How to use Korean Grammar (으)ㄹ 수 있다 / 없다
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Verb, Adjective + ㄹ / 을 수 있다
ㄹ 수 - if a word ends in a vowel or ㄹ, 을 수 - if it ends in a consonant (except ㄹ)
-ㄹ / -을 수 있다 is used to express the ability to do something. It can be translated as "can", "able to".
See examples,
(click on translation and grammar buttons)
우리가 수영장에서만 수영할 수 있어요.
Korean
우리
수영장
수영하다
English
we
pool
to swim
We can only swim in the pool.
우리가 수영장+에서+만 수영하+ㄹ 수 있어요.
노래를 부를 수 있어요?
Korean
노래
부르다
English
song
to sing
Can you sing?
노래를 부르+ㄹ 수 있어요?
한글을 읽을 수 있지만 이해를 못해요.
Korean
한글
읽다
이해
못하다
English
Korean
to read
understanding
cannot
I can read Korean, but I can't understand it.
한글을 읽을 수 있지만 이해를 못하+여요.
Verb, Adjective + ㄹ / 을 수 없다
-ㄹ / -을 수 없다 is used to express the inability to do something. It can be translated as "cannot", "not able to".
See examples,
(click on translation and grammar buttons)
저는 운전할 수 없어요.
Korean
저
운전하다
없다
English
I
to drive
not to have
I cannot drive.
저는 운전하+ㄹ 수 없어요.
저는 독일어를 이해할 수 없습니다.
Korean
저
독일어
이해하다
English
I
German language
to understand
I cannot understand German language.
저는 독일어를 이해하+ㄹ 수 없습니다.
Quick reference (click to open)
Vowels: a, e, i, o, u
Consonants: b, c, d, f, g, h, j
Syllable: Bra-zil (2 syllables), Ar-gen-ti-na (4), In-di-a (3), Viet-nam (2), thin-king (2), beau-ti-ful (3), good (1)
Batchim: is a final consonant in a syllable. → Bra-zil (batchim: 'l'), Ar-gen-ti-na (batchims: 'r' and 'n'), In-di-a ('n'), Viet-nam ('t', 'm')
Romanization: is a conversion of text (not pronunciation ! ) from different writing system (Korean, Arabic, Russian, etc.) to the Roman (Latin) alphabet.
IPA: is an alphabetic system of phonetic (pronunciation) notation.
Noun: road, user, sister, table, sky
Pronoun: I, my, we, you, they, her
Verb: to go, to study, to think, to feel
Adjective: cold, kind, hungry, curious, expensive
Adverb: quickly, nicely, never, exactly, urgently
Preposition: from, to, on, in, with, till
Conjuction: and, because, if, but, while
Declarative sentence: I learn Korean.
Interrogative sentence: Do you learn Korean?
Imperative sentence: You must learn Korean!
Exclamative sentence: Wow, you learn Korean!
Verb / Adj. stem in Korean: part of a verb or adj. which is left after removing the last syllable -다 ( e.g. 가다 → 가, 예쁘다 → 예쁘, 듣다 → 듣 ).