But / Although

This pattern connects two clauses that have a contrasting relationship. The first clause presents a fact or situation, and the second clause presents an opposing or unexpected fact or situation.

Formation

It's very simple to form. Attach -지만 directly to the stem of a verb or adjective, regardless of whether it ends in a vowel or a consonant.

Verb Stems:

가다 (to go) → 가지만

먹다 (to eat) → 먹지만

Adjective Stems:

예쁘다 (to be pretty) → 예쁘지만

좋다 (to be good) → 좋지만

Tense

You can also attach -지만 to past or future tense stems.

Past Tense (-았/었-):

봤다 (saw) → 봤지만 (I saw it, but...)

좋았다 (was good) → 좋았지만 (It was good, but...)

Future/Conjecture (-겠-):

알겠다 (I understand) → 알겠지만 (I understand, but...)

맛있지만 너무 비싸. / 알지만 모르는 척했어. / 춥지만 하늘이 맑아. / 오래됐지만 잘 돼요.

Learners often confuse -지만 with -(으)ㄴ데, as both can translate to "but." However, they have different nuances.

-지만: Direct Contrast

Use -지만 when you want to express a clear, direct, and sometimes strong opposition between two facts. The first clause is true, in spite of the second clause being true.

Focus: Opposition. "A is true, but B is also true (and B is contrary to A)."

Example: 한국어는 어렵지만 재미있어요. (Korean is difficult, but it's fun.) The difficulty and fun are presented as two opposing facts about Korean.

-(으)ㄴ데: Background & Soft Contrast

-(으)ㄴ데 is much broader. It can show a soft contrast, but its primary function is to provide background information or context for the main clause. It connects ideas more loosely.

Focus: Context. "Given fact A, here is B (a question, suggestion, or contrasting situation)."