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Questions & Answers about ajik babeul an meogeosseoyo.
What does 아직 mean in 아직 밥을 안 먹었어요, and how is it used?
아직 means “yet” or “still,” indicating that the action has not taken place up to now. It typically comes before the verb (or verb phrase) to modify the whole statement: 아직 안 먹었어요 = “haven’t eaten yet.” You can also say 아직도 안 먹었어요 to strengthen the sense of “still.”
Why is 안 placed before 먹었어요, and is this sentence past or present?
안 is the standard adverbial negator in Korean. When you attach it before a verb form (including the past tense 먹었어요), it negates the entire action. Since 먹었어요 is the polite past tense of 먹다, 안 먹었어요 literally means “did not eat.” Contextually in English you translate it as “haven’t eaten yet,” but grammatically it’s a past-tense negation.
What’s the difference between 안 먹었어요 and 못 먹었어요?
- 안 먹었어요: simply “did not eat” or “haven’t eaten” (you chose not to or just didn’t do it).
- 못 먹었어요: “could not eat” (you were unable to eat due to circumstances).
Use 안 for general negation, 못 when something prevented the action.
Why does 밥 take the object particle 을, and can you omit it?
The marker 을 shows that 밥 is the direct object of 먹다. In casual speech, Koreans often drop object particles if the meaning remains clear: 아직 밥 안 먹었어요. However, including 을 makes your sentence more formally correct and helps avoid ambiguity in new or complex sentences.
How is 먹었어요 formed from 먹다?
Korean polite past tense = verb stem + -었- + -어요:
1) 먹다 (dictionary form)
2) drop -다, stem = 먹
3) add past marker: 먹 + 었 = 먹었
4) add polite ending: 먹었 + 어요 = 먹었어요
Can you reorder the sentence as 밥을 아직 안 먹었어요, and does it change the meaning?
Yes. Thanks to particles, Korean word order is flexible:
- 아직 밥을 안 먹었어요 (default)
- 밥을 아직 안 먹었어요 (emphasizes 밥)
Both mean “I haven’t eaten yet.” The nuance or focus may shift slightly, but the overall meaning stays the same.
How would you say the same idea more casually or more formally?
- Casual/informal: 아직 밥을 안 먹었어 or drop particles: 아직 밥 안 먹었어
- Formal/polite: 아직 밥을 안 먹었습니다
- Honorific (speaking about elders/superiors): 아직 밥을 안 드셨어요?
Can you omit 밥을 and simply say 아직 안 먹었어요? Will it still be understood?
Yes. In context, 아직 안 먹었어요 (“I haven’t eaten yet”) is perfectly natural. As long as it’s clear you’re talking about a meal, you can drop 밥을 for brevity, especially in casual conversation.