ㄹ/을 수 있어요 grammar (can, can’t)

Hello, everyone!

We’ve learned three important connectors: 고, 아서, and 는데. There are more connectors, but once you know these three main ones, you won’t have much trouble making and connecting basic sentences.

Today, we will learn how to express “can” and “can’t,” which are “할 수 있어요” and “할 수 없어요”. We’ve already learned “못” to say “can’t,” and now we’ll learn a slightly more polite way to express it. It’s not too hard, so let’s dive in together!

I will explain each point step by step to facilitate understanding.

So just follow along with me!

Part 1,
Let’s grasp the concept of grammar

ㄹ/을 수 있다/없다: Can, Can’t

So, -ㄹ/을 수 있다 means “can,”
and -ㄹ/을 수 없다 means “can’t.”

Do you remember the verbs 있다 and 없다? They mean “there is” and “there isn’t,” right?
And they are conjugated as 있어요 and 없어요.


Different formality and conjugations:


– CAN –

Original form: ㄹ/을 수 있다
Most common formality: – ㄹ/을 수 있어요 (fairly formal)
Extremely formal: –/을 수 있습니다
Informal: ㄹ/을 수 있어


– CAN’T –

Original form: ㄹ/을 수 없다
Most common formality: – ㄹ/을 수 없어요 (fairly formal)
Extremely formal: –/을 수 없습니다
Informal: ㄹ/을 수 없어


Let’s take a closer look how to form this!


How to Form “-수 있다 없다”

So, to conjugate this grammar point, the existence of “Batchim(final consonant)” is important.
As we’ve seen many times so far, (you are familiar by now right!?) it’s all about whether this verb is ending in a Vowel or Batichim. This conjugation is similar to the future tense conjugation!

When the verb ends in a vowel -> we will add ㄹ and 수 있어요/없어요
When the verb ends in a consonant -> we will add 을 and 수 있어요/없어요


– 먹다(to eat) -> 먹을 수 있어요(can eat) / 먹을 수 없어요(can’t eat)
– 전화하다(to call) -> 전화 할 수 있어요(can call) / 전화 할 수 없어요(can’t call)
– 찾다(to find) -> 찾을 수 있어요(can find) / 찾을 수 없어요(can’t find)
– 바꾸다(to change) -> 바꿀 수 있어요(can change) / 바꿀수 없어요(can change)


Ending in “ㄹ” verbs, simply add 수 있어요!


팔다 (to sell) -> 팔 수 있어요(can sell) / 팔 수 없어요(can’t sell)
열다 (to open) -> 열 수 있어요(can open) / 열 수 없어요(can’t open)



Irregular


‘ㅂ’ irregular:
굽다(to grill) -> 구울 수 있어요(can grill) / 구울 수 없어요(can’t grill)
돕다 (to help) -> 도울 수 있어요(can help) / 도울 수 없어요(can’t help)

‘ㄷ’ irregular verbs:
듣다(to listen) -> 들을 수 있어요 (I can listen) / 들을 수 없어요 (I can’t listen)
걷다(to walk) -> 걸을 수 있어요 (I can walk) / 걸을 수 없어요 (I can’t walk)

‘ㅅ’irregular verbs:
짓다(to build) -> 지을 수 있어요(can build) / 지을 수 없어요(can’t build)


And we don’t use this grammar with adjectives!
Adjectives describe states or qualities rather than actions.
Since “수 있다/없다” is about the capability to perform actions, it doesn’t pair naturally with adjectives 🙂


And the only difference between “못” and “수 없어요” as meanings of “can’t” is formality.
“수 없어요” is a bit more polite than “못.”

