지만 is the connective ending that allows you to express contrast or opposition between two ideas. Whether you’re talking about conflicting situations, describing something with both positive and negative aspects, or politely disagreeing with someone, 지만 will help you do so smoothly. In today’s post, we’ll take a detailed look at how 지만 works.
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1. 지만 Grammar
There are conjunctions that show "but" or "however"; 그렇지만 or 하지만. When you use these, you give two sentences.
이 음식은 맛있어요. 그렇지만 너무 짜요. This food is tasty. However, it is too salty.
저는 사과를 좋아해요. 하지만 제 친구는 사과를 싫어해요. I like apples. But my friends don't like apples.
There is a way we can combine these two sentences into one. We can use 지만 grammar!
The connective ending 지만 indicates contrast or opposition between two clauses. You use 지만 when you want to present one fact in the first clause, then introduce something different or contradictory in the second clause.
A지만 B: A but B
<Fun Fact>
지만 is actually a shortened form of 지마는, but 지만 is the form more commonly used in modern Korean.
2. Conjugation
It can be added to a verb, adjective, or even the verbs 이다 (to be) and 아니다 (not to be). One of the benefits of using 지만 is that there's no need to worry about complex conjugations. You simply attach 지만 without any additional steps. I'll still show you some examples here.
동사 verbs
먹다 to eat → 먹지만
마시다 to drink → 마시지만
좋아하다 to like → 좋아하지만
공부하다 to study → 공부하지만
놀다 to play → 놀지만
듣다 to listen → 듣지만
돕다 to help → 돕지만
쓰다 to write → 쓰지만
형용사 adjectives
좋다 to be good → 좋지만
나쁘다 to be bad → 나쁘지만
크다 to be big → 크지만
작다 to be small → 작지만
길다 to be long → 길지만
짧다 to be short → 짧지만
이다/아니다
이다 to be → 이지만
아니다 not to be → 아니지만
3. Sentence Information
Topic Marker
When contrasting nouns, it’s important to use the topic marker 은/는, rather than the subject marker 이/가. This is because 은/는 naturally carries a contrastive nuance, making it more suitable when using 지만, which inherently introduces contrasting ideas.
저는 학생이지만 제 형은 교수예요. I'm a student but my older brother is a professor.
저는 한국에 살지만 제 동생은 미국에 살아요. I live in Korea but my younger sibling lives in the U.S.
Tense
You have to attach the past tense 었 or future tense/guess 겠 when you talk about the past or future.
어제는 비가 왔다. (It was rainy yesterday.) + 오늘은 맑다. (Today, it is clear.)
⇨ 어제는 비가 왔지만 오늘은 맑아요. It was rainy yesterday, but today it is clear.
(X) 어제는 비가 오지만 오늘은 맑아요.
↳ 어제 means yesterday. It is past. So you need to use 왔지만 not 오지만!
Some connective endings don't be attached to the tense word. For example, the connective ending for reason 아/어/여서 can't have 었 or 겠 with it. But 지만 should be attached with a tense word if it is about the past or future!
Idiomatic Usage
In certain situations, 지만 is also used when making polite requests or seeking understanding, especially with expressions like 미안하다 (sorry), 죄송하다 (sorry), and 실례이다 (excuse me).
미안하지만 나 좀 도와줄래. I'm sorry but please help me. (Informal casual)
죄송하지만 저 좀 도와주세요. I'm sorry but please help me. (Informal polite)
실례지만 근처에 서점이 있나요? Excuse me, is there a bookstore nearby?
4. Examples
Let's see more examples! I'll also break down each example for you!
1
다이아몬드는 비싸지만 큐빅은 싸요.
Diamond is expensive, but cubic zirconia is cheap.
The example is comparing two nouns; a diamond(다이아몬드) and cubic zirconia(큐빅). 비싸다 means to be expensive.
2
이 책은 두껍지만 정말 재미있어요.
This book is thick but really fun.
The example compares the properties of the book. 두껍다 "means to be thick" and 재미있다 "means to be fun/interesting/amusing."
3
코끼리는 크지만 생쥐는 작아요.
The Elephant is big but the mouse is small.
코끼리-elephant, 생쥐 or 쥐 is a mouse. 크다 means "to be big" and 작다 means "to be small."
4
유리는 키가 크지만 철수는 키가 작아요.
Yuri is tall but Cheolsu is short.
키 means "height." By adding this 크다 and 작다, you can show the height is tall and short. 키가 크다 means to be tall and 키가 작다 means to be short.
5
저는 노래는 잘하지만 춤은 못 춰요.
I can sing well but I can't dance.
노래 is a sing and 춤 is a dance. 추다 is a verb "to dance." 잘하다 means to do well. It can be used to show "can 00 well." 못 is an adverb that shows you can't or you don't have enough ability. If you want to learn about them more, please click here.
5. Wrap-up & Worksheet
지만 is a connective ending that contrasts two clauses(verb, adjective, 이다 or 아니다.) Let's review.
A지만 B: A but B
To nouns that are being compared, attach the topic marker 은/는.
The tense word needs to be attached 었 or 겠 when it is needed.
Here, I prepared the free and printable worksheet. The answers are throughout the lesson. So, once you finished solving, come back to the lesson and check your answers. It'll help you to review as well!
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