[Korean grammar] A/V-(으)면 안 되다

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실내에서 담배를 피우면 안 돼요.
Smoking indoors is not allowed.


운전 중에 전화하면 안 돼요.
Using the phone while driving is not allowed.


지금 길을 건너면 안 돼요.
You may not cross the street now.


Grammar Focus:
-(으)면 안 되다 expresses the prohibition or limitation of a particular action of the listener. It also can represent social conventions or common sense dictating that a behavior or state is prohibited or not tolerated. It corresponds to ‘may not’ or ‘not allowed to’ in English. When the stem ends in a vowel or ㄹ, -면 안 되다 is used, and when the stem ends in a consonant, -으면 안 되다 is used.




A: 수업 시간에 영어로 말해도 돼요?
May I speak in English during class?
B: 수업 시간에는 영어로 말하면 안 돼요. 한국말을 하세요.
During class, you may not speak in English. Please speak in Korean.

A: 한국에서는 밥을 먹을 때 코를 풀면 안돼요.
In Korea, you’re not supposed to blow your nose when eating.
B: 아, 그래요? 몰랐어요. Oh, really? I didn’t know that.

A: 도서관에서 얘기하면 안 돼요.
You’re not allowed to talk in the library.
B: 아, 죄송합니다.
B Okay, I’m sorry.

Notes:
-(으)면 안 되다 can be used in the double negative form, that is, -지 않으면 안 되다 to emphasize that a particular behavior must be performed.
• 8월은 휴가철이니까 비행기 표를 미리 사지 않으면 안 돼요. (= 표를 미리 사야 돼요.)
August is vacation season, so (you) must buy plane tickets in advance. (Plane tickets have to be bought in advance.)
• 병이 심각해서 수술하지 않으면 안 돼요. (= 수술해야 돼요.)
Because the illness is serious, surgery must be performed. (We have to perform surgery.)
• 다음 주에 중요한 시험이 있어서 공부하지 않으면 안 돼요. (= 공부해야 돼요)
Because (I) have an important test next week, I must study. (I have to study.)

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