naneun ajik suyeonghal jul molla.

I still don’t know how to swim.

Breakdown of naneun ajik suyeonghal jul molla.

• ~는: topic particle
• 나: I
• 아직: still
• 수영할 줄 모르다: to not know how to swim

Questions & Answers about naneun ajik suyeonghal jul molla.

What does the word 줄 mean in this sentence?

Although 줄 usually means “line,” here it’s a bound noun meaning “way/knack/know‑how.” The pattern V‑(으)ㄹ 줄 알다/모르다 means “to know how to V / to not know how to V.” So 수영할 줄 몰라 literally means “I don’t know the way of doing swimming.”

Why use 수영할 줄 instead of something like 수영을 알아?

In Korean, 알다 doesn’t directly take an activity noun to mean “know how to do it.” The idiomatic way is V‑(으)ㄹ 줄 알다/모르다. So you say 수영할 줄 알아요/몰라요, not 수영을 알아요.

Is this the same as saying 아직 수영을 못해요?

Not exactly. 수영할 줄 몰라요 emphasizes lack of knowledge/skill (you haven’t learned how). 수영을 못해요 or 수영할 수 없어요 means “cannot swim” and could be due to lack of skill, temporary conditions (injury), or circumstances; it doesn’t specifically say you haven’t learned.

Can I say 수영을 할 줄 몰라요?

Yes, it’s grammatically fine. With many N+하다 verbs, you can either treat them as one verb (수영하다 → 수영할 줄) or as a light-verb construction with an object (수영을 하다 → 수영을 할 줄). Both are common; the version without 을/를 is a bit leaner.

Why no 을/를 after 줄? Is 줄을 possible?

The object marker is optional with general, non-specific objects, and especially with bound nouns like 줄. You can say 수영할 줄 몰라요 or 수영할 줄을 몰라요; both are correct, with virtually no difference in meaning in everyday speech. The shorter form is more common.

What politeness level is 몰라? How do I make it polite?

몰라 is informal plain (casual). Polite forms are 몰라요 (polite informal) and 모릅니다 (polite formal). To be safe with strangers or older people, say 저는 아직 수영할 줄 몰라요.

Why 나는 and not 저는?

나 is casual; 저 is the humble/polite pronoun. In most real situations you’d use 저는 with 몰라요 to match politeness: 저는 아직 수영할 줄 몰라요. With close friends or younger people, 나는 … 몰라 or the contraction 난 … 몰라 is fine.

Could I use 내가 instead of 나는?

You can, but it changes the nuance. 나는 marks the topic and sounds like “as for me, …”; 내가 marks the subject and often adds focus/contrast or answers “who?”. 내가 아직 수영할 줄 몰라 can feel more emphatic, like “I (as opposed to someone else) still don’t know how to swim.”

What does 아직 contribute? How is it different from 아직도 and 벌써?

아직 means “still/yet” and typically pairs with negatives to mean “not yet.” 아직도 adds extra emphasis, often implying surprise or impatience: 아직도 몰라요? “You still don’t know?” 벌써 means “already” and contrasts with 아직.

Where can 아직 go in the sentence?

Most natural is before the verb phrase: 나는 아직 수영할 줄 몰라요. You can also front it for emphasis (아직 저는 수영할 줄 몰라요) or place it after the topic (저는 아직도 …). Putting it just before 몰라요 (저는 수영할 줄 아직 몰라요) is possible but less common and slightly emphasizes the not‑knowing.

Why is it 몰라 and not something like 모라? What is happening morphologically?

모르다 is a 르‑irregular verb. Before endings like -아/어(요), the 르 changes to ㄹ and an extra ㄹ is inserted: 모르 + 아요 → 몰라요; the casual form is 몰라. Other forms include 모릅니다 (formal) and 모를 거예요 (will not know).

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

• 할 줄 undergoes tensification: pronounce it roughly as [hal‑jjul] (the ㅈ in 줄 sounds like tense ㅉ).
• In casual speech, 나는 often contracts to 난.
• A natural reading is: [na-neun a-jik su-yeong-hal jjul mol-la].
• Keep 아직 as [a‑jik], not [a‑sik].

Is the spacing correct? I’ve seen 수영 할 줄 sometimes.

Write 수영할 줄 with no space between 수영 and 할. Here 수영하다 is treated as a single verb, and 할 is its prenominal form. If you use the light‑verb variant, spacing changes accordingly: 수영을 할 줄 is also correct.

Can I drop 나는/저는?

Yes. Subjects are often omitted when clear from context. 아직 수영할 줄 몰라요 is perfectly natural.

Are there alternative ways to express this idea?

Yes, with slightly different nuances:

• 아직 수영을 못해요 (I can’t swim yet; may or may not imply know‑how)
• 아직 수영하는 법을 몰라요 / 방법을 몰라요 (I don’t know the method/way; a bit more formal)
• 아직 수영을 배운 적이 없어요 (I haven’t learned swimming yet; focuses on experience)

Is 헤엄치다 interchangeable with 수영하다?

Both mean “to swim,” but 수영하다 is the standard/common term for the activity. 헤엄치다 is more literal/descriptive (fish or people actually moving through water) and can feel a bit literary or childlike. You could say 아직 헤엄칠 줄 몰라요, and it’s understood.

What about 아직은?

아직은 adds a contrastive “for now/at least for the moment” nuance. 저는 아직은 수영할 줄 몰라요 implies you might learn soon, or contrasts with something you do know how to do.

Does -ㄹ 줄 알다 ever mean something else?

Yes. … 줄 알다 can also mean “to think/assume that …” with a full clause: 올 줄 알았어요 = “I thought (they) would come.” In your sentence, because it’s the know‑how pattern V‑(으)ㄹ 줄, it clearly means “know how to.”

Can I say 아직 수영할 줄 모르겠어요?

Grammatically yes, but it sounds like “I’m not sure whether I know how to swim (yet),” which is odd. To state inability/ignorance of a skill, prefer 몰라요; use 모르겠어요 when you’re uncertain about a fact or can’t judge something.