In Korean If You Want to Say "Can": Use 할수있다

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In Korean, to express ability or proficiency, we use the construction "할수 있다". This phrase can be translated literally to mean "can do" or "has the ability." 

For example, if someone wanted to say "I can speak Korean," they could say "나는 한국어 할 수 있다". This sentence structure helps convey the idea of ability or skill in various contexts. 

By using "할수 있다," Korean speakers can clearly state the ability or skill they have.

In this lesson, we are going to study how to say "I can" and "I can't" in the Korean language by using ~ㄹ / 을 수 있다 or ㄹ / 을 수 없다. This grammar principle is very important not only in Korean but also for all languages, as it is most often used in conversation. Let's get started!

I can: ~ ㄹ / 을 수 있다

By adding ~ㄹ 수 있다 at the end of verbs/adjectives, we can make sentences with meanings of "I can...". '~ㄹ 수 있다' is appended to the end of words ending in a vowel, and '~ 을 수 있다' is appended to the end of words ending in a consonant.

“수” is what we call a “pseudo-noun.”

Also Read: How to Say "I don't know" in Korean

The '수' in '~ㄹ 수 있다' is also a wrong noun. If you look up "수" in the dictionary, we will see that the word means "ability". Therefore, this word is never used as a stand-alone noun and is always used after a verb/adjective that describes another word. For example:

> 노래 할 수 

   The ability to study

However, it has never been written like that, and is always followed by 있다 / 없다:

> 노래 할 수 있다
   I can sing.

> 저는 수호 보다 매운 음식 을 더 잘 먹을 수 있어요
   I can eat spicy food better than Suho

Also read Lesson 9 for an explanation of how to write "better than".

I can't do: ~ ㄹ / 을 수 없다

To say "I can't..." in Korean, it can be done by changing 있다 to 없다. By using "없다", the opposite of 있다 will be formed. Let's look at some examples:

> 제가 너무 달달한 음식 은 먹을 수 없어요 
   I can't eat food that's too sweet.
> 저는 한국어 를 말할 수 없어요 
   I can't speak Korean.

Both ~ㄹ / 을 수 있다 and ~ㄹ / 을 수 없다 can be expressed in past and future tense. For example:

  • 갈수 없어 (I can't go)
  • 치통 이 라서 먹을 수 없어 (I can't eat because of my toothache)
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