-지 말고
instead of doing that
Offers an alternative rather than a flat prohibition. The connective form of 말다, so it belongs with requests and suggestions — not with statements of fact.
Build it
Pick a verb
When to use it
Attach -지 말고 to any action verb stem, then follow with what you would rather have happen: 택시 타지 말고 걸어요. The ㄹ of 말다 drops, as it does in 마세요.
The restriction that matters is what follows. Because 말다 belongs to requests, the second clause has to be a command, suggestion, or request. For a plain statement about what you did instead, Korean uses -지 않고 or 안 -고.
It softens advice considerably. 걱정하지 마세요 tells someone to stop; 걱정하지 말고 쉬세요 gives them somewhere to go instead.
With a noun, 말고 works on its own and means “not this one, but”: 이거 말고 저거 주세요.
How to attach it
| Situation | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Any action verb | -지 말고 | 타다 → 타지 말고 |
| ㄹ stems keep the ㄹ | -지 말고 | 만들다 → 만들지 말고 |
| Must be followed by | request or suggestion | 걸어요, 하세요, 갑시다 |
| Statement of fact takes | -지 않고 / 안 -고 | 타지 않고 걸었어요 |
| With a noun | noun + 말고 | 이거 말고 저거 |
| Flat prohibition | -지 마세요 | 타지 마세요 |
In use
택시 타지 말고 같이 걸어요.
Let’s walk together instead of taking a taxi.
너무 걱정하지 말고 좀 쉬세요.
Don’t worry so much — get some rest.
밖에서 사 먹지 말고 집에서 만들어 드세요.
Rather than eating out, make something at home.
혼자 하지 말고 같이 합시다.
Let’s do it together instead of you doing it alone.
이거 말고 저거 주세요.
Not this one — that one, please.
망설이지 말고 한번 해 보세요.
Don’t hesitate — just give it a try.
Compared with
-지 마세요
-지 마세요 closes an option; -지 말고 replaces it with another. The second is much easier to hear as advice.
걱정하지 마세요. (stop worrying) / 걱정하지 말고 쉬세요. (rest instead of worrying)
-지 않고
The statement version. Use 않고 when you are reporting what happened, and 말고 when you are asking for something.
택시를 타지 않고 걸었어요. (I walked instead) / 택시 타지 말고 걸어요. (let’s walk instead)
Noun + 말고
With a bare noun it means “other than this one.” Very common when ordering or choosing.
이거 말고 저거요. / 커피 말고 차 주세요.
Watch out
어제 택시를 타지 말고 걸었어요.
어제 택시를 타지 않고 걸었어요.
-지 말고 belongs with requests. To report what you actually did, use -지 않고 or 안 -고.
걱정하지 말고 있어요.
걱정하지 말고 좀 쉬세요.
Something has to follow as the alternative, and it has to be a request or suggestion. A bare statement leaves the sentence hanging.
이거 말고 저거 주지 않으세요.
이거 말고 저거 주세요.
The negation is already carried by 말고. Adding another negative in the second clause reverses the request.
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