Learn V지 마 & V지 마세요 Korean Grammar
How do you tell someone “Don’t do that” in Korean?
One of the most useful Korean grammar patterns for beginners is V지 마 / V지 마세요.
You’ll hear it everywhere in Korea:
하지 마!
Don’t do it!
걱정하지 마세요.
Don’t worry.
여기에서 사진 찍지 마세요.
Please don’t take pictures here.
Once you understand this pattern, you can make dozens of useful Korean sentences simply by changing the verb.
In this lesson, we’ll learn the V지 마세요 Korean grammar pattern, the difference between 지 마 and 지 마세요, how to form it, when Koreans actually use it, and some common mistakes Korean learners make.
Table of Contents
Listen carefully for these two expressions:
🔊 Listen: 하지 마
Don’t do it.
🔊 Listen: 하지 마세요
Please don’t do it.
Now let’s look at how the grammar works.
What Does V지 마 Mean?
Meaning & Usage
V지 마 is used to tell someone not to do something.
It usually means:
- Don’t do…
- Don’t…
- Stop doing…
The basic structure is:
Verb Stem + 지 마
For example:
가다 → 가지 마
to go → don’t go
먹다 → 먹지 마
to eat → don’t eat
하다 → 하지 마
to do → don’t do it
울다 → 울지 마
to cry → don’t cry
The Most Common Expression: 하지 마
One of the first expressions many Korean learners recognize from Korean dramas is 하지 마.
하다 means “to do.”
하다 → 하 + 지 마
🔊 Listen: 하지 마
Don’t do it.
Depending on the situation and tone, 하지 마 can also feel like:
“Stop it.”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t do that.”
You may hear it between friends, couples, siblings, or people who are very close.
How to Make V지 마
The good news is that this grammar is very easy to form.
Take the dictionary form of the verb, remove 다, and add 지 마.
가다 — To Go
가다 → 가 + 지 마
🔊 Listen: 가지 마
Don’t go.
먹다 — To Eat
먹다 → 먹 + 지 마
🔊 Listen: 먹지 마
Don’t eat it.
보다 — To See / Watch / Look
보다 → 보 + 지 마
🔊 Listen: 보지 마
Don’t look.
만지다 — To Touch
만지다 → 만지 + 지 마
🔊 Listen: 만지지 마
Don’t touch it.
기다리다 — To Wait
기다리다 → 기다리 + 지 마
🔊 Listen: 기다리지 마
Don’t wait.
울다 — To Cry
울다 → 울 + 지 마
🔊 Listen: 울지 마
Don’t cry.
What Does V지 마세요 Mean?
The Polite Form
V지 마세요 is the polite version of V지 마.
It means:
“Please don’t…”
The structure is:
Verb Stem + 지 마세요
You can use it with strangers, older people, customers, teachers, or anyone you are not very close to.
가지 마세요
🔊 Listen: 가지 마세요
Please don’t go.
먹지 마세요
🔊 Listen: 먹지 마세요
Please don’t eat it.
만지지 마세요
🔊 Listen: 만지지 마세요
Please don’t touch it.
들어가지 마세요
🔊 Listen: 들어가지 마세요
Please don’t enter.
사진 찍지 마세요
🔊 Listen: 사진 찍지 마세요
Please don’t take pictures.
This is one of the most useful forms to remember because you’ll often see V지 마세요 Korean grammar on signs and hear it in public places in Korea.
지 마 vs 지 마세요
Both forms tell someone not to do something.
The main difference is politeness.
지 마 — Casual
Use 지 마 with:
- close friends
- younger people
- children
- family members
- people you are very close to
For example:
🔊 Listen: 걱정하지 마
Don’t worry.
지 마세요 — Polite
Use 지 마세요 with:
- strangers
- older people
- teachers
- customers
- people you do not know well
For example:
🔊 Listen: 걱정하지 마세요
Please don’t worry.
If you’re unsure which one to use, 지 마세요 is generally safer.
Common V지 마세요 Korean Grammar Examples
Here are some expressions you’ll hear often in real Korean conversations.
걱정하지 마세요 — Don’t Worry
걱정하다 = to worry
🔊 Listen: 걱정하지 마세요
Don’t worry.
Casual:
🔊 Listen: 걱정하지 마
Don’t worry.
This is one of the most useful Korean expressions for beginners.
울지 마세요 — Don’t Cry
울다 = to cry
🔊 Listen: 울지 마세요
Please don’t cry.
