Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 3 - Korean for Beginners #2 (Lessons 61 to 90) ᚛ Lesson 76 - But / Even though / Therefore / So in Korean [-(으)ㄴ/는데]

But / Even though / Therefore / So in Korean [-(으)ㄴ/는데]

In this course: ㄴ데 / 은데 / 는데

In Korean, there is a commonly used verbal ending that among other things allows one to mark a slight contrast or to explain something, namely the suffix -(으)ㄴ/는데. Translating this suffix literally in English is not an easy task because it is all-purpose and can be used in numerous cases. So, depending on the sentence, we could translate the -(으)ㄴ/는데 form as "even though", "but", "nevertheless", "so", "and", … etc.

The -(으)ㄴ/는데 structure

In the present tense

To use the -(으)ㄴ/는데 structure in Korean, one proceeds like this:
[Action 1 : … Verb in the present adjectival form]데 [Action 2]

Review: the adjectival form

가다 (= to go) has the adjectival form 가는 in the present tense.

• 가다 → 가는데

크다 (= to be big) has the adjectival form 큰 in the present tense.

• 크다 → 큰데

In the past and future tenses

-(으)ㄴ/는데 to express a slight contrast

The -(으)ㄴ/는데 structure is often able to be replaced by  -고 ("and") or -지만 ("but"). However, -(으)ㄴ/는데 has a slight nuance. Somehow, it softens the sentence and allows one to have a more pleasant, less abrupt conversation.

저는 프랑스 사람인데 한국어를 잘 할 수 있어요.
→ I am French, but I can speak Korean well.
→ I am French and I can speak Korean well.
→ Even though I am French, I can speak Korean well.

It isn't a real opposition that has a strong "but", but simply two statements which follow each other. In English one can use "and" or "but". The -(으)ㄴ/는데 form is, therefore, appropriate here.

저는 자전거가 있는데 차가 없어요.
→ I have a bike, but I don't have a car.
→ I have a bike and I don't have a car.

난 피곤한데 영화 보고 싶어.
→ I am tired, but I want to see a movie.

가고 싶은데 배가 아파요.
→ I want to go there, but I have a belly ache.

제 동생은 노래는 잘 부르는데 춤은 잘 못 춰요.
→ My little sister sings well but cannot dance well.

집에서 쉬고 싶은데 바빠서 지금 회사에 가고 있어.
→ I want to rest at home, but since I'm busy (with work) I am going to work now.

민지한테 고백했는데 거절당했어.
→ I confessed my love to Minji, but I was rejected.

-(으)ㄴ/는데 to give an explanation

Summary table of structure

Exercises

Comments (0)