Negation & Questions

Place 안 directly before a verb or adjective to negate it ('not ...'). This is the most common spoken negation. For 하다-verbs, 안 goes between the noun and 하다 (e.g., 공부 안 해요).

Attach ~지 않다 to a verb or adjective stem to negate it. It has the same meaning as 안 but is slightly more formal and common in writing. Conjugate 않다 for tense/politeness (~지 않아요, ~지 않았어요).

Place 못 before a verb to express inability ('cannot', 'unable to') due to lack of skill, permission, or circumstance — not choice. For 하다-verbs, use 못 해요 or 공부 못 해요. Compare: 안 가요 (don't go, by choice) vs 못 가요 (can't go).

Korean keeps the same word order as statements for questions — just add a question word (뭐 what, 어디 where, 언제 when, 누구 who, 왜 why, 어떻게 how, 몇 how many) and rising intonation. The question word goes where the answer would go. With 이다, 누구 + 예요 = 누구예요?

The formal-polite question ending. Use ~ㅂ니까? after a vowel-final stem and ~습니까? after a consonant-final stem. This 합니다-style is used in news, presentations, the military, and to strangers. The statement form is ~ㅂ니다/~습니다.