Formality level

I can’t go : 갈 수 없어요(most polite) > 못 가요 > 갈 수 없어 > 못 가 (the least)

Example:


이 문을 닫을 수 없어요. (I can’t close this door.)
* 닫다(to close) -> 닫을 수 없어요 (it’s not a ‘ㄷ’ irregular verb! it’s a ‘ㄷ’ regular verb)
* Since it ends in a batchim, we add 을 and 수 없어요


한국어 잘 할 수 있어요. (I can speak Korean well)
* 하다(to do) -> 할 수 있어요 (can do)
* We use the verb “하다” (to do) to say “I can speak” with languages.
* Since it ends in a vowel, we add ㄹ and 수 있어요


미국에 10년 살았는데, 영어 잘 할 수 없어요.
(I live in the states for 10 years, but I can’t speak English well)
* 하다(to do) -> 할 수 없어요 (can’t do)
* Since it ends in a vowel, we add ㄹ and 수 있어요


제가 피아노랑 기타도 칠 수 있어요. (I can play the piano and guitar)
*치다(to play) -> 칠 수 있어요(can play)
* Since it ends in a vowel, we add ㄹ and 수 있어요



Different tense

For this grammar, different tense conjugations follow the same pattern as “있다” and “없다.”

past tense: 있어요 -> 있었어요 / 없어요-> 없었어요
future tense: 있어요-> 있을 거예요 / 없어요 -> 없을거예요, Easy peasy!

This grammar is relatively easy and straightforward. Now, let’s practice making sentences using this grammar. I’ve included all the tenses and grammar points we’ve learned so far, so you can review them as well!


The more you learn different grammar points, the more likely you are to feel confused. It’s important to revisit the concepts, practice making sentences on your own, and incorporate all the ones we’ve studied together.


And when you’ve studied enough grammar, it’s also very important to memorize a lot of vocabulary and practice speaking with natives! That’s the next step you must take. I used to engage in a lot of self-talk and even tried to think in other languages while studying, so try to apply what we’ve learned so far😊

Part 2,
Practice making sentences

1.  I couldn’t eat this last year, but now I can eat it everyday. (casually!)
(last year: 작년 / everyday: 매일)

2. I can’t drive in Seoul because there are too many cars.
(drive: 운전하다 / car: 차)

3. How many languages can you speak?
(how many: 몇 개 / language: 언어)

4. She can’t come today because she has to go to see a doctor. (extremely formal!)
(come:오다 / see a doctor: 병원(에) 가다)

5. I arrived late at the movie theater, but I could still go in. (casually!)
(arrive: 도착하다 / late: 늦게 / movie theater: 영화관 / go in: 들어 가다 (enter))
*Don’t need to translate the ‘still’ part!

6. I can eat all of this, but because I’m on a diet, I won’t eat much
(all: 다 / to be on a diet : 다이어트하다 / much: 많이)

7. Until what time can you finish? Can you finish and come to my house by 8? (casually!)
(until & by:까지 / finish: 끝내다)

8. We were all working hard, but we couldn’t finish by 12 o’clock.
(all: 모두 / hard: 열심히/ finish: 끝내다 / by: 까지)

9. My student suddenly canceled my class, so I can go to the karaoke with you now. (casually!)
(cancel: 취소하다 / class: 수업/ karaoke: 노래방)

10. The boss is sick, so he won’t be able to attend the meeting.
(boss: 상사 / be sick: 아프다(same as “hurt”!) / attend: 참석하다/ meeting: 미팅 or 회의)

Thy these on your own first, before checking the answers!

These are the answers:

1. I couldn’t eat this last year, but now I can eat it everyday. (casually!)
(last year: 작년 / everyday: 매일)

작년에 이거(를) 못 먹었는데, 지금은 매일 먹을 수 있어

* 먹다 -> 먹을 수 있어! we drop 요 to be casual~
* Remember 는데 grammar right!? If you don’t remember, please go review the previous post!
* We don’t put “에” after everyday. (Just like today, yesterday, tomorrow)

2. I can’t drive in Seoul because there are too many cars.
(drive: 운전하다 / car: 차)

차가 너무 많아서 서울에서 운전 할 수 없어요.

* 운전하다 -> 운전할 수 없어요!. You can say “운전 못 해요”, casually.
* Remember the 아서/어서/해서 grammar, right!? The reasoning should come first; we start with ‘there are too many cars.’
* Don’t forget the verb “많다”! It sounds more natural than saying “차가 많이 있어서.”

3. How many languages can you speak?
(how many: 몇 개 / language: 언어)

언어(를) 몇 개 할 수 있어요?

