아니라, 말고 and (이)지: not X but Y
By Daniel Buckley · 11 minute read · TOPIK 3
Vocabulary
- 주문하다 - to order
- 일부러 - on purpose
- 실수 - a mistake
- 화나다 - to get angry
- 빌리다 - to borrow
- 서두르다 - to hurry
- 천천히 - slowly
- 잘못 - fault, mistake
A friend thinks you skipped their party. You didn't skip it, you couldn't make it, and in English you'd lean on "couldn't" with your voice. Korean has grammar for that: 안 간 게 아니라 못 간 거예요.
There are several ways to reject one thing and put another in its place, and they split by what you're doing. You might be correcting a fact, or choosing between things, or insisting on who it really was. Pick by that, not by the English.
N이/가 아니라: correcting a fact
아니라 is 아니다 in a form that joins clauses, and you've seen it in 뿐만 아니라. Say what it isn't, with 이/가, then say what it is. The second half is the true one, so the sentence ends on the fact you want to land.
저는 학생이 아니라 선생님이에요.
I'm not a student, I'm a teacher.
시험은 오늘이 아니라 내일이에요.
The exam's not today, it's tomorrow.
제 동생이 아니라 제 친구예요.
That's not my brother, it's my friend.
커피가 아니라 차를 주문했어요.
I ordered tea, not coffee.
민수 씨가 아니라 지수 씨가 했어요.
Jisu did it, not Minsu.
※ 아니고 does the same job: 학생이 아니고 선생님이에요. In everyday speech you'll hear both, and I wouldn't lose sleep over which.
~는 게 아니라: correcting a clause
To correct something a verb says, make the clause a noun with ~는 것, then use 아니라 as before. 게 is 것이 shortened. The second half usually ends in 거예요, so both sides match: it's not this thing, it's that thing.
Making ~는 게 아니라
- Verbs, now: 는 게 아니라.가다 → 가는 게 아니라살다 → 사는 게 아니라
- Verbs, already done, and adjectives: ㄴ/은 게 아니라.가다 → 간 게 아니라바쁘다 → 바쁜 게 아니라
- Second half: 는 거예요, or ㄴ/은 거예요.못 가는 거예요피곤한 거예요
Pick a verb
가다가가는 게 아니라
안 가는 게 아니라 못 가는 거예요.
It's not that I won't go, I can't.
못하는 게 아니라 안 하는 거예요.
It's not that he can't, he just won't.
화가 난 게 아니라 피곤한 거예요.
I'm not angry, I'm tired.
제가 한 게 아니라 동생이 한 거예요.
I didn't do it, my brother did.
사는 게 아니라 빌리는 거예요.
I'm not buying it, I'm borrowing it.
일부러 그런 게 아니라 실수였어요.
I didn't do it on purpose, it was a mistake.
Example 2 is one to keep. 못하다 against 안 하다 is a contrast Koreans use a lot, and this is the usual frame for it.
※ 그게 아니라, on its own, is "that's not it" or "no, what I mean is". It's the easiest way to step in when someone has misunderstood you.
말고: not that one, this one
말고 comes from 말다, the verb behind 지 마세요. So its first instinct is "don't": it pushes one option aside and takes another. Where 아니라 says what's true, 말고 usually says what you want, so it's at home in requests and suggestions.
Using 말고
- After a noun: 말고, with no particle.커피 말고 차 주세요오늘 말고 내일 만나요
- After a verb: 지 말고.가다 → 가지 말고먹다 → 먹지 말고
Pick a verb
가다가가지 말고
커피 말고 차 주세요.
Tea, please, not coffee.
이거 말고 저거 보여 주세요.
Show me that one, not this one.
오늘 말고 내일 만나요.
Let's meet tomorrow instead of today.
서두르지 말고 천천히 하세요.
Don't rush, take your time.
걱정하지 말고 드세요.
Don't worry, just eat.
밖에 나가지 말고 집에 있어요.
