jabi-지 말다
-지 말다: Don't — Negative Commands
Don't — tells the listener not to do the action (negative imperative).
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb stem | stem + -지 말다 | 먹다 → 먹지 말다 / 가다 → 가지 말다 |
| Polite prohibition (해요) | -지 마세요 | 먹지 마세요 / 걱정하지 마세요 |
| Casual | -지 마 / -지 마라 | 가지 마 / 만지지 마라 |
-지 말다 is the Korean don’t for commands — not the don’t inside a plain statement.
찬 음식을 너무 많이 먹지 마세요 is advice aimed at you: refrain from that action.
Forms
| Speech level | Shape |
|---|---|
| Polite everyday | -지 마세요 |
| Casual | -지 마 |
| Strong / plain written | -지 마라 |
걱정하지 마세요. Don’t worry.
여기에 앉지 마세요. Don’t sit here.
너무 빨리 먹지 마. Don’t eat too fast. (casual)Three negations learners mash together
| Pattern | Job |
|---|---|
| -지 않다 -지 않다 | statement: does not / is not |
| -지 못하다 -지 못하다 | cannot / fail to |
| -지 말다 | don’t (command) |
*오늘은 커피를 먹지 않아요 describes your habit. 커피 마시지 마세요 tells someone to stop or avoid it.
말다 is the auxiliary
우리말샘 lists 말다 as an auxiliary in the -지 말다 frame: block the front action. A different 말다 means “end up doing” in -고 말다 — unrelated prohibition.
말고 after nouns (커피 말고 차) is also a different item: “not A but B,” not 마시지 마세요.
Pair with positive requests
When you want the do side, use -으세요. Health talk often mixes 하세요 advice with 하지 마세요 limits.
Same unit as manner -게
-게 tells how; this pattern tells not to. Both show up in care-and-habit speech.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
In the Sejong course this appears in 찬 음식을 너무 많이 먹지 마세요 — Sejong Korean 2, Unit 7, on the theme of 건강. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. What does 찬 음식을 너무 많이 먹지 마세요 tell someone?
2. Why is *먹지 않으세요 wrong for 'please don't eat'?
3. How does this differ from -지 못하다?
Common questions
Is -마세요 its own verb?
It is the polite command shape of 말다 in the -지 말다 frame. Learn 먹지 마세요 as a chunk, then see 마/마세요 inside it.
Positive polite commands?
Use [[g:euseyo]] (-으세요) when you want someone to do something. This page is only the negative side.
Can adjectives take -지 말다?
Dictionary focus for 말다「007」is after verbs. Stick to action prohibitions at this level.
Same unit as -게?
Yes. [[g:ge-adverbial]] shapes manner (*건강하게*); -지 말다 blocks an action (*너무 많이 먹지 마세요*).