Example Sentences#

1. 나 노래 잘 못 부르잖아.¹
   You know I’m not good at singing.
   • 부르다 means ‘to sing’ or ‘to call’.
   • -잖아 is a sentence-ending particle used when the speaker assumes the listener already knows or should know and agree with what is being said. It stems from the negative form -지 않아, adding a rhetorical tone like ‘isn’t it?’ and may carry a reminder or corrective nuance.
2. 오늘도 내리지 않은 결심이²
   Today, once again, an unmade decision
   • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
   • -은 is a past tense modifier that turns the preceding statement into a phrase describing the following noun.
3. 앨리스: “하지만 저는 미친 사람들 사이에 가고 싶지 않아요,” 앨리스가 말했다.³
   Alice: “But I don’t want to go among mad people,” said Alice.
   • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
   • 아요 is a polite ending used in informal polite speech.
4. 얼마 지나지 않아 전쟁이 일어났고, 젊은이들이 군대로 갔습니다.⁴
   Not long after, war broke out, and the young men went to the army.
   • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
   • 얼마 지나지 않아 literally means ‘not much (time) passed’, conveying the sense of ‘after a while’.
   • -아서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events. In this context, 서 is omitted.
5. 가슴이 뛰고 있잖아⁵
   My heart is racing
   • 있다 means ‘to exist’ or ‘to be’.
   • -고 있다 is a grammar pattern used to indicate a continuous or ongoing action.
   • -잖아 is a sentence-ending particle used when the speaker assumes the listener already knows or should know and agree with what is being said. It stems from the negative form -지 않아, adding a rhetorical tone like ‘isn’t it?’ and may carry a reminder or corrective nuance.
6. 하지만 얼마 지나지 않아 맹인은 두 개씩 집어먹기 시작했다.⁶
   But not long after, the blind man began eating two at a time.
   • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
   • 얼마 지나지 않아 literally means ‘not much (time) passed’, conveying the sense of ‘after a while’.
   • -아서 is a connective ending that indicates a sequence of related events. In this context, 서 is omitted.
7. 이 모든 게 이어져, 끝나지 않는 춤⁷
   All of this connects, a never-ending dance
   • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
   • -는 is a present tense modifier that turns the preceding statement into a phrase describing the following noun.
8. 길 남기지 않는 발자국 되고파⁸
   I want to be footprints that leave no trail
   • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
   • -는 is a present tense modifier that turns the preceding statement into a phrase describing the following noun.
9. 우리는 끝없는 검은 바다 한가운데 있는 고요한 무지의 섬에 살고 있으며, 멀리 나가는 것은 우리에게 맞지 않았습니다.⁹
   We live on a quiet island of ignorance in the middle of an endless black sea, and it was not meant for us to venture far.
   • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
   • 았 is a past tense marker.
   • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
10. 그들은 여자를 만지지 않기로 다짐했기 때문이다.¹⁰
    They had promised not to touch a woman.
    • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
    • -기 is a nominalizing suffix, turning the verb into a noun form.
    • -로 is a particle indicating method or means, marking a decision in this context.
11. “그러고 싶지만, 나는 시간이 많지 않아.¹¹
    “I would like to, but I don’t have much time.
    • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
    • -아 is a casual ending used in informal speech.
12. 그러나 그의 승리는 길지 않았습니다.¹²
    However, his victory did not last long.
    • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
    • 았 is a past tense marker.
    • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
13. “아이가 호랑이를 무서워하지 않네?”¹³
    “Oh, the baby isn’t scared of the tiger?”
    • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
    • -네 is a sentence-ending particle expressing mild surprise or discovery through direct observation, voicing the speaker’s immediate acknowledgment of something perceived in the moment.
14. 차라리 카페 가서 수다 떠는 게 낫지 않아?¹
    Wouldn’t it be better to go to a cafe and chat instead?
    • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
    • -아 is a casual ending used in informal speech.
15. 멈추지 않고 나아가고 싶어²
    I want to keep moving forward
    • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
    • -고 is a connective ending used to link two actions or states, meaning ‘and’, or to join the main verb to auxiliary verbs.
16. “그렇지 않으면 여기에 오지 않았을 테니까.”³
    “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come.”
    • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
    • (으)면 is a conditional ending meaning ‘if’.
    • Together with 그렇지, the phrase 그렇지 않으면 means ‘otherwise’.
17. 노인의 아들은 다리가 부러져 군대로 가지 않았습니다.⁴
    The old man’s son did not go to the army because he broke his leg.
    • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
    • 았 is a past tense marker.
    • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
18. 너도 이 마음 느낄 수 있잖아⁵
    You can feel this too, can’t you?
    • 있다 means ‘to exist’.
    • ㄹ 수 있다 forms a grammar pattern that expresses ability or possibility.
    • -잖아 is a sentence-ending particle used when the speaker assumes the listener already knows or should know and agree with what is being said. It stems from the negative form -지 않아, adding a rhetorical tone like ‘isn’t it?’ and may carry a reminder or corrective nuance.
19. “아니에요, 저는 그러지 않았어요.⁶
    “No, I didn’t do that.
    • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
    • 았 is a past tense marker.
    • 어요 is a polite ending used in informal polite speech.