Casual:
🔊 Listen: 울지 마
Don’t cry.
You may hear this expression often in Korean dramas or songs.
가지 마세요 — Don’t Go
가다 = to go
🔊 Listen: 가지 마세요
Please don’t go.
Casual:
🔊 Listen: 가지 마
Don’t go.
The expression itself is simple, but it can sound very emotional depending on the situation.
늦지 마세요 — Don’t Be Late
늦다 = to be late
🔊 Listen: 늦지 마세요
Please don’t be late.
Casual:
🔊 Listen: 늦지 마
Don’t be late.
잊지 마세요 — Don’t Forget
잊다 = to forget
🔊 Listen: 잊지 마세요
Please don’t forget.
Casual:
🔊 Listen: 잊지 마
Don’t forget.
포기하지 마세요 — Don’t Give Up
포기하다 = to give up
🔊 Listen: 포기하지 마세요
Don’t give up.
This is a great expression for Korean learners.
🔊 Listen: 한국어 공부 포기하지 마세요
Don’t give up studying Korean!
V지 마세요 You May See in Korea
The V지 마세요 Korean grammar pattern is commonly used for rules, instructions, and warnings.
담배 피우지 마세요
피우다 = to smoke
🔊 Listen: 여기에서 담배 피우지 마세요
Please don’t smoke here.
사진 찍지 마세요
사진 찍다 = to take a picture
🔊 Listen: 사진 찍지 마세요
Please don’t take pictures.
You may see this at museums, galleries, shops, or exhibitions.
만지지 마세요
만지다 = to touch
🔊 Listen: 만지지 마세요
Please don’t touch.
들어가지 마세요
들어가다 = to enter
🔊 Listen: 들어가지 마세요
Please don’t enter.
뛰지 마세요
뛰다 = to run
🔊 Listen: 뛰지 마세요
Please don’t run.
음식 먹지 마세요
먹다 = to eat
🔊 Listen: 여기에서 음식 먹지 마세요
Please don’t eat food here.
How Koreans Use 지 마 in Real Conversations
Koreans often add another word before 지 마 to change the feeling or make the sentence more natural.
진짜 하지 마
진짜 = really / seriously
🔊 Listen: 진짜 하지 마
Seriously, don’t do it.
제발 가지 마
제발 = please
🔊 Listen: 제발 가지 마
Please don’t go.
This sounds much more emotional than simply 가지 마.
너무 걱정하지 마
너무 = too much
🔊 Listen: 너무 걱정하지 마
Don’t worry too much.
그렇게 하지 마
그렇게 = like that
🔊 Listen: 그렇게 하지 마
Don’t do it like that.
This is a very common expression in real conversations.
지 마세요 vs 안 돼요
Korean learners often confuse these two expressions because they can appear in similar situations.
V지 마세요
This directly tells someone not to do an action.
🔊 Listen: 여기에서 사진 찍지 마세요
Please don’t take pictures here.
V면 안 돼요
This means something is not allowed.
🔊 Listen: 여기에서 사진 찍으면 안 돼요
You’re not allowed to take pictures here.
Compare:
🔊 Listen: 들어가지 마세요
Please don’t enter.
🔊 Listen: 들어가면 안 돼요
You’re not allowed to enter.
The meanings are similar, but the grammar is different.
지 마세요 vs 지 마십시오
You may also see 지 마십시오 in Korea.
지 마세요
This is normal polite Korean.
🔊 Listen: 들어가지 마세요
Please don’t enter.
지 마십시오
This is more formal and official.
🔊 Listen: 들어가지 마십시오
Do not enter.
You may hear or see 지 마십시오 in:
- official announcements
- transportation announcements
- formal notices
- warning signs
For everyday Korean conversation, 지 마세요 is much more useful for beginners.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using 안 + 지 마세요
You do not need 안 before 지 마세요.
Wrong:
안 가지 마세요.
Correct:
🔊 Listen: 가지 마세요
Please don’t go.
The 지 마세요 pattern already contains the negative meaning.
Mistake 2: Using 지 마 With Everyone
하지 마 can sound too direct if you say it to a stranger.
Casual:
🔊 Listen: 하지 마
Don’t do it.
Polite:
🔊 Listen: 하지 마세요
Please don’t do it.
In Korean, the relationship between speakers is very important.
Mistake 3: Forgetting to Remove 다
Start with the dictionary form.
