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Grammar / Level 1 / Lesson 25

~지만 and ~아/어도

By Daniel Buckley · 8 minute read · TOPIK 1

Vocabulary

  1. 죄송하다 - to be sorry
  2. 비싸다 - to be expensive
  3. 어렵다 - to be difficult
  4. 재미있다 - to be fun
  5. 피곤하다 - to be tired
  6. 앉다 - to sit
  7. 찍다 - to take (a photo)
  8. 들어가다 - to go in
  9. 되다 - to be OK, to be allowed
  10. 시험 - exam

Before bothering a stranger, Koreans often say 죄송하지만: "sorry, but". English puts "but" at the front of the next clause. Korean hangs it on the end of the first one, so you hear the turn coming before the second half starts.

아/어도 goes further. ~지만 sets two facts against each other, and 아/어도 says the first one changes nothing about the second: "even if", "even though". The two attach differently, and that's where most of the mistakes come from.

~지만: but

~지만 goes straight on the stem, like ~고, so irregular verbs stay as they are. Unlike 아/어서, it can take the past tense. Each side of 지만 is its own fact, and each can have its own tense.

Making the ~지만 form

  • Verbs and adjectives: drop 다, add 지만.먹다 → 먹지만춥다 → 춥지만
  • Past: add 지만 to the 았/었 stem.먹었지만갔지만
  • Nouns: add 이지만, or 지만 after a vowel.학생 → 학생이지만의사 → 의사지만

Pick a verb

먹다먹먹지만

  1. 이 옷은 비싸지만 예뻐요.

    These clothes are expensive, but pretty.

  2. 한국어는 어렵지만 재미있어요.

    Korean is difficult, but fun.

  3. 열심히 공부했지만 시험을 못 봤어요.

    (I) studied hard, but did badly on exam.

  4. 어제는 바빴지만 오늘은 괜찮아요.

    Yesterday (I) was busy, but today (I) am OK.

  5. 제 친구는 한국 사람이지만 매운 음식을 못 먹어요.

    My friend is Korean person, but can't eat spicy food.

To start a new sentence with "but", use 하지만 or 그렇지만, as in 비가 와요. 하지만 나갈 거예요, it's raining, but I'll go out.

※ 죄송하지만 and 미안하지만 soften a request or a refusal. 실례지만, from the noun 실례, a discourtesy, is the polite way to open a question to a stranger.

~아/어도: even if

This is the 아/어 base plus 도, the particle from lesson 12. There it meant "also". On a clause it's closer to "even", meaning the rest holds anyway. The first clause can be a real fact or only a possibility, and English needs "even though" for one and "even if" for the other.

Making the 아/어도 form

  • Verbs and adjectives: take the 해요 form, drop 요, add 도.먹어요 → 먹어도추워요 → 추워도해요 → 해도
  • Nouns: add 이어도, or 여도 after a vowel.학생 → 학생이어도친구 → 친구여도

Pick a verb

먹다먹어요먹어도

  1. 비가 와도 갈 거예요.

    Even if rain comes, (I) will go.

  2. 날씨가 추워도 나갈 거예요.

    Even if weather is cold, (I) will go out.

  3. 바빠도 아침은 먹어요.

    Even if (I) am busy, (I) eat breakfast.

  4. 많이 자도 피곤해요.

    Even though (I) sleep a lot, (I) am tired.

  5. 많이 먹어도 살이 안 쪄요.

    Even though (I) eat a lot, (I) don't gain weight.

  6. 아파도 학교에 갔어요.

    Even though (I) was sick, (I) went to school.

Example 6 is about the past, and 아파도 has no past tense in it. The end of the sentence is enough. You'll also meet 았/었어도, as in 아팠어도, but you don't need it here.

※ After nouns you'll often hear 이라도 where you might expect 이어도. (이)라도 has more jobs than this, and it comes back in lesson 69.

~지만 or ~아/어도?

~지만 puts two things side by side and points out the contrast. ~아/어도 says the first thing doesn't stop the second. If the first clause hasn't happened and may never happen, only 아/어도 works.

  1. 비가 오지만 나갈 거예요.

    Rain is coming, but (I) will go out.

  2. 비가 와도 나갈 거예요.

    Even if rain comes, (I) will go out.

In the first sentence you can see it raining. In the second it may be a clear day.

  1. 내일 비가 ___ 갈 거예요.

    Even if it rains tomorrow, I'll go.

  2. 언니는 키가 ___ 저는 작아요.

    My older sister is tall, but I'm short.

  3. 돈이 ___ 안 살 거예요.

    Even if I had the money, I wouldn't buy it.

Listen and type

1 / 3

Play it as often as you like.

아/어도 되다: may I?

Put 되다, to be OK, after 아/어도 and you get "even if you do it, it's OK". That's how Korean asks for and gives permission. Lesson 55 is the full treatment, but it's too useful to leave until then.

Asking and answering

  • Ask: 아/어도 돼요?앉아도 돼요?
  • Yes or no: 네, 돼요. 아니요, 안 돼요.
  • No need: put 안 before the verb. "Even if you don't, it's OK" is how Korean says "you don't have to".안 와도 돼요

  1. 여기 앉아도 돼요?

    Is it OK if (I) sit here?

  2. 사진을 찍어도 돼요?

    Is it OK if (I) take photo?

  3. 창문을 열어도 돼요?

    Is it OK if (I) open window?

  4. 네, 들어가도 돼요.

    Yes, (you) may go in.

  5. 오늘은 안 와도 돼요.

    Today (you) don't have to come.

A

저기요, 여기 앉아도 돼요?

Excuse me, here even if sit, OK?

B

죄송하지만 친구가 올 거예요.

Am sorry, but friend will come.

A

아, 네. 저기는 앉아도 돼요?

Ah, yes. There even if sit, OK?

B

네, 돼요.

Yes, is OK.

Common mistakes

  1. 바빠지만 갈 거예요.

    바쁘지만 갈 거예요.

    지만 goes on the stem, not the 아/어 base.

  2. 아프도 학교에 갔어요.

    아파도 학교에 갔어요.

    도 goes on the 아/어 base, not the stem. It's the opposite of 지만.

  3. 먹어도 되요?

    먹어도 돼요?

    되다 plus 어요 is 되어요, which shortens to 돼요. Plenty of Koreans get this one wrong in writing too.

Check yourself

Quick check

1 / 6

한국어는 ___ 재미있어요. (어렵다) Korean is difficult, but fun.

지만 goes on the stem.

Summary

~지만 forms
DictionaryStem~지만
먹다먹먹지만
가다가가지만
듣다듣듣지만
춥다춥춥지만
바쁘다바쁘바쁘지만
하다하하지만
~아/어도 forms
Dictionary해요~아/어도
먹다먹어요먹어도
가다가요가도
듣다들어요들어도
춥다추워요추워도
바쁘다바빠요바빠도
하다해요해도

Now you can say

  1. 죄송하지만 문 좀 열어 주세요.

    (I) am sorry, but please open door (for me).

  2. 비가 와도 갈 거예요.

    Even if rain comes, (I) will go.

  3. 여기 앉아도 돼요?

    Is it OK if (I) sit here?

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