3 · Negation
Not at all, nobody, nothing: 전혀, 별로, 아무도
words that need a negative verb
Words like 전혀, 별로, 아무도 and 하나도 need a negative verb — where English says "nobody came", Korean says "anybody did not come".
English packs the negative into a noun or an adverb: "nobody", "nothing", "never". Korean keeps the negative on the verb and adds a word that only appears in negative sentences: 아무도 안 왔어요, literally "anyone did not come" — "nobody came". These words cannot stand with a positive verb; 아무도 왔어요 is simply wrong. And there is only one negative: 아무도 does not add a second one.
The words of degree: 전혀, "not at all", is the strongest: 전혀 몰랐어요, "I had no idea". Its one common positive partner is 다르다, a verb negative in meaning if not in form: 전혀 달라요, "it is completely different". 별로, "not particularly, not really", is much softer and very common: 별로 안 비싸요, "it's not that expensive"; on its own, 별로예요 is a polite "not great". 하나도, "not a single bit", is conversational and emphatic: 하나도 안 아파요, "it doesn't hurt at all". In writing you will also meet 그다지, a formal 별로, and 결코, "by no means".
The pronoun words are built on 아무 plus 도: 아무도 (nobody), 아무것도 (nothing), 아무 데도 (nowhere), 아무 말도 (not a word). With a particle other than 이/가 or 을/를, that particle comes before 도: 아무한테도, "to nobody"; 아무 데서도, "nowhere (doing something)". Mind the spacing: 아무것도 is one word, 아무 데도 two.
"Never" in the sense of "not once" is usually 한 번도 with a negative past: 한 번도 안 가 봤어요, "I've never been". "Never" as a firm rule is 절대, also with a negative: 절대 안 해요, "I never do that". The usual English-speaker mistake is to translate "nobody" or "never" and forget that the verb itself still has to be negative.
The form
| not at all | 전혀 안 매워요 |
| not particularly | 별로 안 좋아해요 |
| not a single bit | 하나도 몰라요 |
| nobody | 아무도 없어요 |
| nothing | 아무것도 안 먹었어요 |
| never, not once | 한 번도 못 봤어요 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
These words need a negative: 안, 못, -지 않다, or a negative word such as 없다 or 모르다.
그 일은 전혀 몰랐어요.I knew nothing at all about it.
별로 softens the negative: "not very", "not really".
이 옷은 별로 안 비싸요.These clothes aren't very expensive.
The 아무 words take 도, and any other particle comes before 도.
그 얘기는 아무한테도 안 했어요.I didn't tell anyone about it.
"Never (not once)" is 한 번도 with a negative past.
저는 그 영화를 한 번도 못 봤어요.I've never seen that film.
아무것도 is written as one word, 아무 데도 as two.
주말에는 아무 데도 안 갔어요.I didn't go anywhere at the weekend.
A closer look
Not really, and not at all
별로 is one of the most useful words for being polite in Korean. Asked whether you liked a meal you did not like, 별로였어요, "it wasn't great", is honest without being rude, and 별로 안 좋아해요 declines food or an activity gently. As a one-word answer, 별로요 means "not really".
전혀 is the opposite: it leaves no room. 전혀 몰랐어요 is a strong "I had absolutely no idea", and 전혀 상관없어요, "it doesn't matter at all", is a warm reassurance. Choose between them as you would between "not really" and "not at all" in English.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the 아무 word takes 나 instead of 도
the meaning is positive — 아무나, "anyone at all", 아무거나, "anything", 아무 때나, "any time" — and the verb is positive too.
저는 아무거나 괜찮아요.Anything is fine with me.
도 after 아무 means "even one", which only makes sense with a negative; 나 means "whichever you like", which goes with a positive verb.
How to spot it
- 전혀
- 별로
- 하나도
- 아무도
- 아무것도
- 한 번도
Example sentences
이 김치는 하나도 안 매워요.This kimchi isn't spicy at all.
교실에 아무도 없어요.There's nobody in the classroom.
아침부터 아무것도 못 먹었어요.I haven't been able to eat anything since this morning.
그 사람은 아무 말도 안 했어요.He didn't say a word.
요즘은 텔레비전을 별로 안 봐요.I don't watch much television these days.
저는 운동을 전혀 하지 않아요.I don't do any exercise at all.
8 more example sentences
냉장고에 아무것도 없어요.There's nothing in the fridge.
저는 그 소식을 전혀 몰랐어요.I had no idea about that news.
어제 일은 하나도 기억이 안 나요.I can't remember a thing about yesterday.
이 얘기는 아무한테도 하지 마세요.Don't tell this to anyone.
그 영화는 별로 재미없었어요.That film wasn't very good.
저는 해외여행을 한 번도 안 가 봤어요.I've never been abroad.
주말 내내 아무 데도 못 나갔어요.I couldn't go out anywhere all weekend.
시험이 전혀 어렵지 않았어요.The exam wasn't difficult at all.
Worth knowing (1)
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Never, as a rule
English "never" covers both "not once so far" and "not as a rule". Korean separates them: 한 번도 안 먹어 봤어요, "I have never tried it" (not once), but 절대 안 먹어요, "I never eat it" (as a firm rule). In this sense 절대, "absolutely", also needs a negative.
저는 아침에는 절대 커피를 안 마셔요.I never drink coffee in the morning.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
아무도 only exists in negative sentences. English puts the negative into "nobody"; Korean puts it on the verb: 아무도 안 왔어요, "nobody came". Without the negative the sentence is not Korean.
Amudo, amugeotdo, jeonhyeo, byeollo: the negative still sits on the verb.
Your turn
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