?

Negative Questions

The negative constructions work in questions as well.

• 고기를 먹지 않습니까?
  gogireul meokji anseumnikka?
  Don’t you eat meat? (formal high)
• 고기 안 먹어요?
  gogi an meogeoyo?
  Don’t you eat meat? (informal high)
• 고기 안 먹어?
  gogi an meogeo?
  You don’t eat meat? (informal low)
• 한국어를 못 읽어요?
  hangugeoreul mot ilgeoyo?
  Can’t you read Korean? (informal high with 못 mot)

Irregular Verbs in the Korean Present Tense

Korean isn’t a language full of irregular verbs like some others. But there are a few irregularities that you’ll come across. The good news is that many of the irregularities you encounter in Korean do not affect all four present-tense forms equally. They happen mostly to the verb base, not the verb stem, so in the present tense you only have to deal with them when using speech levels built from the verb base: the informal high and the informal low.

Irregular ㄷ Verbs

In these verbs, the ㄷ changes to ㄹ before ㅓ. One example that you’ve already seen is the verb 듣다 deutda (to listen). The stem is perfectly regular, but the verb base has this irregularity with ㄹ.

• stem 듣– deut-
• verb base is 들어– deureo-

Another example is 걷다 geodda > 걸어– geoleo- (walk).

• 음악을 들어요.
  eumageul deureoyo.
  I listen to music.
• 음악을 들어.
  eumageul deureo.
  I listen to music.
• 저는 매일 공원에서 걸어요.
  jeoneun maeil gongwoneseo georeoyo.
  I walk in the park every day.

But notice that the formal speech levels are regular:

• 음악을 듣습니다.
  eumageul deutseumnida.
  I listen to music.
• 음악을 듣는다.
  eumageul deunneunda.
  I listen to music.

Irregular ㅂ Verbs

In this category, ㅂ changes to ㅜ or ㅗ. These two then combine with ㅏ or ㅓ to form 워 or와:

• 돕다 dopda > 도ㅗ doo >도와– dowa– (help)
• 아름답다 areumdapda > 아름다ㅜ areumdau > 아름다워– areumdawo- ([be] beautiful)
• 춥다– chupda– > 추ㅜ chuu > 추워– chuwo- ([be] cold)

• 친구를 도와요.
  chingureul dowayo.
  I help my friend.
• 오늘은 추워요.
  oneureun chuwoyo.
  It’s cold today.

Irregular 르 Verbs

In these verbs, the ㅡ is dropped and ㄹ is doubled before adding ㅏ:

• 모르다 moreuda > 몰라– molla- (not know)
• 빠르다 ppareuda > 빨라 ppalla– (fast)

• 저는 그 사람을 몰라요.
  jeoneun geu sarameul mollayo.
  I don’t know that person.
• 이 기차는 아주 빨라요.
  i gichaneun aju ppallayo.
  This train is very fast.

Irregular ㅅ Verbs

In irregular ㅅ verbs, the ㅅ drops before ㅏ or ㅓ is added:

• 짓다 jitda > 지어– jieo- (build)
• 잇다 itda > 이어– ieo- (continue, join)
• 낫다 natda > 나아– naa- (get better)

• 집을 지어요.
  jibeul jieoyo.
  They build a house.
• 이제 몸이 나아요.
  ije momi naayo.
  I’m feeling better now.

Regular or Irregular?

Keep in mind that not all ㄷ verbs, ㅂ verbs, or ㅅverbs are irregular. Here are a few examples of regular verbs that do not follow the irregular patterns listed above:

• 웃다 utda > 웃어 useo (laugh); 씻다 sshitda > 씻어 sshiseo (wash)
• 닫다 dadda > 닫아– dada– (close); 받다 badda > 받아 bada (get, receive, catch).
• 잡다 jabda > 잡아 jaba (catch, grab); 좁다 jopda > 좁아 joba ([be] narrow)

In most verbs ending in 르, ㅡ is dropped and an additional ㄹ is added to the preceding syllable before –아/-어 is added, as you’ve seen with 빠르다 ppareuda > 빨라요 ppallayo (to be fast) and 모르다 moreuda > 몰라요 mollayo (not know). But there are just a few 르 verbs that are regular, including 따르다 ttareuda > 따라요 ttarayo (follow) and 치르다 chireuda > 치러요 chireoyo (to take, undergo, carry out), do not follow this pattern.

As a student of Korean, the safest strategy is to memorize both the –ㅂ니다 -mnida and the 요yo forms of each new verb that you learn along with the dictionary form. This will give you the information you need to know. For example:

• 가다 gada, 갑니다 gamnida, 가요 gayo (go)
• 듣다 deutda, 듣습니다 deutseumnida, 들어요 deureoyo (listen)
• 쓰다 sseuda, 씁니다 sseumnida, 써요 sseoyo (write)
• 먹다 meokda, 먹습니다 meokseumnida, 먹어요 meogeoyo (eat)
• 하다 hada, 합니다 hamnida, 해요 haeyo (do, make)
• 마시다 masida, 마십니다 masimnida, 마셔요 masyeoyo (drink)

Important Inherently Negative Verbs in the Korean Present Tense

Finally, to wrap up, it’s worth noting that Korean has a few extremely common verb whose meanings are already negative. You do not need to add 안 an to make them negative.

없다 eopda: not exist, not have

없다 eopda, 없습니다 eopseumnida, 없어요 eopseoyo is the opposite of 있다 itda, 있습니다 itseumnida , 있어요 isseoyo (exist, have).

• 시간이 없습니다.
  sigani eopseumnida.
  I don’t have time.
• 시간이 없어요.
  sigani eopseoyo.
  I don’t have time.
• 시간이 없어.
  sigani eopseo.
  I don’t have time.

It can also mean that something simply does not exist or is not present:

• 집에 아무도 없어요.
  jibe amudo eopseoyo.
  There’s nobody at home.

모르다 moreuda: not know

Korean normally expresses “not know” with 모르다 moreuda, 모릅니다 moreumnida, 몰라요 mollayo  rather than by negating 알다 alda , 압니다 amnida, 알아요 arayo (to know).

• 저는 모릅니다.
  jeoneun moreumnida.
  I don’t know.
• 저는 몰라요.
  jeoneun mollayo.
  I don’t know.
• 나 몰라.
  na molla.
  I don’t know.

아니다 anida: not be

The negative counterpart of the Korean copula 이다 ida , 입니다 imnida, 이에요 / 예요 ieyo / yeyo (to be) is 아니다 anida, 아닙니다 animnida, 아니에요 anieyo, 아니야 aniya. (Notice that the informal low form is not quite as simple as removing 요 yo from the informal high.)

• 저는 학생이 아닙니다.
  jeoneun haksaengi animnida.
  I am not a student.
• 저는 학생이 아니에요.
  jeoneun haksaengi anieyo.
  I am not a student.
• 나 학생 아니야.
  na haksaeng aniya.
  I’m not a student.

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