Question 1

What does 아직 mean here, and where does it usually go in the sentence?

Accepted Answer

아직 means yet / still (not) in this context. It commonly appears near the beginning of the sentence, before the part you want to mark as “not done yet,” so 아직 예약을 못 했어요 sounds very natural. You can also place it right before the verb phrase for emphasis: 예약을 아직 못 했어요 (still haven’t made the reservation).

Question 2

Does 아직 imply “not yet” automatically, or do I need a negative form too?

Accepted Answer

You still need a negative form. 아직 sets up the idea of “up to now,” but the not-yet meaning comes from combining it with a negative like 못 했어요 / 안 했어요. So 아직 예약을 했어요 would be odd unless it’s in a special contrast context; normally 아직 + negative is the pattern.

Question 3

What is 예약 exactly—noun or verb—and how is it used?

Accepted Answer

예약 is primarily a noun meaning reservation/booking. Korean often pairs a noun like this with 하다 to make a verb:
- 예약하다 = to make a reservation
So 예약을 했어요 literally means (I) did a reservation → (I) made a reservation.

Question 4

Why is there an 을 after 예약?

Accepted Answer

을/를 is the object particle, marking 예약 as the thing being done (or not done).  
- 예약을 못 했어요 = (I) couldn’t/didn’t make a reservation  
In casual speech, the particle is often dropped: 아직 예약 못 했어요 (very common in conversation).

Question 5

What’s the difference between 못 했어요 and 안 했어요?

Accepted Answer

Both can translate as haven’t, but the nuance differs:
- 못 했어요 = couldn’t / wasn’t able to / failed to (suggests inability, circumstances, difficulty)
- 안 했어요 = didn’t / chose not to (more like a decision or simple non-action)

With 아직, both can mean “not yet,” but:
- 아직 예약을 못 했어요 often implies you haven’t managed to (maybe no time, no seats, no chance).
- 아직 예약을 안 했어요 often implies you just haven’t done it yet (maybe you plan to later).

Question 6

Is 못 always placed right before the verb?

Accepted Answer

Yes—못 is an adverb and normally goes immediately before the verb (or the 하다 part):
- 예약을 못 했어요 (correct)
- ~~못 예약을 했어요~~ (unnatural/incorrect)

Question 7

Why is it 했어요 (past tense) if the meaning is “haven’t done it yet”?

Accepted Answer

Korean commonly uses past tense to talk about whether an action has been completed up to now. So 못 했어요 here is like (I) haven’t done it (up to now) rather than “I did not do it at some finished time in the past.” Adding 아직 makes the “up to now” meaning very clear.

Question 8

What politeness level is 못 했어요, and what are common alternatives?

Accepted Answer

했어요 is the polite informal style (-어요/-아요), widely used in everyday conversation.
Common alternatives:
- Casual: 아직 예약 못 했어.
- More formal/polite: 아직 예약을 못 했습니다.
- Very polite (to customers/guests): 아직 예약을 못 했어요 is already fine; you might add softeners like 죄송한데 depending on context.

Question 9

Can I say 아직 예약을 못 했습니다 or 아직 예약 못 했어요? Are both natural?

Accepted Answer

Yes.
- 아직 예약을 못 했습니다: formal, polite (announcements, business).
- 아직 예약 못 했어요: very natural in speech; dropping 을 is common.

Question 10

How do I pronounce the tricky parts, especially 예약을?

Accepted Answer

Common pronunciation notes:
- 예약: [ye-yak] (two syllables: 예-약).
- 예약을: often sounds like 예약을 [ye-ya-geul], where the ㄱ sound can be heard as you connect 약 + 을.
- 못 했어요: 못해써요 is a common connected-speech feel (spelling stays 못 했어요).

Question 11

What’s the difference between 아직 and 아직도?

Accepted Answer

Both relate to “still/yet,” but:
- 아직 is the basic form: yet / still (not).
- 아직도 adds 도 (even/still) and often feels more emphatic: still, even now.
So 아직 예약을 못 했어요 is neutral, while 아직도 예약을 못 했어요 can suggest “Even now, I still haven’t managed to.”

Question 12

If I want to emphasize “I haven’t been able to make the reservation (despite trying),” is this sentence enough?

Accepted Answer

아직 예약을 못 했어요 already leans toward “couldn’t,” but you can strengthen the “despite trying” nuance with additions like:
- 아직 예약을 못 했어요. 계속 시도했는데요. = I still couldn’t make it. I kept trying, though.
- 아직 예약이 안 돼요. = It still won’t go through / it’s still not working (system/availability issue).

ajik yeyageul mos haesseoyo.

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