LEARN + KOREAN / Note 35 TOPIK I

But (-지만)

-지만 means “but,” and it attaches straight to any stem, no vowel harmony, no irregular shifts, not even a consonant-versus-vowel split to check. It even sits happily after a past-tense marker: 아팠지만 (was sick, but…).

고기는 안 좋아하지만 생선은 좋아해요.

gogineun an joahajiman saengseoneun joahaeyo.

I don't like meat, but I like fish.

In Real Life

고기는…생선은… stacks two 는 markers back to back, the same contrastive move from 은/는 vs 이/가. -지만 states the contrast grammatically; doubling up 는 on both halves underlines it.

어제는 아팠지만 오늘은 괜찮아요.

eojeneun apatjiman oneureun gwaenchanayo.

I was sick yesterday, but I'm okay today.

신발이 예쁘지만 비싸요.

sinbari yeppeujiman bissayo.

The shoes are pretty but expensive.

식당이 작지만 음식이 맛있어요.

sikdangi jakjiman eumsigi masisseoyo.

The restaurant is small but the food is delicious.

토요일에는 가지만 일요일에는 안 가요.

toyoireneun gajiman iryoireneun an gayo.

I go on Saturday, but not on Sunday.

맵지만 맛있어요.

maepjiman masisseoyo.

It's spicy but delicious.

In Real Life

That last one is worth noticing closely: 맵다 is ㅂ-irregular everywhere else, 매워요, 매운, but in front of -지만 it stays 맵지만, untouched. -지만 doesn’t trigger any of the irregular shifts you’ve learned. It just attaches.

Vocabulary

Korean	English
고기 gogi	meat
생선 saengseon	fish (as food)
아프다 apeuda	to be sick, to hurt
괜찮다 gwaenchanta	to be okay, fine
예쁘다 yeppeuda	to be pretty
잘생기다 jalsaenggida	to be handsome
친절하다 chinjeolhada	to be kind
게으르다 geeureuda	to be lazy
부지런하다 bujireonhada	to be diligent
똑똑하다 ttokttokhada	to be smart
활발하다 hwalbalhada	to be energetic, outgoing
조용하다 joyonghada	to be quiet
시끄럽다 sikkeureopda	to be loud, noisy
재미없다 jaemieopda	to be boring, not fun
소심하다 sosimhada	to be timid
대담하다 daedamhada	to be bold
상냥하다 sangnyanghada	to be sweet-mannered, kind
무뚝뚝하다 mutukttukhada	to be curt, blunt
유쾌하다 yukwaehada	to be cheerful
예의 바르다 yeui bareuda	to be polite, well-mannered