Inability (못)

못 expresses inability or impossibility — the speaker cannot do something due to circumstances, lack of skill, or external factors. It is placed directly before the verb: '못 가요' (I can't go), '못 먹어요' (I can't eat).

Like 안, when used with 하다 compound verbs, 못 is placed between the noun and 하다: '운동 못 해요' (I can't exercise), not '못 운동해요.' This follows the same splitting pattern as 안.

The key difference between 안 and 못 is intention. 안 means you choose not to do something (voluntary), while 못 means you are unable to do something (involuntary). '안 먹어요' means 'I don't eat (by choice),' while '못 먹어요' means 'I can't eat (due to some reason).' There is also a longer form -지 못하다 which has the same meaning.