고기는 안 먹어요.

When to use

Inform your server about your vegetarian or vegan preference, or if you avoid certain types of meat.

Speech Level

The -어요 ending is the standard polite informal verb ending, suitable for conveying information clearly and respectfully.

How it works

This sentence states 'I do not eat meat.'

• 고기 (gogi): Meat. Native Korean word.
• -는 (-neun): Topic particle. Here, it emphasizes 'meat' as the topic.
• 안 (an): Not. Placed before the verb to negate it.
• 먹어요 (meogeoyo): Eat. Polite informal present tense of '먹다' (meokda).

Omitted Subject/Object

The subject 'I' (저는) is omitted, which is standard when the speaker is talking about themselves. The object 'meat' is marked with the topic particle '-는' for emphasis.

Sound Changes

The final 'ㄱ' (g) of '먹' (meok) in '먹어요' (meogeoyo) is followed by a vowel '어' (eo). This results in a liaison where the 'ㄱ' sound is carried over, making it sound like 'meo-geo-yo'.

Notes

Clearly states a dietary restriction regarding meat consumption.