How to Use Verbs-지 못해요 and 못 Verbs-아/어요 in Korean

How to Use Verbs-지 못해요 and 못 Verbs-아/어요 in Korean

This pattern expresses the subject ’s lack of ability to do something or the fact that something does not go according to one’s wish or hope due to some external factor. It corresponds to the English ‘cannot’ and is formed by adding 못 in front of a verb or -지 못해요 to the end of a verb stem.

Example:

못 +가다 -> 못 가요 

가다 + -지못해요 -> 가지 못해요

For verbs ending in 하다:

못 + 요리하다 -> 요리 못해요 (correct)  

못 요리해요 (wrong)

How to Use -지 못해요 and 못 Verbs-아/어요 to Build Sentences?

저는 노래를 못 불러요. (=저는 노래를 부르지 못해요.) I can’t sing.

오늘은술을 못마셔요. (= 오늘은 술을 마시지 못해요.) I can’t drink today.

What’s the difference between -지 안 않아/어요 and -지 못해요:

1)    -지 안 않아/어요 Combines with both verbs and adjectives while -지 못해요 combines with verbs, but not normally with adjectives:

• 학교메 안 가요. (correct) I don’t go to school.

• 치마가 안 예뻐요. (correct) The skirt is not pretty.

• 학교에 못 가요. (correct) I can’t go to school.

• 치마가 못 예뻐요 (wrong)

2)    -지 안 않아/어요 expresses not doing something regardless of ability or external conditions

• 저는 운전을 안 해요 I don’t drive (1 know how but don’t want to.)

• 오늘은 쇼핑을 하지 않아요. I won’t go shopping today (I simply don’t feel like going shopping.)

-지 못해요 is used when one is unable, or it is impossible, to do something.

• 저는 운전을 못해요 1 can’t drive. (I would like to be able to drive but I can’t due to some external circumstance, such as a leg injury.)

• 오늘은 쇼핑을 하지 못해요. I can’t go shopping today. (I want to go shopping but I can’t due to external circumstance, such as a lack of money or time.)