아/어도 되다 and (으)면 안 되다: permission and prohibition
By Daniel Buckley · 13 minute read · TOPIK 2
Vocabulary
- 되다 - to work, to be OK
- 괜찮다 - to be OK
- 담배 - cigarette
- 피우다 - to smoke
- 주차하다 - to park
- 떠들다 - to make noise, to chat loudly
- 운전하다 - to drive
- 거짓말 - a lie
- 버리다 - to throw away
- 술 - alcohol
Ask 먹어도 돼요? and a refusal comes back as 먹으면 안 돼요. You asked with one pattern and got turned down with another, and learners often answer with the first pattern and sound odd.
Both sentences hang on 되다, which here means "it works". Korean permission isn't really about who allows what. It's about whether a condition works out, so change the connector in front of 되다 and you change the meaning.
More from 아/어도 되다
Lesson 25 gave you the basics: 앉아도 돼요?, then 네, 돼요 or 아니요, 안 돼요. There's a softer way to ask, and two other words can replace 되다.
Variations on the question
- Softer: 될까요, with the ㄹ/을까요 you know from suggestions.들어가도 될까요?
- Swap 되다 for 괜찮다. "Even if I do, it's fine."열어도 괜찮아요?
- Swap 되다 for 좋다. Mostly used when giving permission.가도 좋아요
잠깐 들어가도 될까요?
Would it work if (I) go in for a moment?
전화 좀 써도 될까요?
Would it work if (I) use phone a bit?
창문을 열어도 괜찮아요?
Is it OK if (I) open window?
여기에 주차해도 됩니까?
Does it work if (I) park here?
이제 가도 좋아요.
Now (you) may go.
Example 1 is a good choice with people you don't know. Example 5 can sound like someone in charge dismissing you, so be a little careful with it.
So far the first half has been an action. It can also be an adjective or a noun, and then the question is what's acceptable: will this do?
조금 늦어도 돼요.
Even if (you) are a little late, (it) works.
좀 비싸도 돼요.
Even if (it) is a bit expensive, (it) works.
외국인이어도 괜찮아요?
Even if (I) am foreigner, is it OK?
오늘이 아니어도 돼요.
Even if (it) isn't today, (it) works.
You don't have to
Lesson 25 showed 안 와도 돼요: even if you don't come, it works. The longer form with 지 않아도 means the same and sounds more formal. Anything negative fits in the slot, including 없다.
내일은 안 와도 돼요.
Tomorrow, even if (you) don't come, (it) works.
오늘은 회사에 가지 않아도 됩니다.
Today, even if (you) don't go to work, (it) works.
표가 없어도 돼요.
Even if ticket doesn't exist, (it) works.
다 안 먹어도 돼요.
Even if (you) don't eat all, (it) works.
ㄹ/을 필요가 없다 says the same thing but points at the need. 안 와도 돼요 gives the person leave not to, and it's the more common way to say this in conversation.
(으)면 되다: that's all it takes
Swap 아/어도 for (으)면 and "even if" becomes "if". Now it says "if you do this, it works", so nothing further is needed. English reaches for "just" or "all you have to do is".
Making (으)면 되다
- Vowel stem: add 면 돼요.가다 → 가면 돼요쓰다 → 쓰면 돼요
- Consonant stem: add 으면 돼요.먹다 → 먹으면 돼요
- Nouns: add (이)면 돼요.이거 → 이거면 돼요한 시간 → 한 시간이면 돼요
Pick a verb
가다가가면 돼요
어떻게 하면 돼요?
How, if (I) do, does it work?
여기에 이름을 쓰면 돼요.
If (you) write name here, (it) works.
이 버튼을 누르면 돼요.
If (you) press this button, (it) works.
저 버스를 타면 돼요.
If (you) take that bus, (it) works.
이거면 돼요.
If (it) is this, (it) works.
한 시간이면 돼요.
If (it) is one hour, (it) works.
Set it beside the patterns you know and the job is clear. 아/어야 돼요 presses, 아/어도 돼요 allows, and (으)면 돼요 relaxes the listener by saying how little is needed.
세 시까지 와야 돼요.
By three o'clock (you) have to come.
세 시까지 오면 돼요.
If (you) come by three o'clock, (it) works.
여기 앉아도 돼요.
Even if (you) sit here, (it) works.
여기 앉으면 돼요.
If (you) sit here, (it) works.
Example 3 says this seat is allowed. Example 4 is what an usher says: this is where you go.
※ 됐어요, the past of 되다, is a way to turn something down: no thanks, I'm fine. It can sound curt, and 괜찮아요 is the safer choice.
(으)면 안 되다: you mustn't
Negate 되다 and "it works" becomes "it doesn't work". That's the everyday way to forbid something. 지 마세요 tells the person in front of you not to do it, and (으)면 안 되다 states it as a rule.
Pick a verb
가다가가면 안 돼요
여기에서 담배를 피우면 안 돼요.
If (you) smoke cigarette here, (it) doesn't work.
술을 마시고 운전하면 안 돼요.
If (you) drink alcohol and drive, (it) doesn't work.
수업 시간에 떠들면 안 돼요.
If (you) make noise in class, (it) doesn't work.
여기에 주차하면 안 됩니다.
If (you) park here, (it) doesn't work.
