Learn Korean: Noun + 아니다

Let’s take a look at the Korean sentence pattern Noun + 아니다. We use this to express that someone or something is not something. The predicate must be a noun. In the sentence I am not a scientist, the predicate scientist is a noun.

아니다 is the negative form of 이다. If 이다 is the Korean equivalent of is, are, and am, 아니다 negates them (is not, are not, and am not). There is no subject-verb agreement in Korean, so whether the subject is singular or plural, it doesn’t matter. 아니다 is the same at all time. 

On the other hand, 아니다 is only a dictionary form and must be conjugated in an actual sentence. Unlike 이다, 아니다 is not attached to the noun (predicate). Moreover, the subject particle (이/가) may be attached to the noun. 가 is used when the noun ends in a vowel and 이 is used when the noun ends in a consonant.

Its formal form is 아닙니다 as in 저는 여자(가) 아닙니다 (I am not a girl) and 저는 외국인(이) 아닙니다 (I am not a foreigner).

Its polite form is 아니에요 as in 저는 여자(가) 아니에요 (I am not a girl) and 저는 외국인(이) 아니에요 (I am not a foreigner).

Its casual form is 아니야 as in 나는 여자(가) 아니야 (I am not a girl) and 난 외국인(이) 아니야 (I am not a foreigner). Notice that the casual form of I (나) is used.

It also has past tense forms (was not, were not). Formally, we say 아니었습니다 as in 저는 울보(가) 아니었습니다 (I was not a crybaby). Politely, we say 아니었어요 as in 저는 왕따(가) 아니었어요 (I was not an outcast). Casually, we say 아니었어 as in 나는 일진(이) 아니었어 (I was not a bully).

토마토는 과일(이) 아닙니다.

Tomato is not a fruit.

그게 한국어(가) 아니에요.

That is not Korean language.

우리 집(이) 아니야.

This is not our house.