We didn’t buy the present in Korean 🇰🇷

Sentence info.

우리는 (u-ri-neun)
 • 우리 means “we” and 는 is the topic marker that indicates “as for” or “speaking about we.”
 • Combined, it reads “as for us” or simply “we.”

선물을 (seon-mul-eul)
 • 선물 means “present” or “gift.”
 • 을 is the object marker, marking 선물 as the object of the verb.
 • Together, it means “the present” (as the object of the sentence).

안 (an)
 • This is a negation adverb meaning “not.”
 • It comes before the verb to indicate that the action is not performed.

샀어요 (sat-seo-yo)
 • Derived from the verb 사다 (sa-da) which means “to buy.”
 • 샀어요 is the polite past tense form meaning “bought.”
 • Since 안 precedes it, the whole phrase means “did not buy.”

Tip to Remember:
 • Korean sentences follow a Subject-Object-Verb order. Note that modifiers and markers (like 는 and 을) help identify each part.
 • Placing 안 before the verb negates it. Think of it as a “not” that sticks to the action.

Alternate Ways to Say “We didn’t buy the present”:
 • 우리는 선물을 사지 않았어요. (u-ri-neun seon-mul-eul sa-ji an-ass-eo-yo)
  – “사지 않았다” is another way to express “did not buy,” using the formal construction for negation.
 • 저희는 선물을 구매하지 않았어요. (jeo-hui-neun seon-mul-eul gu-mae-ha-ji an-ass-eo-yo)
  – Using 저희 for a more formal “we” and 구매하다 as a formal alternative for “buy.”

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