Learn Korean: 그만 + Verb.

Let’s take a look at the Korean sentence pattern 그만 + Verb. We use this to tell someone to stop doing something. If you are eating too much, I would say Stop eating. The main verb is 먹다 (to eat). 그만 is placed before it. The actual sentence is 그만 먹어(요).

The nuance of 그만 먹어(요) is different when the subject is not actually eating at the moment. If someone keeps on babbling nonsense things during meal time, I would say 그만 먹어(요) to tell him to stop talking and continue eating. If my sons are still playing around during bedtime, I would say 그만 자 to tell them to stop what they are doing and sleep right away. It doesn't mean Stop sleeping. It doesn't make sense in the situation.

Another way to say 그만 is 작작 as in 작작 먹어 (Stop eating) and 작작 불러 (Stop sleeping). It is a harsher form of 그만 and it is only applicable to the first case.

그만 (작작) 쳐다봐.

Stop staring at me.

 

이런 거 그만 사.

Stop buying stuff like this.

그만 공부해.

Stop talking. You study.