TOPIK I · LEVEL 2
-지 말다
-지 말다 is the negative used in commands, suggestions and wishes: 'don't', 'let's not', 'not A but B', 'told me not to'. Plain 안/-지 않다 cannot be used there.
문장 끝·말투Endings & speech styleHan: The quoted command is built on the full stem 말- + -라고; the ㄹ does not drop here.
Examples
길이 막히니까 택시 타지 말고 지하철 타자.The roads are jammed, so let's take the subway, not a taxi.
우리 앞으로는 약속 시간에 늦지 맙시다.From now on, let's not be late for our appointments.
감기에 걸렸을 때는 찬 음식을 먹지 말아야 해요.When you have a cold, you shouldn't eat cold food.
선생님께서 시험 시간에 휴대폰을 보지 말라고 하셨어요.The teacher told us not to look at our phones during the exam.
Don’t mix up
-지 말다vs-지 않다-지 않다 describes; -지 말다 forbids or proposes: 우리는 늦지 않았어요 (we weren't late) vs 우리 늦지 말자 (let's not be late).-지 말다vs-(으)면 안 되다-(으)면 안 되다 states a rule, 'it is not allowed'; -지 말다 directly tells someone not to: 여기서 담배를 피우면 안 돼요 vs 여기서 담배 피우지 마세요.-지 말다vsN 말고After a noun, 말고 alone means 'not N, but…': 커피 말고 차 주세요. After a verb you need -지 말고: 커피 마시지 말고 차 마셔.
How to build it
V+지 말다 → 지 마 / 마라 / 마세요 / 맙시다 (ㄹ dropped) · 지 말자 / 말고 / 말라고 하다 / 말아야 하다 (ㄹ kept)
가다 → 가지 마, 가지 마세요, 가지 맙시다, 가지 말자; 먹다 → 먹지 말고; 늦다 → 늦지 말라고 했어요; 울다 → 울지 말아야 해요
- As a sentence ending it is used only in commands and suggestions: 하지 마 (to a friend), 하지 마라 (plain, written or to children), 하지 마세요, 하지 말자 / 하지 맙시다 (let's not). Statements use 안 or -지 않다.
- -지 말고 + B means 'B instead of A': 택시 타지 말고 지하철 타자. The second part is usually a command or suggestion.
- Reported prohibition is -지 말라고 하다 (말다 + -라고): 의사가 술을 마시지 말라고 했어요. Never 마라고.
- With obligation and wish endings it means 'must not / hope not': 늦지 말아야 해요 (I mustn't be late), 비가 오지 말았으면 좋겠어요. In speech 말아요/마요 and 말아라/마라 are both standard.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 의사 선생님이 술을 마시지 마라고 했어요.
Right: 의사 선생님이 술을 마시지 말라고 했어요.
The quoted command is built on the full stem 말- + -라고; the ㄹ does not drop here.
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)ㄹ 것Ends a written instruction or rule with a noun-like command: 'do X; X is to be done'. Impersonal and firm; used in notices, exam instructions, memos and rule lists.
- -(으)ㄹ게요-(으)ㄹ게요 is how you tell someone 'I'll do it': a promise or decision you make with the listener in mind.
- -(으)십시오-(으)십시오 is the formal, polite way to tell or ask someone to do something: 'please do …'.
- -(으)ㄹ래요?Use it to ask what the listener wants to do ("Do you want to…?") or to say what you yourself want to do ("I'll… / I want to…") in a friendly, polite way.
- -(으)ㄴ가요?/-나요?-(으)ㄴ가요?/-나요? make a soft, gentle polite question.
- -자-자 is the casual way to say "let's (do something)" to close friends or people younger than you.
- -지Casual (반말) sentence ending that, depending on intonation, seeks agreement ('…, right?'), states something as obvious, asks oneself a question, or makes a soft suggestion ('why don't you…'). Its polite form is -지요/죠.
- -지 마세요Add -지 마세요 to a verb to politely ask someone not to do something.
- -고요-고요 adds one more point to what was just said, in a friendly spoken way: 'and also …'.