To not say/tell in Korean 🇰🇷

안 말하다 info.

Tips to Remember:
• Recognize that 말 (mal) means “word” or “speech” and 하다 (hada) means “to do,” so 말하다 (malhada) literally means “to do words” or “to speak.” Adding 안 (an) before 말하다 negates the verb, meaning “to not speak/say.”
• Memorize that 안 always comes directly before the verb root to indicate negation.

Explanations:
• 말하다 is the infinitive form meaning “to say” or “to speak.” Placing 안 in front—안 말하다—forms the negative “to not say” or “to not speak.”
• An alternative but equivalent structure is 말하지 않다 (malhaji anta); here, 말하다 is converted into its connective form 말하지, and 않다 negates it.

Other Words with Similar Meaning:
• 말하지 않다 (malhaji anta) – “not say”
• 입 다물다 (ip damulda) – “to keep one’s mouth shut” (colloquial variation)
• 아무 말도 하지 않다 (amu maldo haji anta) – “to not say anything”

Conjugations for 말하다 (applying negation with 안 as needed):

Present Tense:
• Informal Low: 안 말해 (an malhae) or 말하지 않아 (malhaji anha)
• Formal Polite: 안 말해요 (an malhaeyo) or 말하지 않아요 (malhaji anayo)
• Formal High: 안 말합니다 (an malhamnida) or 말하지 않습니다 (malhaji anseumnida)

Past Tense:
• Informal Low: 안 말했어 (an malhaesseo) or 말하지 않았어 (malhaji anasseo)
• Formal Polite: 안 말했어요 (an malhaesseoyo) or 말하지 않았어요 (malhaji anasseoyo)
• Formal High: 안 말했습니다 (an malhaetseumnida) or 말하지 않았습니다 (malhaji anseumnida)

Future Tense:
• Informal Low: 안 말할 거야 (an malhal geoya) or 말하지 않을 거야 (malhaji aneul geoya)
• Formal Polite: 안 말할 거예요 (an malhal geoyeyo) or 말하지 않을 거예요 (malhaji aneul geoyeyo)
• Formal High: 안 말할 것입니다 (an malhal geosimnida) or 말하지 않을 것입니다 (malhaji aneul geosimnida)

Example Sentences:
1. “I won’t say anything at the meeting.”
– Korean: 회의 중에는 아무 말도 안 할 거예요.
– Romanized: Hoeui jungeneun amu maldo an hal geoyeyo.
2. “She didn’t say a word.”
– Korean: 그녀는 한마디도 안 했어요.
– Romanized: Geunyeoneun hanmadio an haesseoyo.
3. “Please don’t say that.”
– Korean: 제발 그렇게 말하지 마세요.
– Romanized: jebal geureoke malhaji maseyo.
4. “If you don’t say anything, I won’t know what to do.”
– Korean: 아무 말도 안 하면, 내가 어떻게 해야 할지 몰라.
– Romanized: Amu maldo an hamyeon, naega eotteoke haeya halji molla.

a few seconds ago