The Korean language is rich in grammar structures that allow speakers to convey nuanced meanings and express contrasting ideas. One such structure is the suffix -지만 (-jiman), which plays a crucial role in connecting and contrasting different clauses within a sentence. In this blog post, we will explore the usage and significance of -지만, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of how to incorporate it into your Korean language repertoire.
-지만 comes from words such as 그렇지만 or 하지만 which both mean “but”. If you haven’t already noticed, Koreans are very “빨리 빨리” (quickly quickly) so will take any opportunity to shorten the words if they can.
Let’s take a look at a few examples.
한국어가 어려워요. 하지만 재미있어요. Korean is difficult. But it is fun.
공부하기 싫어요. 그렇지만 내일 쉬험 있어요. I hate to study. But I have exam tomorrow.
Even in English, writing out two sentences like this sounds a bit, unnatural. You want the sentences to flow. This is the same in Korean. So instead of having two long sentences, we can shorten these into one sentence.
한국어가 어렵지만, 재미있어요.
공부하기 싫지만 내일 쉬험 있어요.
Present tense conjugation
Conjugation for this sentence structure is straight forward. Just drop the 다 and add 지만.
Examples
- 하다 –> 하 + 지만 –> 하지만
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 지만 –> 먹지만
- 보다 –> 보 + 지만 –> 보지만
- 쓰다 –> 쓰 + 지만 –> 쓰지만
- 좋아하다 –> 좋아하 + 지만 –> 좋아하지만
Past tense conjugation
In terms of the past tense, we will need to use the past tense conjugation rules and then add 지만.
The simplest way to think about this is to first make the verb in the past tense verb stem i.e. 갔다. Then remove 다 and add 지만. So this becomes 갔지만.
Examples
- 하다 –> 했다 –> 했 + 지만 –> 했지만
- 보다 –> 봤다 –> 봤 + 지만 –> 봤지만
- 오다 –> 왔다 –> 왔 + 지만 –> 왔지만
- 먹다 –> 먹었다 –> 먹었 + 지만 –> 먹었지만
Future tense conjugation
For the future tense, we will just take the verb in the verb stem, drop 다 and add 겠지만.
Examples
- 가다 –> 가 + 겠지만 –> 가겠지만
- 하다 –> 하 + 겠지만 –> 하겠지만
- 보다 –> 보 + 겠지만 –> 보겠지만
- 오다 –> 오 + 겠지만 –> 오겠지만
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 겠지만 –> 먹겠지만
Usage 1
-지만 serves as a conjunction, much like the English word “but,” to link contrasting clauses within a sentence. It is used to express a contrast between the first clause, often presenting a situation or fact, and the second clause, which offers a contrasting element or an unexpected outcome. The primary function of -지만 is to highlight the discrepancy or difference between the two ideas.
Example:
Original sentence: 한국어가 어려워요. 하지만 재미있어요.
(Korean is difficult. But it is fun.)
Rewritten sentence: 한국어가 어렵지만, 재미있어요.
(Korean is difficult but it is fun.)
Original sentence: 한국 음식이 너무 매워요. 하지만 맛있어요.
(Korean food is very spicy. But it is difficult.)
Rewritten sentence: 한국 음식이 너무 맵지만 맛있어요.
(Korean food is very spicy but it is delicious.)
In the above example, -지만 replaces the conjunction 그렇지만, emphasizing the contrast between the fact that even though Korean is difficult, it is fun and the fact that Korean food is very spicy, it is delicious.
The sentence can also be translated to “Even though Korean is difficult, it is fun”. In essence, the meaning stays the same regardless of how it is translated. But, a literal translation would still be “Korean is difficult, but it is fun”.
Usage 2
-지만 can also be used to soften statements by introducing a contrast or limitation, thus making the sentence less direct or confrontational. This usage conveys a sense of politeness or tactfulness, allowing speakers to express their opinion while acknowledging opposing viewpoints or considering potential reservations. Korean language is all about politeness and showing respect towards other in their communication and that’s why Korean has a lot of different grammar structures that helps the speaker to soften their use of the language.
Example:
Original sentence: 그 의견은 틀렸어요.
(Your opinion is wrong.)
Rewritten sentence: 그 의견은 틀렸지만, 조금 다른 방법을 생각해 볼 만 해요.
(Your opinion is wrong, but it might be worth considering a slightly different approach.)
By adding -지만 to the sentence, the speaker acknowledges the other person’s opinion while suggesting an alternative perspective. This softening effect maintains a respectful tone and fosters open communication rather than directly saying they are wrong.
Topic marking particle
It is worth mentioning that adding topic marking particle in sentences with 지만 will be more natural, especially when the sentence is comparing or contrasting two different things. Have a look at the below sentences and just notice when 은/는 is used. Often times particles can be dropped in Korean but there are certain situations where you just feel the need to add them, to emphasize them more.
Sample sentences
- 저는 스포츠를 즐기지만 축구는 잘 못 해요. – I enjoy sports but I am not good at soccer.
- 지금은 바쁘지만 내일은 시간이 있을 거예요. – I am busy right now but I will have time tomorrow.
- 운동하는 거 몸에 좋지만 힘들어요. – Exercising is good for you but it’s hard.
- 내일은 휴일이지만 할 일이 많아요. – Tomorrow is my day off but I have a lot to do.
- 지난 주말은 너무 바빴지만 좋은 사간 보냈어요. – I was very busy last weekend but I had a good time.
- 지난 주에는 날씨가 좋았지만 이번 주는 비가 많이 와요. – The weather was good last week but this week it’s raining a lot.
- 어제는 너무 피곤했지만 친구들이랑 같이 밤샜어요. I was really tired yesterday but I stayed up all night with my friends.
- 아담 오겠지만 오래 못 있을 거예요. Adam will come but he probably won’t stay long.