-지 말아 주세요 - Please don't

-지 말아 주세요 is used to politely ask someone not to do something. It means "please don't [verb]" with emphasis on requesting a favor.

Structure

Verb stem + -지 말아 주세요

Breakdown:

• -지 말다: Not do (prohibition)
• -아 주세요: Please do for me

Literal meaning: "Please give me (the favor of) not doing..."

Basic Pattern

All Verbs: Same Pattern

No conjugation variations:

• 가다 → 가지 말아 주세요 (please don't go)
• 먹다 → 먹지 말아 주세요 (please don't eat)
• 하다 → 하지 말아 주세요 (please don't do)
• 오다 → 오지 말아 주세요 (please don't come)
• 말하다 → 말하지 말아 주세요 (please don't tell)

Simple rule: Verb stem + -지 말아 주세요

Politeness Levels

Very Polite: -지 말아 주세요

Standard polite request:

• 가지 말아 주세요 (please don't go)
• 걱정하지 말아 주세요 (please don't worry)
• 화내지 말아 주세요 (please don't get angry)

Casual Polite: -지 말아 줘요

Friendlier tone:

• 가지 말아 줘요 (please don't go)
• 걱정하지 말아 줘요 (please don't worry)

Casual: -지 말아 줘

To friends:

• 가지 말아 줘 (don't go - casual)
• 걱정하지 말아 줘 (don't worry - casual)

Extra Polite: -지 말아 주시겠어요?

Very deferential:

• 가지 말아 주시겠어요? (would you please not go?)
• 말하지 말아 주시겠어요? (would you please not tell?)

Core Usage: Gentle Prohibition

Emphasizes Requesting Favor

Softer than simple -지 마세요:

• 가지 말아 주세요 → "Please don't go" (I'm asking you as a favor)
• 가지 마세요 → "Don't go" (more direct command)

Use when:

• Asking someone to refrain from something
• The prohibition benefits you
• You want to be extra polite
• Showing consideration for someone

Common Requests

Personal Requests

Asking consideration:

• 걱정하지 말아 주세요 (please don't worry)
• 화내지 말아 주세요 (please don't get angry)
• 울지 말아 주세요 (please don't cry)
• 슬퍼하지 말아 주세요 (please don't be sad)
• 미안해하지 말아 주세요 (please don't be sorry)

Secrets and Privacy

Keeping confidential:

• 말하지 말아 주세요 (please don't tell)
• 비밀 말하지 말아 주세요 (please don't tell the secret)
• 아무한테도 말하지 말아 주세요 (please don't tell anyone)

Actions to Refrain

Stopping behaviors:

• 담배 피우지 말아 주세요 (please don't smoke)
• 술 마시지 말아 주세요 (please don't drink alcohol)
• 늦게 오지 말아 주세요 (please don't come late)
• 포기하지 말아 주세요 (please don't give up)

Softening with 너무

"Please don't... too much"

Making request gentler:

• 너무 걱정하지 말아 주세요 (please don't worry too much)
• 너무 화내지 말아 주세요 (please don't get too angry)
• 너무 무리하지 말아 주세요 (please don't overdo it)
• 너무 슬퍼하지 말아 주세요 (please don't be too sad)

Contrast with -지 마세요

-지 마세요: Direct Prohibition

More commanding:

• 가지 마세요 (don't go)
• 만지지 마세요 (don't touch)
• 들어가지 마세요 (don't enter)

Usage: Rules, warnings, direct commands

-지 말아 주세요: Polite Request

Softer, asking favor:

• 가지 말아 주세요 (please don't go - for my sake)
• 만지지 말아 주세요 (please don't touch - I'm asking)
• 들어가지 말아 주세요 (please don't enter - as a favor)

Usage: Personal requests, considerate prohibition

When to Use Which

Use -지 마세요:

• Public signs and rules
• Safety warnings
• Direct prohibitions
• When authority is clear

Use -지 말아 주세요:

• Personal requests
• When asking for consideration
• Emotional situations
• When relationship is important

Common Expressions

Comforting

• 걱정하지 말아 주세요 (please don't worry)
• 울지 말아 주세요 (please don't cry)
• 슬퍼하지 말아 주세요 (please don't be sad)
• 포기하지 말아 주세요 (please don't give up)
• 자책하지 말아 주세요 (please don't blame yourself)

