16. Korean Grammar: 하지만 vs. -지만 (But/Although)

Korean Grammar: 하지만 vs. -지만 (But/Although)

In this lesson, we’ll learn how to express contrast in Korean using 하지만 and -지만. Both are used to mean "but" or "although", but they are used in different ways. Let's see how! 🌤️🌧️

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1. 하지만 (But)

하지만 is a conjunction that connects two separate sentences. It’s like saying "But" at the start of a new sentence in English.

🔹 Sentence Structure:

👉 Sentence 1. 하지만 Sentence 2.

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🔸 Examples with Weather (날씨)

Example Sentence Translation

오늘은 비가 와요. 하지만 따뜻해요.	It’s raining today. But it’s warm.
날씨가 좋아요. 하지만 바람이 불어요.	The weather is nice. But it’s windy.
눈이 와요. 하지만 길이 미끄럽지 않아요.	It’s snowing. But the road isn’t slippery.
밖에 추워요. 하지만 저는 산책하고 싶어요.	It’s cold outside. But I want to take a walk.
여름이에요. 하지만 시원해요.	It’s summer. But it’s cool.

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2. -지만 (But/Although)

-지만 is attached directly to verbs or adjectives to connect two ideas in one sentence. It’s like saying "although" or "but" in English.

🔹 Sentence Structure:

👉 Verb/Adjective Stem + -지만 + (second part of the sentence)

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🔸 Examples with Weather (날씨)

Example Sentence Translation

오늘은 비가 오지만 따뜻해요.	Although it’s raining today, it’s warm.
날씨가 좋지만 바람이 불어요.	The weather is nice, but it’s windy.
눈이 오지만 길이 미끄럽지 않아요.	Although it’s snowing, the road isn’t slippery.
밖에 춥지만 산책하고 싶어요.	It’s cold outside, but I want to take a walk.
여름이지만 시원해요.	It’s summer, but it’s cool.

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3. What’s the Difference? 🤔

하지만 -지만

Used at the beginning of the second sentence.	Attached to verbs or adjectives in one sentence.
Connects two complete sentences.	Combines two ideas in one sentence.
Feels a little more formal in writing.	Feels more natural in speaking.
오늘은 비가 와요. 하지만 따뜻해요. (It’s raining today. But it’s warm.)	오늘은 비가 오지만 따뜻해요. (Although it’s raining today, it’s warm.)

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4. Useful Vocabulary (Weather - 날씨)

Korean English

비	Rain
눈	Snow
바람	Wind
햇빛	Sunshine
구름	Cloud
따뜻하다	To be warm
춥다	To be cold
시원하다	To be cool/refreshing
덥다	To be hot
흐리다	To be cloudy
맑다	To be clear

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5. Quick Quiz (Test Yourself!)

1️⃣ Fill in the blanks:

1. 오늘은 춥____ 산책했어요. (Although it’s cold, I took a walk.)
2. 비가 와요. 하____ 우산이 없어요. (It’s raining. But I don’t have an umbrella.)
3. 날씨가 좋____ 바람이 많이 불어요. (The weather is nice, but it’s very windy.)

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2️⃣ Choose the right one:

1. (하지만 / -지만) 오늘은 흐려요. ____ 덥지 않아요.
2. 눈이 오고 있어요. (하지만 / -지만) 길이 미끄럽지 않아요.
3. 바람이 불____ 날씨가 따뜻해요.

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3️⃣ Translate into Korean:

1. "It’s sunny, but it’s cold."
2. "Although it’s raining, I’m going outside."
3. "It’s cloudy. But it’s not going to rain."

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Comment your answers below! ⬇️😊