아무도…아니다
amu-do…anida
The Korean phrase for "no one" is 아무도…아니다 (amu-do…anida).
This phrase is used to express that not even a single person is involved in a particular situation or state.
Meaning: not even a single person (pron)
What does it mean word for word?
The part 아무도 literally means "even anyone." This is because the particle -도 is attached to 아무 (anyone/no one) to mean "even" or "also."
How does it change in a sentence?
To complete the meaning of "no one," you must pair 아무도 with a negative verb or a negative adverb. For example, if you want to express that no one exists, you use the verb 없다 (to not exist) instead of 아니다 (to not be).
How do you pronounce it?
amu-do…anida
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use just 아무 to mean "no one." English speakers often forget to include the particle -도, but 아무 must be followed by -도 to function correctly in a negative sentence.
Did you know?
- In Korean, 아무 can change meaning based on the particle. While 아무도 means 'no one' in negative sentences, 아무나 means 'anyone' or 'anybody' in positive sentences.
- The word 아무 is used in the common expression 아무거나, which means 'anything' or 'whatever'. This turns the concept of 'no one' into a way of saying 'I don't care which one'.
- Korean uses 아무 to describe things that are 'trivial' or 'insignificant', such as in the phrase 아무 일 없다, meaning 'nothing happened' or 'it is no big deal'.
Examples in context
- 나는 아무도 모른다.I don't know anyone.
- 이 곳에 아무도 없다.There is no one here.
- 아무도 안 왔어요.No one came.
- 아무도 믿지 않아요.No one believes.
- 아무도 없어.There is no one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no one” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