* You can switch the order, 몇 개 언어 할 수 있어요, but putting 언어 first sounds more natural!
* As I explained earlier, we use 하다 (to do) to talk about languages!

4. She can’t come today because she has to go to see a doctor. (extremely formal!)
(come:오다 / see a doctor: 병원(에) 가다)

그 분은 오늘 병원 가야 돼서 올 수 없습니다.

* There are 2 ways to express “He/She” formally, 그분 or 그쪽
* 올 수 없어요(most common) / 올 수 없어(casual) / 올 수 없습니다(very formal)
* 병원 가야 해서 is also correct!
* 병원 가다 means to go to a hospital, this is how we say “to go see a doctor!”

5. I arrived late at the movie theater, but I could still go in. (casually!)
(arrive: 도착하다 / late: 늦게 / movie theater: 영화관 / go in: 들어 가다 (enter))

영화관에 늦게 도착했는데, 들어 갈 수 있었어요.

* 들어 가다(enter) -> 들어 갈 수 있어요(present) -> 들어 갈 수 있었어요(past tense!)
* 도착하다(arrive) -> 도착했어요(past tense) + 는데(but) -> 도착했는데





6. I can eat all of this, but because I’m on a diet, I won’t eat much
(all: 다 / to be on a diet : 다이어트하다 / much: 많이)

이거 다 먹을 수 있는데 다이어트해서 많이 안 먹을 거예요.

* 먹을 수 있어요(can eat) + 는데(but) becomes, 먹을 수 있는데!
* 다이어트해요(be on a diet) + 서(because) becomes, 다이어트해서!

7. Until what time can you finish? Can you finish and come to my house by 8? (casually!)
(until & by:까지 / finish: 끝내다)

몇 시까지 끝낼 수 있어? 끝내고 여덟시까지 우리집에 올 수 있어?.


* 끝내다(to finish) -> 끝낼 수 있어(can finish, casually) / 오다(to come) -> 올 수 있어(can come, casually)
* What time is it? : 몇 시예요? / “What time” is 몇 시!
* In the second part of the sentence, the order is: (1) Finish, and then (2) come to my house by 8.
We will use the “고” grammar since it means “after” here. And don’t forget that we only conjugate the ending verb! (끝낼 수 있고 X)
You can also change the order, as “우리집에 여덟시까지 올 수 있어?” sounds natural too!

8. We were all working hard, but we couldn’t finish by 12 o’clock.
(all: 모두 / hard: 열심히/ finish: 끝내다 / by: 까지)

우리 모두 열심히 일하고 있었는데, 열두시까지 끝낼 수 없었어요.


* 끝내다(to finish) -> 끝낼 수 없어요(can’t finish) -> 끝낼 수 없었어요(couldn’t finish, past tense)

* We were working: be -ing form, we can use 고 있어요 or 는 중이에요.
Here, it’s the past tense so it can be : 열심히 일하고 있었어요 or 일하는 중이였어요(We were working hard)
And then we combine with 는데(but)!
열심히 일 하고 있었는데 or 열심히 하는 중이였는데 🌞

9. My student suddenly canceled my class, so I can go to the karaoke with you now. (casually!)
(cancel: 취소하다 / class: 수업/ karaoke: 노래방)

내 학생(이) 갑자기 수업(을) 취소해서, 너랑 (같이) 지금 노래방(에) 갈 수 있어


* 가다(to go) – > 갈 수 있어요(can go)!
* You can add the word “같이(together)” after 너랑(with you). The words “with you” and “같이” are often used together in Korean, as I explained before!
* Those particles in the ( ) are all optional 🙂



10. The boss is sick, so he won’t be able to attend the meeting.
(boss: 상사 / be sick: 아프다(same as “hurt”!) / attend: 참석하다/ meeting: 미팅 or 회의)

상사(가) 아파서, 미팅에 참석 할 수 없을 거예요.


* 참석 할 수 없어요(can’t attend) -> 참석 할 수 없을 거예요(will not be able to attend, future tense)
We conjugate the last 없어요 part!

* To express “attend the meeting”, we use 에! 미팅에 참석하다 or 회의에 참석하다

Great job!
You’ve been doing an excellent job—keep up the good work!

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