Example Sentences#

1. 아니면 살짝 웃어볼까¹
   Or should I give a soft smile?
   • 아니다 means ‘to not be’.
   • 면 is a conditional ending meaning ‘if’, but when combined with 아니 as 아니면, it forms a conjunction meaning ‘or’ or ‘if not’.
2. 근데 너 일본에서도 공연 본 거 아니야?²
   By the way, didn’t you also see a concert in Japan?
   • 아니다 is the verb ‘to not be’, and 아니야 is its casual conjugated form used in informal speech.
   • The construction -ㄴ 것이 아니다 nominalizes the preceding clause and presents it as a statement or question, similar to saying ‘the thing is…’ or ‘isn’t it that…?’, shifting the focus from simply stating an action to emphasizing what it is that the subject did or is doing. It adds an explanatory layer absent in simple declarative or interrogative sentences and is commonly used to clarify the nature of an action, explain the reason behind a situation, or directly inquire about someone’s activities.
3. “아니에요, 저는 그러지 않았어요.³
   “No, I didn’t do that.
   • 아니다 is the verb ‘to not be’.
   • 에요 is the informal polite ending used with 아니다.
4. 너 진짜 밥 안 먹고 사는 거 아니야?⁴
   Are you really living without eating proper meals?
   • 아니다 is the verb ‘to not be’, and 아니야 is its casual conjugated form used in informal speech.
   • The construction -는 것이 아니다 nominalizes the preceding clause and presents it as a statement or question, similar to saying ‘the thing is…’ or ‘isn’t it that…?’, shifting the focus from simply stating an action to emphasizing what it is that the subject did or is doing. It adds an explanatory layer absent in simple declarative or interrogative sentences and is commonly used to clarify the nature of an action, explain the reason behind a situation, or directly inquire about someone’s activities.