가다 → 가 → 가지 마세요
먹다 → 먹 → 먹지 마세요
공부하다 → 공부하 → 공부하지 마세요
Practice the Grammar
Try making each sentence before checking the answer.
1. 가다 — To Go
🔊 Listen: 가지 마세요
Please don’t go.
2. 먹다 — To Eat
🔊 Listen: 먹지 마세요
Please don’t eat it.
3. 걱정하다 — To Worry
🔊 Listen: 걱정하지 마세요
Don’t worry.
4. 울다 — To Cry
🔊 Listen: 울지 마세요
Please don’t cry.
5. 포기하다 — To Give Up
🔊 Listen: 포기하지 마세요
Don’t give up.
Practice Dialogue
Situation 1: Your Friend Is Leaving
A:
🔊 Listen: 나 이제 갈게
I’m going now.
B:
🔊 Listen: 가지 마
Don’t go!
A:
🔊 Listen: 왜
Why?
B:
🔊 Listen: 조금만 더 있다가 가
Stay a little longer before you go.
A:
🔊 Listen: 알겠어
Okay.
Practice Dialogue for Korean Learners
A:
🔊 Listen: 한국어가 너무 어려워요
Korean is too difficult.
B:
🔊 Listen: 포기하지 마세요
Don’t give up!
A:
🔊 Listen: 그런데 단어를 자꾸 잊어버려요
But I keep forgetting vocabulary.
B:
🔊 Listen: 너무 걱정하지 마세요
Don’t worry too much.
🔊 Listen: 천천히 공부하면 돼요
You can study little by little.
A:
🔊 Listen: 네 계속 공부할게요
Okay, I’ll keep studying!
Korean Language Tip: Politeness Matters
When learning Korean, grammar is only one part of speaking naturally.
Compare these two expressions:
🔊 Listen: 하지 마
Don’t do it.
🔊 Listen: 하지 마세요
Please don’t do it.
The basic meaning is almost identical, but the social feeling is different.
Between close friends, 하지 마 may sound completely normal.
But saying it to an older person or someone you do not know well can sound too direct.
That’s why Korean learners should pay attention not only to what a sentence means, but also to who is speaking to whom.
This can feel complicated at first, but it becomes much easier as you hear more Korean in real situations.
Quick Review
The V지 마세요 Korean grammar pattern means:
Please don’t + verb
Casual
Verb stem + 지 마
🔊 Listen: 가지 마
Don’t go.
🔊 Listen: 하지 마
Don’t do it.
Polite
Verb stem + 지 마세요
🔊 Listen: 가지 마세요
Please don’t go.
🔊 Listen: 하지 마세요
Please don’t do it.
More useful examples:
🔊 Listen: 걱정하지 마세요
Don’t worry.
🔊 Listen: 울지 마세요
Please don’t cry.
🔊 Listen: 포기하지 마세요
Don’t give up.
Test Yourself
Can you say these sentences in Korean?
- Don’t go.
- Please don’t worry.
- Don’t cry.
- Please don’t take pictures.
- Don’t give up.
Answers
🔊 Listen: 가지 마
Don’t go.
🔊 Listen: 걱정하지 마세요
Please don’t worry.
🔊 Listen: 울지 마
Don’t cry.
🔊 Listen: 사진 찍지 마세요
Please don’t take pictures.
🔊 Listen: 포기하지 마세요
Don’t give up.
How many did you get right?
Want to learn more everyday Korean vocabulary? Discover the names of common fruits in Korean with pronunciation and easy examples.👇
Keep Studying Korean With HYUZ
Today we learned one of the most useful beginner Korean grammar patterns: V지 마 / V지 마세요.
At first, Korean grammar can feel difficult because there are many endings and different levels of politeness.
You don’t have to memorize everything at once.
Start with a few expressions you can actually imagine yourself using:
🔊 Listen: 걱정하지 마세요
Don’t worry.
🔊 Listen: 가지 마세요
Please don’t go.
🔊 Listen: 하지 마세요
Please don’t do it.
🔊 Listen: 포기하지 마세요
Don’t give up.
Listen to them several times and try saying them out loud.
Learning a little Korean every day is much better than trying to memorize everything at once.
And remember:
🔊 Listen: 한국어 공부 포기하지 마세요
Don’t give up studying Korean!
Let’s keep studying Korean together, one lesson at a time.
See you in the next Korean lesson! 🇰🇷