내일은 늦으면 안 돼요.
Tomorrow, if (you) are late, (it) doesn't work.
Turn it into a question and it softens into a plea. Korean asks "would it not work?", where English says "can't I?" or "couldn't we?"
하나만 더 먹으면 안 돼요?
If (I) eat just one more, does it not work?
조금만 일찍 가면 안 돼요?
If (I) go just a little early, does it not work?
Put a negative in the first half too, and the two cancel out: "if you don't, it doesn't work". That's a strong way to say "must". As a question, it's hoping for a way out.
이 약은 안 먹으면 안 돼요.
This medicine, if (you) don't eat, (it) doesn't work.
오늘 안 가면 안 돼요?
Today, if (I) don't go, does it not work?
Mustn't or needn't?
English makes this hard, because "must not" and "don't have to" look like near neighbours and mean very different things. In Korean, look at where the 안 sits. Before the verb and followed by 도, you're free. After (으)면, you're forbidden.
안 먹어도 돼요.
Even if (you) don't eat, (it) works.
먹으면 안 돼요.
If (you) eat, (it) doesn't work.
오늘은 토요일이라서 회사에 ___.
It's Saturday, so you don't have to go to work.
여기는 병원이에요. 담배를 ___.
This is a hospital. You mustn't smoke.
표는 여기에서 ___.
You just buy your ticket here.
이 약은 꼭 ___.
You really do have to take this medicine.
아/어서는 안 되다: rules and principles
This is the 아/어서 form with the topic marker 는 on it, followed by 안 되다. The meaning is close to (으)면 안 되다 and the two often swap. Guides disagree on which one is stronger, but 아/어서는 leans formal, so you'll usually meet it on signs, in rules and in statements of principle.
Making 아/어서는 안 되다
- Take the 해요 form, drop 요, add 서는 안 되다.해요 → 해서는 안 됩니다버려요 → 버려서는 안 됩니다
Pick a verb
가다가요가서는 안 됩니다
거짓말을 해서는 안 됩니다.
(You) must not tell lie.
여기에 쓰레기를 버려서는 안 됩니다.
(You) must not throw away rubbish here.
술을 마시고 운전해서는 안 됩니다.
(You) must not drink alcohol and drive.
아이 혼자 들어가서는 안 됩니다.
Child alone must not go in.
※ The old rule from 아/어서 still applies: no 았/었 before 서. You also wouldn't use this one for the soft plea. That job stays with (으)면 안 돼요?
Listen and type
1 / 3
Play it as often as you like.
At the doctor's
- A
선생님, 술을 마셔도 돼요?
Doctor, alcohol even if drink, does it work?
- B
아니요, 술은 마시면 안 돼요.
No, alcohol if drink, doesn't work.
- A
운동은 해도 돼요?
Exercise even if do, does it work?
- B
네, 해도 돼요. 하지만 너무 많이 하면 안 돼요.
Yes, even if do, works. But too much if do, doesn't work.
- A
약은 매일 먹어야 돼요?
Medicine every day have to eat?
- B
아니요, 아플 때만 먹으면 돼요. 안 아프면 안 먹어도 돼요.
No, only when hurts if eat, works. If doesn't hurt, even if don't eat, works.
Common mistakes
아니요, 들어가도 안 돼요.
아니요, 들어가면 안 돼요.
A refusal swaps 도 for (으)면. 들어가도 안 돼요 would mean something like "even going in won't help".
내일은 안 가면 안 돼요.
내일은 안 가도 돼요.
That's fine Korean, but it means you have to go. For "you don't have to go", use 아/어도.
여기에서 마셨어서는 안 됩니다.
여기에서 마셔서는 안 됩니다.
No 았/었 before 서, here as everywhere.
Check yourself
Quick check
1 / 6
여기 ___ 될까요? (앉다) Would it be OK if I sat here?
The same form as 아/어도 돼요.
Summary
| Dictionary | Stem | (으)면 돼요 |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 | 가 | 가면 돼요 |
| 먹다 | 먹 | 먹으면 돼요 |
| 살다 | 살 | 살면 돼요 |
| 듣다 | 듣 | 들으면 돼요 |
| 쓰다 | 쓰 | 쓰면 돼요 |
| 하다 | 하 | 하면 돼요 |
| Dictionary | Stem | (으)면 안 돼요 |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 | 가 | 가면 안 돼요 |
| 먹다 | 먹 | 먹으면 안 돼요 |
| 살다 | 살 | 살면 안 돼요 |
| 듣다 | 듣 | 들으면 안 돼요 |
| 쓰다 | 쓰 | 쓰면 안 돼요 |
| 하다 | 하 | 하면 안 돼요 |
One verb, five meanings
- You may: 아/어도 돼요.먹어도 돼요
- You needn't: 안 아/어도 돼요.안 먹어도 돼요
- You just have to: (으)면 돼요.먹으면 돼요
- You mustn't: (으)면 안 돼요.먹으면 안 돼요
- You must not, formally: 아/어서는 안 됩니다.먹어서는 안 됩니다
Now you can say
잠깐 들어가도 될까요?
Would it work if (I) go in for a moment?
여기에 이름을 쓰면 돼요.
If (you) write name here, (it) works.
하나만 더 먹으면 안 돼요?
If (I) eat just one more, does it not work?
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