Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 못 | mot | [mo̞t̚] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| -을 수 없다 | -eul su eopda | [ɯɭ sʰu ʌ̹p̚t͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 못하다 | mothada | [ˈmo̞(ː)tʰa̠da̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
못 expresses that you are unable to do something, often because of circumstances or lack of opportunity, as in I cannot pay or I cannot go home.
Which one should you use?
못 marks inability due to external circumstances. -을 수 없다 (-eul su eopda) is a more general way to say something is impossible or that you lack the ability. 못하다 (mothada) follows a verb to mean cannot, and as a main verb it means to be bad at a skill. Korean also separates 안, meaning do not or will not, from 못, meaning cannot.
How does it change in a sentence?
Put 못 directly before the verb. With 못하다, it comes after the main verb, as in 가지 못해요.
How do you pronounce it?
Say mot with a clipped final t that is barely released.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 안 when you mean cannot. 안 says you choose not to do something, while 못 says you are not able to.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- 난 돈 못 내.I cannot pay.못 comes right before the verb meaning to pay.Tatoeba #13118569 by romzzo, translation #11768985 by Fenrir
- 우리 아기는 아직 말을 못해.Our baby cannot talk yet.못해 here says the baby is not yet able to talk.Tatoeba #8358264 by Eunhee, translation #65556 by CC
- 집에 가지 못해요.I cannot go home.가지 못해요 uses the longer form after the verb for go.
- 제가 한국어를 못해요.I can't speak Korean.
- 저는 오늘 회의에 참석할 수 없어요.I cannot attend the meeting today.
- 오늘 놀러 갈 수 없어.I can't go out today.
- 피아노를 못 해요.I can't play the piano.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Dohyun are talking about a movie.
- 서연 Seo-yeon오늘 영화 보러 갈래?Oneul yeonghwa boreo gallae?Do you want to go see a movie today?
- 도현 Do-hyeon미안, 오늘은 못 가.Mian, oneureun mot ga.Sorry, I cannot go today.
- 서연 Seo-yeon왜 못 가?Wae mot ga?Why cannot you go?
- 도현 Do-hyeon숙제가 너무 많아.Sukjega neomu manha.I have too much homework.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cannot” translations and entries 못, -을 수 없다, 못하다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries -을, -을 수 없다, 못, 수, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
