But/Although -지만 in Korean

Overview

The contrastive connector -지만 attaches to verb stems to express "but" or "although," a CEFR A2 pattern. It connects two clauses where the second contrasts with or contradicts the first. Unlike -고 (and), -지만 signals that what follows goes against the expectation set by the first clause.

-지만 can combine with tense markers (갔지만 — went but), making it more flexible than some other connectors. It works with both action verbs and descriptive verbs (adjectives), and across all speech levels.

How It Works

Formation	Example	Translation
stem + 지만	비싸지만 좋아요	It's expensive but good
past stem + 지만	먹었지만 배고파요	Ate but am hungry
noun + 이지만/지만	학생이지만 일해요	Am a student but work

Examples in Context

Korean	Romanization	English	Note
비싸지만 좋아요.	bi-ssa-ji-man jo-a-yo	Expensive but good.	adjective contrast
많이 먹었지만 배가 고파요.	ma-ni meo-geo-ji-man bae-ga go-pa-yo	Ate a lot but hungry.	past + contrast
알지만 말 못 해요.	al-ji-man mal mot hae-yo	Know but can't say.	knowledge vs. ability
피곤하지만 일해야 해요.	pi-gon-ha-ji-man il-hae-ya hae-yo	Tired but have to work.	contrast with obligation
한국어는 어렵지만 재미있어요.	han-gu-geo-neun eo-ryeop-ji-man jae-mi-i-sseo-yo	Korean is hard but fun.	common learner sentiment
비가 오지만 갈 거예요.	bi-ga o-ji-man gal geo-ye-yo	It's raining but I'll go.	weather contrast
작지만 좋은 집이에요.	jak-ji-man jo-eun ji-bi-e-yo	Small but good house.	noun phrase contrast
돈은 없지만 행복해요.	do-neun eop-ji-man haeng-bo-kae-yo	Don't have money but am happy.	life contrast

Common Mistakes

Confusing -지만 with -는데

• Wrong: Using them interchangeably in all contexts
• Right: -지만 is a clear "but"; -는데 provides background or soft contrast
• Why: -는데 is softer and more common in speech, while -지만 explicitly marks contrast.

Using -지만 where -아/어도 is more appropriate

• Wrong: 비싸지만 살 거예요 (expensive but will buy — sounds contradictory)
• Right: 비싸도 살 거예요 (even if expensive, will buy — concessive)
• Why: When the result is unchanged despite the condition, -아/어도 (even if) fits better.

Forgetting that tense goes on the -지만 clause

• Wrong: 가지만 못 갔어요 (present + past mismatch)
• Right: 가고 싶었지만 못 갔어요 (wanted to go but couldn't)
• Why: Unlike -고 or -아/어서, -지만 allows tense marking in the first clause.

Usage Notes

-지만 is neutral in register and appears in both formal and casual contexts. It is one of the most straightforward contrastive connectors. At higher levels, learners encounter more nuanced alternatives like -는데 (softer contrast/background) and -(으)ㄴ/는 반면에 (formal "on the other hand"). In casual speech, -지만 is sometimes shortened to just -지만 without change.

Practice Tips

• Take pairs of contrasting adjectives and form -지만 sentences: 크지만 가벼워요 (big but light).
• Practice with "expected vs. actual" situations: 열심히 공부했지만 시험에 떨어졌어요 (studied hard but failed the exam).
• Compare -지만, -는데, and -아/어도 with the same sentence to feel the nuance differences.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Polite Ending -아/어요 — base conjugation for the result clause
• Next steps: Contrastive -(으)ㄴ/는 반면 — formal contrastive expression