Forbidding with '지 말다' — Korean Grammar

To create a negative command or prohibition (telling someone not to do something), Korean uses the pattern (-ji mal·da-ji mal·da-ji mal·da-ci mal·ta). This structure is formed by attaching (-ji-ji-ji-ci) to the verb stem, followed by the auxiliary verb (mal·damal·damal·damal·ta), which literally means to cease or to stop.

Because (mal·damal·damal·damal·ta) is an irregular verb ending in (l), it conjugates differently depending on the level of politeness and the specific sentence ending used.

Polite Prohibitions (Please don't)

The most common way to ask someone not to do something politely is using the ending (-ji ma·se·yo-ji ma·se·yo-ji ma·se·yo-ci ma·sey·yo). Here, the (l) from (mal·damal·damal·damal·ta) is dropped because it is followed by the honorific suffix (-(ŭ)se·yo). This is used in standard daily interactions.

가지 마세요.
ka·ji ma·se·yo.ga·ji ma·se·yo.ka·ji ma·se·yo.ka·ci ma·sey·yo.
Please do not go.
걱정하지 마세요.
kŏk·jjŏng·ha·ji ma·se·yo.geok·jjeong·ha·ji ma·se·yo.kŏk·tchŏng·ha·ji ma·se·yo.kek·cceng·ha·ci ma·sey·yo.
Please do not worry.
여기서 먹지 마세요.
yŏ·gi·sŏ mŏk·ji ma·se·yo.yeo·gi·seo meok·ji ma·se·yo.yŏ·gi·sŏ mŏk·ji ma·se·yo.ye·ki·se mek·ci ma·sey·yo.
Please do not eat here.

Casual Prohibitions (Don't)

When speaking to close friends, family, or people younger than you, you use the casual form ( (pan·malban·malpan·malpan·mal)). In this case, the ending becomes (-ji ma-ji ma-ji ma-ci ma).

웃지 마.
ut·ji ma.ut·ji ma.ut·ji ma.ut·ci ma.
Don't laugh.
하지 마.
ha·ji ma.ha·ji ma.ha·ji ma.ha·ci ma.
Don't do it.
나를 기다리지 마.
na·rŭl ki·da·ri·ji ma.na·reul gi·da·ri·ji ma.na·rŭl ki·da·ri·ji ma.na·lul ki·ta·li·ci ma.
Don't wait for me.

Negative Suggestions (Let's not)

If you want to suggest that you and the listener should not do something together (equivalent to "Let's not..."), the conjugation changes. The (l) is retained in casual speech but changes in polite speech.

Polite Suggestion: Use (-ji mab·si·da-ji mab·si·da-ji mab·si·da-ci mab·si·ta).

오늘은 만나지 맙시다.
o·nŭl·ŭn man·na·ji mab·si·da.o·neul·eun man·na·ji mab·si·da.o·nŭl·ŭn man·na·ji mab·si·da.o·nul·un man·na·ci mab·si·ta.
Let's not meet today.

Casual Suggestion: Use (-ji mal·ja-ji mal·ja-ji mal·ja-ci mal·ca).

늦지 말자.
nŭt·ji mal·ja.neut·ji mal·ja.nŭt·ji mal·ja.nut·ci mal·ca.
Let's not be late.
그 영화를 보지 말자.
kŭ yŏng·hwa·rŭl bo·ji mal·ja.geu yeong·hwa·reul bo·ji mal·ja.kŭ yŏng·hwa·rŭl bo·ji mal·ja.ku yeng·hwa·lul po·ci mal·ca.
Let's not watch that movie.

Formal Commands

In very formal situations, such as public announcements, written warnings, or military contexts, the ending (-ji ma·sip·si·o-ji ma·sip·si·o-ji ma·sip·si·o-ci ma·sip·si·o) is used. This is a highly deferential imperative.

들어오지 마십시오.
tŭ·rŏ·o·ji ma·sip·si·o.deu·reo·o·ji ma·sip·si·o.tŭ·rŏ·o·ji ma·sip·si·o.tu·le·o·ci ma·sip·si·o.
Do not enter.
만지지 마십시오.
man·ji·ji ma·sip·si·o.man·ji·ji ma·sip·si·o.man·ji·ji ma·sip·si·o.man·ci·ci ma·sip·si·o.
Do not touch.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Korean course

12 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 70. A few of them, with the words “Forbidding with '지 말다'” is about in bold:

그거 먹지 마! 돼지고기야!
kŭ·gŏ mŏk ji ma! twæ·ji go·gi ya!geu·geo meok ji ma! dwae·ji go·gi ya!kŭ·gŏ mŏk ji ma! twae·ji go·gi ya!ku·ke mek ci ma! tway·ci ko·ki ya!
Don't eat that! That's pork! (cas.)
Lesson 366
소풍 갈 때 치즈 잊지 마.
so·pʰung gal ttæ chʰi·jŭ it ji ma.so·pung gal ddae chi·jeu it ji ma.so·p'ung gal ttae ch'i·jŭ it ji ma.so·phung kal ttay chi·cu it ci ma.
Don't forget the cheese for our picnic. (cas.)
Lesson 477

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