Key Facts
- Hangul: 없다 (eopda)
- Meaning: to not exist/not have
- Level: A1
- Stem: 없
- Class: special
- Objects: n/a
- Honorific or humble: 안 계시다, 없으시다
What Does 없다 Mean?
없다 is an existential adjective (형용사), not an action verb. It means there is not, or someone does not have, something, as in 시간이 없다. The missing thing takes 이/가, and the owner takes 은/는 or 에게. It is one of the most frequent words in Korean and the opposite of 있다. Its present modifier is 없는: like 있다, it takes 는 even though other adjectives take (으)ㄴ.
Meanings:
- to not exist/not have. There is not, or someone does not have, something, as in 시간이 없다.
How Do You Pronounce 없다?
Almost every form changes sound because of the ㅄ cluster at the end of the stem. Before a vowel, the ㅅ moves across and is pronounced tense, so 없어요 is read [업써요]. Before a consonant, only the ㅂ is heard and the next consonant becomes tense, so 없습니다 is read [업씀니다].
Romanized as eopda. How the forms sound:
- 없어요 [업써요]
- 없었어요 [업써써요]
- 없을 거예요 [업쓸꺼예요]
- 없겠어요 [업께써요]
- 없습니다 [업씀니다]
- 없었습니다 [업썯씀니다]
- 없을 것입니다 [업쓸꺼심니다]
- 없어 [업써]
- 없었어 [업써써]
- 없을 거야 [업쓸꺼야]
- 없으세요 [업쓰세요]
- 없어서 [업써서]
- 없으면 [업쓰면]
- 없는 [엄는]
- 없던 / 없었던 [업떤 / 업썯떤]
- 없을 [업쓸]
How Do You Use 없다 in a Sentence?
오늘은 시간이 없어요.
I do not have time today.
Missing thing marked with 이/가: 시간이 없어요. The topic 오늘은 sets up the day, and the verb states the lack. (없어요)
어제 집에 아무도 없었어요.
There was nobody at home yesterday.
Past existence. 아무도 (nobody) pairs with a negative-meaning verb, and 없었어요 puts the absence in the past: there was nobody at home. (없었어요)
돈이 없으면 살 수 없어요.
If you have no money, you cannot buy it.
The conditional 없으면 turns the lack into a condition. The same sentence ends in 없어요 inside 살 수 없어요, the 'cannot' pattern. (없으면)
How Does Eopda Conjugation Work?
없다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 없어요 | ||
| Polite past | 없었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 없을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 없겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 없습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 없었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 없을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 없어 | ||
| Casual past | 없었어 | ||
| Casual future | 없을 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | |||
| Honorific polite | 없으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 없어서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 없으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 없는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 없던 / 없었던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 없을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | |||
| Negative (long form) |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 없어요 | [업써요] |
| Polite past | 없었어요 | [업써써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 없을 거예요 | [업쓸꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 없겠어요 | [업께써요] |
| Formal present | 없습니다 | [업씀니다] |
| Formal past | 없었습니다 | [업썯씀니다] |
| Formal future | 없을 것입니다 | [업쓸꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 없어 | [업써] |
| Casual past | 없었어 | [업써써] |
| Casual future | 없을 거야 | [업쓸꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | None | as written |
| Honorific polite | 없으세요 | [업쓰세요] |
| Because / and then | 없어서 | [업써서] |
| Conditional (if) | 없으면 | [업쓰면] |
| Modifier, present | 없는 | [엄는] |
| Modifier, past | 없던 / 없었던 | [업떤 / 업썯떤] |
| Modifier, future | 없을 | [업쓸] |
| Short negative | None | as written |
| Long negative | None | as written |
Forms this word does not use:
- Want to: -고 싶다 attaches to verbs, not to descriptive words like this one.
- Short negative: 없다 is already negative, so 안 + 없다 is not used.
- Long negative: 없지 않아요 means 'it is not that there is none', a marked double negative. To say something exists, simply use 있어요.
Is 없다 Regular or Irregular?
The class here is special rather than irregular. No letter inside the stem changes. What is special is its honorific (안 계시다 for a respected person who is not there, 없으시다 for one who does not have something) and its missing negative forms. Because the stem ends in a consonant cluster, the endings use 으 forms such as 없으세요 and 없으면.
Common Mistake with 없다
Wrong: ✗ 안 있어요 for 'I don't have'
Correct: ✓ 없어요
Why: For possession, the ordinary negative of 있다 is the separate word 없다.
For “I don’t have,” use 없어요 rather than building a negative with 안. The table leaves out ordinary negative forms because 없다 already expresses absence. To say something exists or is available, use 있어요.
