my-korean1-2nd-ed

208
UNIT 7 어제 뭐 하셨어요?
못 ‘cannot’ or ‘did not’ because of inability –
unintentionally
You have already seen how you create a negative sentence by using the
negative word 안, e.g. 저는 안 갔어요 (I didn’t go). If you change 안 to 못,
the sentence becomes 저는 못 갔어요 (I couldn’t go).
Examples:
(1) 옆집에서 파티를 했어요. There was a party next door.
그래서 어제 밤에
잠을 잘 못 잤어요.
So I couldn’t sleep well
last night.
(2) 저 내일 수업에 못 와요. I can’t come to class tomorrow.
내일 면접 시험 있어요. I have a job interview.
(3) 저 감기 걸렸어요 I’ve got a cold.
그래서 내일 못 만나요.* So I can’t meet you tomorrow.
(*못 만나요 is pronounced mon-man-na-yo.)
(4) 시험을 잘 못 봤어요. 2 I didn’t do well in the exam.
그래서 기분이 별로 안 좋아요. So I don’t feel too good.
(*In English we use the word ‘didn’t’ rather than the word ‘couldn’t’.
But in Korean, if there is some external reason why you did not do
something, you always use the negative word 못. When you use 안, it
implies that you intentionally chose not to do something. Thus, 못 is
used far more often than “can not” is used in English.)
(5) A: 어제 공부했어요? A: Did you study yesterday?
B: 저녁에 갑자기
친구가 찾아 왔어요.
그래서, 못 했어요.*
(못 했어요 is pronounced mo-t’aess-o*-yo.)
My friend unexpectedly came
over to look for me yesterday
evening. So I couldn’t.