새김

Grammar

-지만

but / although

Meaning

-지만 joins two ideas that contrast: the second part goes against what the first part might lead you to expect. It attaches to verb and adjective stems.

Form

  • Any verb or adjective stem

    stem + 지만

    비싸다 → 비싸지만

  • Past

    -았/었지만

    가다 → 갔지만

  • Noun + 이다

    이지만

    학생 → 학생이지만

Examples

  • 비싸지만 맛있어요.

    It's expensive, but delicious.

  • 한국어는 어렵지만 재미있어요.

    Korean is hard, but it's fun.

  • 어제는 바빴지만 오늘은 괜찮아요.

    I was busy yesterday, but today I'm fine.

Watch out

Contrast, not just "and"

-고 adds another fact: 싸고 맛있어요 (cheap and delicious). Use -지만 when the two parts pull in different directions: 비싸지만 맛있어요. In speech, -는데 can also show contrast, often more softly.