없다 Versus 있다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 있다 | 있다 says something exists or you have it; 없다 says it does not. For possession, learn 없다 as the negative partner of 있다. |
| 모르다 | 없다 means there is none; 모르다 means to not know. For 'I don't know', say it with 모르다, not 없어요. |
Looking for a Seat at a Cafe
Alex and Jisu are looking for somewhere to sit. They compare the cafe today with their previous visit.
Alex
빈자리가 없어요.
Binjariga eopseoyo.
There are no free seats.
Jisu
어제도 없었어요.
Eojedo eopseosseoyo.
There weren’t any yesterday either.
Alex
자리가 없으면 다른 카페에 가요.
Jariga eopseumyeon dareun kapee gayo.
If there are no seats, let’s go to another cafe.
빈자리 is a vacant seat or place. The missing thing takes 가 in the first line. The past 없었어요 reports yesterday’s situation, while 없으면 makes the lack of seating a condition for choosing another cafe. The final 가요 is a suggestion in this context.
Phrases You Will Hear When Something Is Missing
시간이 없다 means “to have no time.” It can explain why someone cannot join an activity without saying that the activity is unwanted. 돈이 없다 means “to have no money.” Both describe the speaker's resources when the owner is already understood, so an explicit “I” is often unnecessary.
상관없어요 means “It doesn’t matter” or “Either is fine.” You may hear it when someone asks you to choose a time or place. It says that the difference does not affect you. It can sound indifferent in a more emotional conversation, so pay attention to what the other person is asking.
어쩔 수 없어요 means “It can’t be helped.” The expression accepts that there is no available alternative. Its literal structure contains 수 없다, the pattern for lack of ability or possibility. It is a response to an unavoidable situation, not a general way to say “I don’t know.”
문제없어요 means “There’s no problem.” In a work conversation it can reassure someone that a task or arrangement is okay. This fixed expression is commonly written as one word, unlike the ordinary noun-and-predicate phrase 시간이 없어요.
Signs, Stock Questions and Respectful Absence
At a shop, 없어요 can mean that an item is unavailable. It does not tell you whether the item is temporarily sold out, never stocked or simply missing from that branch. You may need a follow-up question to learn which situation applies. A formal notice or staff response may use 없습니다 for the same lack.
A missing person and a person without something need different honorific treatment. 안 계시다 concerns a respected person's presence; 없으시다 concerns what that person lacks. Before selecting the respectful form, decide whether you mean “the teacher isn’t here” or “the teacher doesn’t have time.”
The future 없을 거예요 predicts an absence rather than planning an action. Similarly, 없으세요 can be a respectful question about possession; it is not an instruction to “not exist.” The scene matters more than the table's general speech-level labels.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 빈자리 | vacant seat / space | Names what you look for in a crowded cafe. |
| 품절 | sold out | Explains a specific reason an item is unavailable. |
| 재고 | stock / inventory | Useful when asking whether a shop has an item. |
| 부재중 | absent / away | A formal label used for someone being away. |
The shopping phrases lesson gives a setting for availability questions. For the special noun form 없는, read 있는 and 없는 modifiers.
Mini Drill: Describe What Is Missing
- Complete “no money”: 돈___ 없어요.
- Change 없어요 to the polite past.
- Give the conditional used in the cafe scene.
- Give the present modifier before a noun.
Show absence drill answers
- 돈이 없어요.
- 없었어요.
- 없으면.
- 없는. This word uses 는 before a noun.
Quick Self-Test
- Does a shop assistant's 없어요 always mean “sold out”?
- Which respectful expression describes a person being away: 안 계시다 or 없으시다?
- What does 어쩔 수 없어요 convey?
Show answers
- No. It establishes unavailability, without giving the reason.
- 안 계시다.
- “It can’t be helped”: there is no available alternative.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say a Respected Person Is Not Here?
Use 안 계시다 when the person is not present, and 없으시다 when the person does not have something.
Can I Say 안 없어요?
No. 없다 is already negative, so 안 + 없다 is not used. That is why the table has no 안 row.
Is There a Want-to Form of 없다?
No. -고 싶다 attaches to verbs, not to descriptive words like this one, so the table leaves out the want-to row.
What Is the Modifier for 없다?
없는. Like 있다, it takes 는 before a noun, even though other adjectives take (으)ㄴ.
Which Words Are Related to 없다?
- 있다
- 계시다
- 필요하다
- 괜찮다
- Dictionary
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 있다 for the positive side, then 계시다 for the honorific partner. 필요하다 and 괜찮다 are listed as related entries. Test any form in the Korean verb conjugator.