Day 24: 못 (mot) — Another Way to Say "Can't" in Korean | Korean Grammar in 10 Minutes a Day

 

Day 24: 못 + 동사

Level 1 · Korean Grammar in 10 Minutes a Day

▶️ This lesson starts at 45:41 in the Level 1 video — press play and repeat after me!

Grammar Point

못 + 동사
= "can't VERB"
Regular verb → 못 right before the verb — 가다 → 못 가요
하다 verb (noun + 하다) → 못 between the noun and 해요 — 운전하다 → 운전 (을) 못 해요

💡 못 vs -(으)ㄹ 수 없어요? Both correct. 못 = casual, more common in speech.

Example Sentences 🎧

1. 저는 운전을 못 해요.
I can't drive.
2. 오늘 학교에 못 가요.
I can't go to school today.
3. 매운 음식을 못 먹어요.
I can't eat spicy food.
4. 저는 아직 한국어를 잘 못 해요.
I still can't speak Korean well.
5. 팅쌤은 수영을 못 해요.
Tingssam can't swim.
6. 저는 피아노를 못 쳐요.
I can't play the piano.
7. 팅쌤은 스키를 못 타요.
Tingssam can't ski.

Key Vocabulary

음식 food
맵다 (매운) spicy
잘 well / skillfully
아직 still / yet

✏️ Quiz Time

Quiz 1 — Fill in the Blank

  1. 저는 운전을 ___ 해요.
  2. 오늘 학교에 ___ 가요.
  3. 매운 음식을 ___ 먹어요.
  4. 저는 아직 한국어를 잘 ___ 해요.
  5. 팅쌤은 수영을 ___ 해요.

Quiz 2 — Fix it!

One thing is wrong in each sentence. Can you fix it?

  1. 저는 운전 해요 못. → ______________
  2. 못 저는 학교에 가요. → ______________
  3. 음식을 맵 못 먹어요. → ______________
👉 Show Answers

Quiz 1: 1. 못, 2. 못, 3. 못, 4. 못, 5. 못

Quiz 2: 1. 저는 운전을 못 해요. (못 goes right before 해요) 2. 저는 학교에 못 가요. (못 goes right before the verb, not at the start) 3. 매운 음식을 못 먹어요. (need the adjective form 매운, not 맵)

📝 Homework: Your Turn!

What's one thing you CAN'T do?

Go to the YouTube video and tell me in the comments using 못.

For example:

저는 운전을 못 해요.

Don't be shy — I read the comments! 🙌

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