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Learn Hardcore Korean: i pyohyeoneun olbareuji anhayo. - This expression is not correct.

Hardcore Korean
/Lesson 15
/i pyohyeoneun olbareuji anhayo.

i pyohyeoneun olbareuji anhayo.

Word

이 표현은 올바르지 않아요.i pyohyeoneun olbareuji anhayo.

Meaning

This expression is not correct.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Korean

Lesson

Breakdown of i pyohyeoneun olbareuji anhayo.

Questions & Answers about i pyohyeoneun olbareuji anhayo.

What does 이 before 표현 mean?

이 is a demonstrative determiner meaning “this.” So 이 표현 literally means “this expression” or “this phrase.”

What does 표현 mean?

표현 means “expression,” “phrase,” or “way of saying something.” You use it when talking about how ideas are conveyed in language.

Why is the particle 은 used after 표현 instead of 가?

은 is the topic marker used when the noun ends in a consonant. It highlights 표현 as the topic: “As for this expression…”

If you wanted a neutral subject marker, you’d use 가 (표현이).
If the noun ended in a vowel, the topic marker would be 는 instead of 은.

What does 올바르다 mean?

올바르다 is a descriptive verb (adjective) meaning “to be correct,” “proper,” or “right.” It often carries a sense of correctness in usage, morality, or order.

How is the negative formed with -지 않아요, and what does -지 do?

The pattern is a standard way to make a polite negative for both action and descriptive verbs. Here’s how it works:

올바르다olbareuda

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-지 않다

Remove 다 from the base verb/adjective: 올바르다 → 올바르
Add -지: 올바르지
Conjugate 않다 to the polite form 않아요: 올바르지 않아요

This literally means “does not correct-be,” i.e., “is not correct.”

Why can’t we use 안 올바르다 instead of 올바르지 않아요?

With descriptive verbs/adjectives, Korean prefers the -지 않다 negation rather than placing 안 before the adjective. Saying 안 올바르다 sounds unnatural and ungrammatical.

What level of politeness is -아요, and how could I make the sentence more formal or more casual?

-아요 is the polite style you’d use in everyday respectful conversation (called 반말 vs 존댓말’s 중간).
To make it more formal/deferential (해요체 → 합쇼체), use -습니다:
이 표현은 올바르지 않습니다.
To make it informal/casual (친구 사이), drop 요 and use -아/어:
이 표현은 올바르지 않아.

Could I use a different adjective like 틀리다 or 잘못되다 instead of 올바르다, and what’s the nuance?

Yes, but each has its own shade of meaning:

틀리다: “to be wrong,” often factually incorrect (e.g., an answer).
잘못되다: “to be mistaken,” “to go wrong,” or “to turn out badly.”
올바르다: “to be proper,” “to be correct,” often with a formal or moral nuance.

So if you want to say “this phrase is factually incorrect,” 이 표현은 틀려요 works. If you mean “this usage isn’t proper,” 이 표현은 올바르지 않아요 is more appropriate.

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