아무것도…없다
amugeot-do…eopda
The Korean phrase for "nothing" is 아무것도…없다 (amugeot-do…eopda).
The phrase is used to express that there is not any thing. While the first part, 아무것도, can mean "anything" in an affirmative context, it is used alongside a negative verb like 없다 to result in the meaning "nothing".
Meaning: not any thing (pron)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 아무것도 (amugeot-do) is composed of 아무 (any), 것 (thing) and the particle 도 (even/also), which literally means "even any thing".
How does it change in a sentence?
To express "there is nothing" as a complete sentence, you must use the negative verb 없다 (eopda) to complete the thought started by 아무것도.
How do you pronounce it?
amugeot-do…eopda
Did you know?
- While 아무것도…없다 is the standard way to say 'nothing', Koreans often use the expression 아무것도 아니에요 to mean 'it is nothing' or 'no problem' when responding to a thank you.
- Korean has a conceptual 'nothing' called 무 (mu), derived from Hanja, which is used in philosophical contexts or words like 무소유, meaning 'non-possession'.
- In very casual speech, the phrase 아무것도 can be used alone as a rhetorical answer to 'what are you doing?', implying the speaker is doing nothing without needing the verb 없다.
Examples in context
- 그냥 조용히 있다가 말 안 해도 돼.Just stay quiet, you don't have to say anything.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nothing” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
