Example Sentences#

1. 세상에서 가장 다행스러운 것은 인간의 마음이 모든 것을 연결하지 못하는 능력이라고 생각합니다.¹
   I think the most fortunate thing in the world is the human mind’s inability to connect everything.
   • 못하다 is an auxiliary verb used to indicate inability to perform the action or reach the state described in the preceding statement. It is composed of 못 (meaning ‘cannot’ or ‘poorly’) and 하다 (to do).
   • -는 is a present tense modifier that turns the preceding statement into a phrase describing the following noun.
2. 하지만 곧, 만족하지 못하는 마음이 그를 괴롭히기 시작했습니다.²
   But soon, dissatisfaction began to torment him.
   • 못하다 is an auxiliary verb used to indicate inability to perform the action or reach the state described in the preceding statement. It is composed of 못 (meaning ‘cannot’ or ‘poorly’) and 하다 (to do).
   • -는 is a present tense modifier that turns the preceding statement into a phrase describing the following noun.
3. 추운 겨울밤, 며칠 동안 아무것도 먹지 못한 호랑이는 배가 몹시 고팠습니다.³
   On a cold winter night, the tiger, having gone several days without eating anything, was extremely hungry.
   • 못하다 is an auxiliary verb used to indicate inability to perform the action or reach the state described in the preceding statement. It is composed of 못 (meaning ‘cannot’ or ‘poorly’) and 하다 (to do).
   • -ㄴ is a past tense modifier that turns the preceding statement into a phrase describing the following noun.