안 or 않: Spelling

안 and 않 sound the same, but they are two different words:

• 안 is a short adverb. It stands before the verb or adjective, followed by a space: 안 가요 (I don't go), 안 추워요 (it's not cold), 숙제를 안 했어요 (I didn't do my homework), 안 돼요 (not allowed).
• 않 is the stem of the verb 않다. It always comes after -지 and always carries an ending: 가지 않아요, 맵지 않네요, 하지 않고, 오지 않으면, 하지 않는 사람.

Quick test: if the word stands in front of the verb, write 안. If it follows a stem + -지, write 않. Watch out: 안아요, 안고 and 안은 are forms of 안다 (to hug), so 먹지 안아요 is a spelling mistake.