Don't go out, stay home.
It can also mean "other than", which you'll want when you're shopping: 이거 말고 다른 거 있어요?, do you have anything other than this? 저 말고 누가 또 왔어요? is who else came, besides me.
(이)지: it's Y, not X
This one reverses the order. With 아니라 the false thing comes first. With (이)지, the true thing comes first and the false one follows, usually with 아니다 or a negative, and it can sound quite firm.
Using (이)지
- After a noun: 이지, or 지 after a vowel.잘못 → 잘못이지친구 → 친구지
- After a verb or adjective: add 지 to the stem, or to 았/었.가다 → 가지미안하다 → 미안하지먹었지
제 잘못이지 민수 씨 잘못이 아니에요.
It's my fault, not yours, Minsu.
이건 제 거지 민수 씨 거 아니에요.
This is mine, not yours, Minsu.
제 친구지 제 동생이 아니에요.
He's my friend, not my brother.
지수 씨가 먹었지 제가 안 먹었어요.
Jisu ate it, not me.
오늘 가지 내일은 안 가요.
I'm going today, not tomorrow.
It's the same sound as the 지 in 지요, and it isn't doing the same job. Here there's no 요, and another clause comes straight after it. That second clause is often a rhetorical question: 제가 하지 누가 해요?, who's going to do it if not me?
Which one?
Ask two things. Are you stating a fact or making a choice? And does the true thing come first or second?
저는 미국 사람이 ___ 영국 사람이에요.
I'm not American, I'm British.
이 빨간 ___ 파란 거 주세요.
The blue one, please, not this red one.
안 ___ 못 먹는 거예요.
It's not that I won't eat it, I can't.
이건 제 ___ 민수 씨 잘못이 아니에요.
This is my fault, not Minsu's.
Listen and type
1 / 3
Play it as often as you like.
In a conversation
- A
어제 왜 안 왔어요?
Yesterday why not come?
- B
안 간 게 아니라 못 간 거예요. 회사에 일이 많았어요.
Not went, it isn't that, couldn't go, it is. At company work was a lot.
- A
저 때문에 화가 난 줄 알았어요. 미안해요.
Me because of anger came, thought. Sorry.
- B
제가 미안하지 지수 씨가 왜 미안해요?
I am sorry, Jisu why sorry?
- A
그럼 오늘 저녁에 볼까요?
Then today evening shall see?
- B
오늘 말고 내일 만나요. 오늘도 일이 많아요.
Today not that tomorrow meet. Today too work is a lot.
Common mistakes
저는 학생가 아니라 선생님이에요.
저는 학생이 아니라 선생님이에요.
The usual 이/가 rule applies. After a consonant it's 이.
바쁜 아니라 피곤해요.
바쁜 게 아니라 피곤한 거예요.
아니라 needs a noun in front, so a modifier has to go through 게.
먹지 아니라 기다리세요.
먹지 말고 기다리세요.
Telling someone what not to do takes 지 말고.
One sentence in each group is wrong. Tap it.
Check yourself
Quick check
1 / 6
저는 ___ 아니라 선생님이에요. (학생) I'm not a student, I'm a teacher.
아니라 wants 이/가 in front of it.
Summary
Rejecting one thing for another
- 아니라: not X, it's Y. Correcting a fact.학생이 아니라 선생님이에요
- 는 게 아니라: the same, for a clause. Usually ends in 거예요.못 가는 게 아니라 안 가는 거예요
- 말고: not that one, this one. Requests and suggestions.커피 말고 차 주세요걱정하지 말고 드세요
- (이)지: it's Y, not X. The true one comes first.제 잘못이지 민수 씨 잘못이 아니에요
Now you can say
안 가는 게 아니라 못 가는 거예요.
It's not that I won't go, I can't.
오늘 말고 내일 만나요.
Let's meet tomorrow instead of today.
제 잘못이지 민수 씨 잘못이 아니에요.
It's my fault, not yours, Minsu.
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