Word
나는 수영을 못 해.naneun suyeongeul mos hae.
Meaning
I cannot swim.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Questions & Answers about naneun suyeongeul mos hae.
What does 나는 mean, and why is 는 used here?
나는 breaks down into 나 (the informal “I”) + 는 (the topic marker). In Korean, the topic marker 는 highlights what you’re talking about—in this case, “as for me.” You could instead use the subject marker 이/가 (나는 → 내가) if you want to emphasize “I” as the doer, but 는 is more natural when stating your ability or inability.
Why is 수영 followed by 을?
을 is the object particle used after a noun ending in a consonant (수영 ends in ㅇ). It marks 수영을 as the direct object of the verb 하다 (“to do”). So 수영을 못 해 literally means “(I) cannot do swimming.”
What’s the difference between saying 못 하다 and 안 하다?
Both are negative, but:
- 못 하다 means “unable to do” (lack of ability, opportunity, or circumstances).
- 안 하다 means “choose not to do” (volitional negation).
Here, 나는 수영을 못 해 expresses “I can’t swim,” not “I don’t choose to swim.”
Why are 못 and 해 written separately instead of as one word?
못 is an adverb (“cannot”), and 해 is the verb stem plus the present tense ending . In Korean, adverbs and verbs are generally written as separate words, so is correct rather than in standard spacing (though in casual typing you might sometimes see them run together).