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Learn Hardcore Korean: yaksogeul nohchiji ma. - Don’t miss the appointment.

Hardcore Korean
/Lesson 25
/yaksogeul nohchiji ma.

yaksogeul nohchiji ma.

Word

약속을 놓치지 마.yaksogeul nohchiji ma.

Meaning

Don’t miss the appointment.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Korean

Lesson

Breakdown of yaksogeul nohchiji ma.

object particle

놓치다nohchida

Questions & Answers about yaksogeul nohchiji ma.

What politeness level is this? Who can I say 약속을 놓치지 마. to?

It’s casual banmal (plain imperative). Use it with close friends, younger people, or peers you’re intimate with. For more polite versions:

약속(을) 놓치지 마요. (polite-casual)
약속(을) 놓치지 마세요. (polite, commonly used to older/less familiar people)
약속(을) 놓치지 마십시오. (formal/polite, announcements or very formal speech)

Why is there no subject like “you”?

Korean imperatives usually omit the subject; “you” is understood. Adding 너 is often too direct/rude. If you need to specify:

To a group: 여러분, 약속을 놓치지 마세요.
Using a name/title: 민수 씨, 약속을 놓치지 마세요.

What exactly does the ending -지 마 mean? How is it different from -지 않다?

-지 마(라) comes from the auxiliary verb 말다 and makes a negative command: “Don’t do X.”
- Example pattern: V-지 마(요/세요/십시오).
-지 않다 is a descriptive negation (“to not do/be X”), not a command.
- Command-like alternatives with this idea get wordy: 놓치지 않도록 하세요 (“Please make sure not to miss it”)—polite but less direct than -지 마.

What is the role of -을 in 약속을? Can I drop it?

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-을/를 marks the direct object. 놓치다 is transitive (“miss something”), so 약속을 is standard. In casual speech you can drop it: 약속 놓치지 마. Both are natural; including -을 can feel a bit firmer or more careful.

Is the spacing right? I sometimes see 놓치지마 written together.

Correct spacing is 놓치지 마 (space before 마), because 말다 is an auxiliary that stands as a separate word after -지. So:

Correct: 놓치지 마. / 놓치지 마요. / 놓치지 마세요.
Common but incorrect in standard writing: 놓치지마, 놓치지마요

How do you pronounce 놓치지 마?

Pronounce it as [노치지 마]. The ㅎ in 놓 isn’t separately pronounced here; it just helps aspirate the following sound (and 치 is already aspirated).

Does 약속 mean “promise” or “appointment” here?

Both are possible; context decides.

If you mean “don’t miss our meeting/appointment,” 약속(을) 놓치다 is fine (often implying missing the scheduled time).
If you mean “don’t break your promise,” Koreans usually say 약속(을) 어기다 (break a promise) or the positive 약속(을) 지키다 (keep a promise).

What’s the nuance difference among 놓치다, 잊다, 어기다, and 지키다 with 약속?

약속(을) 놓치다: miss the appointment/meeting (fail to make it, miss the time).
약속(을) 잊다: forget the promise/appointment.
약속(을) 어기다: break a promise (fail to keep your word).
약속(을) 지키다: keep a promise; show up as agreed and honor it.

So:

“Don’t miss the appointment”: 약속(을) 놓치지 마.
“Don’t forget the appointment/promise”: 약속(을) 잊지 마.
“Don’t break your promise”: 약속(을) 어기지 마.
“Please keep your promise”: 약속(을) 지켜. / 지켜 주세요.

Is 약속을 놓치다 natural, or should I say 약속 시간을 놓치다?

Both are natural. 약속을 놓치다 is common and understood as missing the planned meeting. 약속 시간을 놓치다 is a bit more explicit about missing the time.

How can I say this more softly or politely?

Options that feel gentler:

약속(을) 놓치면 안 돼요. (“You mustn’t miss the appointment.”)
Add softeners: 제발 약속(을) 놓치지 마세요. (please), 절대 놓치지 마세요. (never)
Positive request: 약속 꼭 지켜 주세요. (“Please be sure to keep the promise/appointment.”)

Can I just add -요 (e.g., 놓치지 마요) instead of 마세요?

Yes.

놓치지 마요: polite-casual; softer than plain 마, less formal than 마세요.
놓치지 마세요: polite and more standard when speaking to seniors/strangers. Both are fine; choose based on how polite you need to be.

What other useful patterns with 말다 should I know?

V-지 말고 …: “Don’t V, (instead) …”
- 약속(을) 놓치지 말고 꼭 와요.
V-지 말자 / 맙시다: “Let’s not V.”
- 약속(을) 놓치지 말자.
Quoted commands: V-지 말라고 하다 (“tell someone not to V”).
- 약속(을) 놓치지 말라고 했어요.

Can I use the topic marker: 약속은 놓치지 마?

Yes. 약속은 topicalizes “as for the promise/appointment,” adding emphasis/contrast (e.g., you might miss other things, but as for the promise—don’t miss it). Both 약속을 and 약속은 are possible depending on nuance.

Can I move the object after the verb, like 놓치지 마 약속을?

No. Korean is typically SOV. The object normally comes before the verb. 놓치지 마 약속을 sounds unnatural outside of special poetic/stylistic contexts.

Could you break down the sentence?

약속: promise/appointment (noun)
-을: object marker
놓치-: verb stem “to miss, to let slip, to fail to catch”
-지: connective ending used with 말다 for prohibition
마: imperative form of 말다 (“don’t”) Overall: “(You) don’t miss the appointment/promise.”

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