모르다
mo-reu-da
/mo.ɾɯ.da/
Definition
To not know something; to be unaware of a fact or answer.
Example
그 사람 이름을 잘 모르겠어요.
Show translation
I don't really know that person's name.
Etymology
Native Korean root. The base stem 모르- combines with the declarative ending -다. It stands in direct antonymic pairing with 알다 ("to know"), one of the most ancient and fundamental verb pairs in the Korean lexicon.
Cultural note
Korean has a distinct verb for "not knowing" (모르다) rather than simply negating 알다 ("to know"). Saying 몰라요 (the polite present form) is a natural, face-saving way to decline to answer — far more culturally comfortable than a blunt "no." In classrooms and service settings, 모르겠어요 ("I'm not sure / I don't know") is the softer, even more polite choice, as the -겠- form signals tentativeness rather than flat ignorance.