Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 7 - Upper-Intermediate Korean #2 (Lessons 181 to 210) ᚛ Lesson 209 - While… and yet in Korean [-(으)면서도]
While… and yet in Korean [-(으)면서도]
You know -(으)면서, "while", for two simultaneous actions. By adding 도, "also, even", we get -(으)면서도: "while… and yet", "although… at the same time". The two actions remain simultaneous, but the second contradicts what the first led us to expect: one knows, and yet does not act; one loves, and yet hides it.
While… and yet with -(으)면서도
The structure is built on the verb or adjective of the first clause:
[Situation or action 1: … Stem](으)면서도 [Action 2, contrary to expectation]
-면서도 after a vowel or ㄹ, -으면서도 after a consonant; with a noun, (이)면서도. The subject of both clauses is the same, and the tense is carried by the second verb. Verbs of knowledge and feeling are particularly frequent in the first part: 알면서도, "while knowing", 좋아하면서도, "while liking", 싫으면서도, "while hating".
민지는 그 사실을 다 알면서도 모르는 척했어요.
→ Minji knew everything, and yet she pretended not to know.
재현이는 민지를 좋아하면서도 한 번도 고백하지 못했어요.
→ Jaehyun likes Minji, but he has never managed to confess it to her.
마크는 한국어가 어려우면서도 재미있다고 했어요.
→ Mark said that Korean was difficult and yet fun at the same time.
돈이 없으면서도 비싼 옷만 사는 친구가 있어요.
→ I have a friend who has no money and yet only buys expensive clothes.
그 사람은 웃으면서도 눈은 전혀 웃지 않았어요.
→ That person was smiling, but their eyes were not smiling at all.
건강에 나쁘다는 걸 알면서도 담배를 끊지 못하고 있어요.
→ I know it is bad for my health, and yet I cannot quit smoking.
Nuances and related structures
Learn more
Exercises
Learn more
Traveling to South Korea can be an unforgettable experience. But when you don’t speak Korean, everything gets more complicated: ordering in a restaurant or café becomes stressful, you can’t understand signs or directions, asking for help in case of trouble is nearly impossible, and most importantly, you miss out on the very essence of a successful trip to Korea: connecting with the locals.
Since English - Korean machine translators can’t always be trusted (the two languages work in completely different ways), it’s essential to prepare yourself in advance to fully enjoy your trip to South Korea!
Learn more