Question on 아니/아니다

[shanshanchua]

I feel kind of embarrassed asking about something so basic (and I've been learning Korean for almost a year), but anyway here goes!

I've always been confused about the way 아니 is used. It can be used to mean "no" when you're asked a question - 아니, 아니요.

At the same time, it is also used in the form of 아니예요, 아니야(?), which I presume is conjugated from 아니다, and means something like "it is not".

My question is : are these two from different "roots" or are they from the same root form, but conjugated differently? And is it proper to use them interchangeably, e.g. someone asks you if you want a drink, and it's correct to say any of the above (politeness level is not an issue)?

[hyunwoo]

My question is : are these two from different "roots" or are they from the same root form, but conjugated differently? And is it proper to use them interchangeably, e.g. someone asks you if you want a drink, and it's correct to say any of the above (politeness level is not an issue)?

Shan

I think it's actually a very good question! And yes, 아니 and 아니요 come from the verb 아니다. Although these two expressions are not 100% logicaly analyzable, and 아니다 becoming 아니 or 아니요 can be compared to some English expressions and how they might have been formed. ^^

If you take the word "because" for example, can we assume that it comes from "be + cause" ? Probably yes, but can we analyze it and explain since when it was used like this? It wouldn't be so clear, right? ^^

That's my speculation!

[yhenry]

I feel kind of embarrassed asking about something so basic (and I've been learning Korean for almost a year), but anyway here goes!

I've always been confused about the way 아니 is used. It can be used to mean "no" when you're asked a question - 아니, 아니요.

At the same time, it is also used in the form of 아니예요, 아니야(?), which I presume is conjugated from 아니다, and means something like "it is not".

Let me add a little more to confuse a little more.

아니다 is the finite form of word that is not conjugated. The finite form is used to list and explain words in the dictionary and also can be used when you make a statement not addressed to any specific person or in a textbook or newspaper.

Other than that, you must conjugate the finite word to add tense, just like English word, and also mood and other functions like what auxiliary verbs do in English, such as would, could, might, etc.

To complicate the conjugation matter more complicated, a few more 'suffix accessories' can be used as conjunction connecting words or clause together, like (하)고, (하지)만, (먹)고나서, etc.

Conjugation possibilities for 아니다, so far as I can think of at this moment;

아니요, 아닙니다, 아니겠읍니다, 아니었읍니다, 아닐겁니다, 아니지요, 아닙니까? 아닐까요? 아니랍니다
아닐껄,아니겠지, 아니, 아니라고, 아닐까? 아니었어, 아니라니, 아니었다니, 아니었기에(including suffix for conjunction)

All have the same basic meaning with additional information different in nuance and depth, if not simply 'functional', respectively.

아니다 works like 'is not' or 'do not', or simple as 'no', depending on the location(slot) in the sentence.

그는(he) 학생이(student) 아니다 (is not)

그녀는(she) 이쁘지않다(is not pretty)

아니요(no), 그는 학생이요No, he is a student. (?????)
예(yes), 그는 학생이 아니요Yes, he is NOT a student. (????)

아니(not) 간다고 (to go) 생각해 보세요 (think) ***아니 works as adverb***
아니라니 (if you say/do isn't/don't) 다행입니다 (lucky+is)

안돼요(no+do) please don't/ no good/ no can do/don't work
안먹어요? (no+eat?) don't you eat?
안가면(no+go+if) 안돼(no+do) if you don't go, no good/not okay/no-go not possible, not allowed

Just to scratch the outer layer of the word 아니다...
Aren't you confused more after hearing all those 'face-lifting' of a word being conjured by a speech magician?

[shanshanchua]

I'm not confused by the many conjugation possibilities. What I was puzzled about is whether 아니 is actually from the verb 아니다. Take 이다 as an example - it can be conjugated as 이에요, 이야 etc, but it never takes the form of "이" on its own. But "아니" is a perfectly legitimate way of "conjugation" from 아니다. So I was wondering if "아니" came from a different root.

So that means 아니요 and 아니예요 mean exactly the same thing and can be used interchangeably?

Then what about 아니 and 아니야? It's my instinct (I could be wrong!)that they seem to be used in different ways..

[javiskefka]

While you're at it, how about the 부사 안 and the verb 않다?