Keeping Secrets

• 말하지 말아 주세요 (please don't tell)
• 아무한테도 말하지 말아 줘 (please don't tell anyone)
• 비밀로 해 주세요 (please keep it secret)
• 다른 사람한테 말하지 말아 줘요 (please don't tell others)

Relationship Requests

• 가지 말아 주세요 (please don't go)
• 떠나지 말아 주세요 (please don't leave)
• 나한테 화내지 말아 줘 (please don't be mad at me)
• 오해하지 말아 주세요 (please don't misunderstand)

Health and Safety

• 무리하지 말아 주세요 (please don't overdo it)
• 아프지 말아 주세요 (please don't get sick)
• 다치지 말아 주세요 (please don't get hurt)
• 위험한 거 하지 말아 줘 (please don't do dangerous things)

With Time/Condition

Specific Situations

Pattern: Time/condition + -지 말아 주세요

Examples:

• 지금은 말하지 말아 주세요 (please don't say it now)
• 내일은 늦지 말아 주세요 (please don't be late tomorrow)
• 혼자 가지 말아 주세요 (please don't go alone)
• 밤에 전화하지 말아 줘 (please don't call at night)

Example Dialogues

Dialogue 1: Comforting

A: 시험 망쳤어요...
(I failed the exam...)

B: 너무 걱정하지 말아 주세요. 다음에 잘하면 돼요.
(Please don't worry too much. Just do well next time.)

Dialogue 2: Keeping Secret

A: 이거 비밀인데...
(This is a secret...)

B: 걱정 마. 아무한테도 말하지 않을게.
(Don't worry. I won't tell anyone.)

A: 정말? 제발 말하지 말아 줘.
(Really? Please don't tell.)

Dialogue 3: Relationship

A: 가지 말아 줘. 조금만 더 있자.
(Please don't go. Let's stay a bit more.)

B: 미안해. 내일 일찍 일어나야 돼.
(Sorry. I have to wake up early tomorrow.)

Dialogue 4: Health

A: 많이 아파 보여요. 괜찮아요?
(You look very sick. Are you okay?)

B: 네, 괜찮아요.
(Yes, I'm fine.)

A: 무리하지 말아 주세요.
(Please don't overdo it.)

Alternative Forms

-지 않았으면 좋겠어요

Softer wish form:

• 가지 않았으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you don't go)
• 화내지 않았으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you don't get angry)

Usage: Even gentler than -지 말아 주세요

-지 말아 주실 수 있어요?

Asking ability:

• 말하지 말아 주실 수 있어요? (Can you please not tell?)
• 가지 말아 주실 수 있어요? (Can you please not go?)

Common Mistakes

❌ Incorrect: 가지 마 주세요

Missing -아 in 말다

✅ Correct: 가지 말아 주세요

Full form: -지 말아 주세요

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❌ Incorrect: 안 가 주세요

Wrong negative form

✅ Correct: 가지 말아 주세요

Use -지 말다 for prohibition

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❌ Incorrect: 가지 말고 주세요

Wrong connective

✅ Correct: 가지 말아 주세요

Use -지 말아

Politeness Comparison

Form	Politeness	Tone	Usage
-지 마	Casual	Direct	Friends only
-지 마요	Polite casual	Friendly	Close relationships
-지 마세요	Polite	Command	General prohibition
-지 말아 줘	Casual favor	Asking	Friends
-지 말아 줘요	Polite favor	Gentle	Friendly request
-지 말아 주세요	Very polite	Respectful	Standard request
-지 말아 주시겠어요?	Extra polite	Deferential	Formal request

Summary Table

Expression	Meaning	Usage Context
가지 말아 주세요	Please don't go	Polite request
말하지 말아 주세요	Please don't tell	Keeping secret
걱정하지 말아 주세요	Please don't worry	Comforting
화내지 말아 주세요	Please don't get angry	Apologizing
포기하지 말아 주세요	Please don't give up	Encouraging

Key Takeaways

✅ Polite negative request: "Please don't do [verb]"
✅ Emphasizes favor: More gentle than -지 마세요
✅ Same for all verbs: Verb stem + -지 말아 주세요
✅ Common in personal requests: Emotions, secrets, relationships
✅ Add 너무: Makes it even softer ("don't... too much")
✅ Shows consideration: Respectful of other person's choice

-지 말아 주세요 is essential for making polite negative requests in Korean, especially when you want to emphasize that you're asking for a favor rather than commanding. It's particularly common in emotional or personal situations where maintaining the relationship is important.