Yes and No in Korean: How to Affirm and Negate Naturally

Learning how to say yes and no in Korean is essential because it goes beyond just saying “네” or “아니요.” Depending on the situation, you need to use verbs like 이다, 아니다, 있다, 없다, and particles like 안 / -지 않다 / 못 to properly affirm or negate.

1. Basic Yes and No

네 / 예 – Yes
아니요 – No

• 네, 맞아요. – Yes, that’s right.
• 아니요, 아니에요. – No, it’s not.

2. Affirming with 이다 (to be)

In Korean, adjectives act as verbs, so you don’t need “to be” before them. But when identifying or equating something, you use 이다.

저는 학생이에요. – I am a student.
이것은 책이에요. – This is a book.
오늘은 주말인데 학교에 가야 해요. – Today is the weekend, but I have to go to school.
저는 학생이라서 학교에 가야 해요. – Because I’m a student, I have to go to school.

3. Negating with 아니다 (to not be)

아니다 is used as the opposite of 이다.
Interestingly, some scholars say it originally came from 아니 + 이다, which explains why its conjugation is similar to 이다.

저는 학생이 아니에요. – I am not a student.
이것은 책이 아니에요. – This is not a book.
오늘은 평일이 아닌데 학교에 가야 해요. – Today is not a weekday, but I have to go to school.
저는 학생이 아니라서 학교에 갈 필요 없어요. – Because I’m not a student, I don’t have to go to school.

4. Affirming and Negating Existence: 있다 / 없다

When talking about possession or existence, you use 있다 (to exist / to have) and 없다 (to not exist / to not have).

• 시간이 있어요. – I have time.
• 시간이 없어요. – I don’t have time.

• 여기에 사람이 있어요. – There is a person here.
• 여기에 사람이 없어요. – There is no person here.

5. Using 안 / -지 않다 (General Negation of Verbs and Adjectives)

This is the basic way to make verbs or adjectives negative in Korean.

안 + verb/adjective → casual spoken style
verb/adjective + -지 않다 → formal or written style

• 저는 커피 안 마셔요. – I don’t drink coffee.
• 저는 커피 마시지 않아요. – I do not drink coffee.

Adjectives also use this pattern:
• 예쁘지 않아요. – (She/it) is not pretty.
• 안 예뻐요. – Not pretty.

안 vs 않: How to Distinguish

안 → an adverb that comes before a verb/adjective.
- 저는 안 가요. – I don’t go.
- 공부 안 해요. – I don’t study.
않 → part of the verb ending -지 않다.
- 저는 가지 않아요. – I do not go.
- 공부하지 않아요. – I do not study.

➡ Both mean “not,” but 안 is simpler and colloquial, while 않다 is more formal or written.

⚠️ Common mistake:
So many people(even natives) mix the two and say things like:

아니 않해 ❌ (incorrect)

The correct form is:

안 해요. – I don’t do it.
하지 않아요. – I do not do it.

Remember: “안” stands alone, “않” always needs -지 in front.

6. Using 못 (Cannot / Unable – Negative Form of Verbs Only)

This is another way to make verbs negative, but it means “cannot / unable to do” because of lack of ability or circumstance.
⚠️ Important: 못 is only used with verbs, not adjectives.

• 저는 수영을 못 해요. – I can’t swim.
• 오늘은 못 가요. – I can’t go today.

(You cannot say 못 예뻐요 ❌)

7. Extra: -라서 / 아니라서

Sometimes you affirm or negate as a reason.

이라서/라서 = “because it is”
아니라서 = “because it is not”

• 학생이라서 도서관에 자주 가요. – Because I am a student, I often go to the library.
• 학생이 아니라서 도서관에 안 가요. – Because I am not a student, I don’t go to the library.

8. Yes and No with Questions

한국 사람이에요? – Are you Korean?
- 네, 한국 사람이에요. – Yes, I am Korean.
- 아니요, 한국 사람이 아니에요. – No, I am not Korean.
밥 먹었어요? – Did you eat?
- 네, 먹었어요. – Yes, I ate.
- 아니요, 안 먹었어요. – No, I didn’t eat.

Conclusion

In Korean, saying yes and no is not only about 네/아니요 but also about choosing the right verb form.

Use 이다/아니다 to affirm or negate identity.
Use 있다/없다 to talk about existence and possession.
Use 안 / -지 않다 to negate verbs and adjectives.
Use 못 when something is impossible (verbs only).

By mastering these forms, you can answer naturally and clearly in any situation.