-지만 Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

What you'll learn

• Attach -지만 to any verb, adjective or 이다.
• Put tense and honorific endings in the right place.
• Use -지만 to soften a request, as in 죄송하지만.
• Choose between -지만, -(으)ㄴ/는데 and -(으)나.

Prerequisites: the polite ending -아요/어요 and the past tense -았/었-. Time: about 15 minutes.

Key facts

• -지만 joins two clauses and marks the second as a contrast to the first.
• The form never changes: stem + 지만. Irregular verbs keep their stems.
• A tense goes before it: 먹었지만 ("ate, but").
• It works in speech and in writing, in polite, casual and formal styles.
• The contrasting idea comes in the second clause, so the speaker's real point is usually at the end.

Listen to two model sentences.

The next section defines the pattern.

What Does -지만 Grammar Mean?

-지만 means "but" or "although". A connective ending is a word ending that joins one clause to the next. -지만 is a connective ending that tells the listener, "The next idea goes against what you might expect from the first one."

The two clauses are directly opposed. Think of a scale. In 비싸지만 맛있어요, "expensive" sits on the bad side and "tasty" on the good side. The speaker admits the first fact and then gives the second fact as the stronger point.

Here are two glossed examples.

The same ending is used in a second, politer way. Before a request or a refusal, 지만 works as a softener. 죄송하지만 물 좀 주세요 means "Sorry, but could I have some water?" Nothing is really being contrasted here. The speaker is simply being gentle.

The next section shows how to build the form.

How Do You Form -지만?

The rule is the simplest in Korean grammar. Remove 다 from the dictionary form to get the stem, then add 지만. The stem is the verb or adjective without its dictionary ending -다. For 먹다 the stem is 먹.

Most connective endings change with the last sound of the stem. They need 아/어 or 으 in some cases. -지만 does not, because it starts with a consonant. A consonant-first ending never needs a helping vowel, so the stem is left exactly as it is.

Two sound changes appear in this table. After a final consonant such as ㄱ, ㅂ or ㅅ, the ㅈ of 지 is said as a tense ㅉ, so 먹지만 sounds like [먹찌만]. This tensing happens in speech only; the spelling does not change. Revised Romanization (RR) does not mark tensing that comes from a neighbouring sound, so it writes meokjiman. The second change is aspiration. The ㅎ of 좋 and 많 joins the following ㅈ and makes ㅊ, so 좋지만 sounds like [조치만]. RR writes this aspiration in predicates, so it is jochiman.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

Vowel stems take 지만 directly: 가지만, 비싸지만, 크지만. No contraction takes place. Compare this with -아/어서, where 가 + 아서 becomes 가서 and 크 + 어서 becomes 커서.

For verbs made with 하다, add 지만 to 하: 공부하지만, 피곤하지만. You do not need to change 하 to 해.

Stems Ending in a Consonant

Consonant stems also take 지만 directly: 먹지만, 읽지만, 좋지만. There is no 으 to insert. This is the biggest difference from -(으)ㄴ/는데 and -(으)면, which add 으 after a consonant.

Irregular Stems and Nouns

Irregular stems do not change before 지만. An irregular stem is one that changes its shape before an ending that begins with a vowel. 지만 begins with a consonant, so the change never happens.

The ㄹ row is worth noting. A stem that ends in ㄹ loses it before ㄴ, ㅂ and ㅅ, so 알다 becomes 아세요 and 압니다. Before ㅈ it stays: 알지만.

For nouns, use 이다, which means "to be". After a consonant use 이지만, and after a vowel use 지만, because 이 can drop.

학생이지만 is said [학쌩이지만], with a tense ㅅ after ㄱ. The next section builds a full sentence.

Worked Example: Building 저는 한국어를 공부하지만 아직 어려워요

Say that you study Korean but it is still hard. Follow five steps.

1. Write the first fact. "I study Korean" is 저는 한국어를 공부해요 in the polite style.
2. Find the stem. The dictionary form is 공부하다, so the stem is 공부하.
3. Add 지만. 공부하지만 means "I study, but". Take away the polite ending 해요, because the ending belongs to the last verb only.
4. Write the second fact. "It is still hard" is 아직 어려워요. The adverb 아직 means "still".
5. Join the two parts. 저는 한국어를 공부하지만 아직 어려워요.

You'll know it worked when the first verb ends in 지만 with nothing after it, and the polite ending 요 appears only once, at the end. Try the same steps with "The food is expensive, but I like it": 비싸다 gives 비싸지만, and 좋아해요 follows.

The next section covers tense and sentence types.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -지만?

Tense in Korean is shown on the verb before the ending. For -지만, put the tense marker between the stem and 지만. Then the last verb of the sentence carries the speech level.

Unlike -아/어서, -지만 allows every sentence type after it. You can follow it with a statement, a question, a command or a suggestion. That is because it only marks a contrast and does not give a reason.

The two halves can have different tenses and different subjects. 어제는 추웠지만 오늘은 따뜻해요 means "Yesterday was cold, but today is warm." The ending 요 on 따뜻해요 sets the speech level for the whole sentence.

Yes/no questions end with a rise: 비싸지만 살래요? A wh-question puts the stress on the question word and often ends with a fall or a rise-fall, rather than a sharp rise: 비싸지만 뭐가 제일 맛있어요? means "It is pricey, but what tastes best?"

The next section compares -지만 with its neighbours.

How Is -지만 Different from -(으)ㄴ/는데?

Both can be translated as "but", and that is why learners mix them up. The difference is how strongly the second idea opposes the first.

The key test is whether the first clause is only background. If you are just opening the topic, use -(으)ㄴ/는데. Compare these two.

• 저는 민수인데요. ("This is Minsu. [I'm calling about something.]") The first clause only introduces the speaker. -지만 would be wrong here, because there is nothing to oppose.
• 저는 커피를 좋아하지만 동생은 차를 좋아해요. ("I like coffee, but my younger sibling likes tea.") Here the two tastes are in contrast, so -지만 fits. Ask whether you would say "but" in English. If not, -(으)ㄴ/는데 is probably the better choice.

For a detailed side-by-side with practice, see -는데 vs -지만 and -(으)ㄴ/는데도 vs -지만.

Is 하지만 the same as -지만? Yes in meaning, and no in grammar. 하지만 is a conjunctive adverb, a word that begins a new sentence: 비싸요. 하지만 맛있어요. -지만 sits inside a sentence and attaches to the stem. You can also use 그렇지만 in the same way as 하지만. 그러나 is the more formal choice.

The next section covers set phrases and edge cases.

Variations and Edge Cases of -지만

Politeness Softeners

Some forms of -지만 are set phrases. They come before a request, a question or bad news. You will hear them every day.

실례지만 is said [실례지만]. Use it before a question: 실례지만 지금 몇 시예요? means "Excuse me, but what time is it now?" In 바쁘시겠지만, the 시 shows respect and 겠 shows that you are guessing.

Fuller and More Formal Shapes

지만 is a short form of 지마는, which you may meet in older texts and songs. In formal speech there is also -ㅂ니다만 or -습니다만, as in 죄송합니다만. This one opens a sentence in a very polite way: "I am sorry, but..." The ordinary -지만 is better for learners at this level.

At the End of a Sentence

You can add 요 to a clause ending in 지만 and stop. 맛있지만요... leaves the listener to guess the rest, which is something like "It tastes good, but (there is a catch)." Use it for a gentle reservation or a hint of refusal. It sounds natural in speech, but it is not needed in writing.

Contrast with 은/는

The topic particles 은/는 often appear on both sides of -지만. 형은 키가 크지만 동생은 작아요 means "My older brother is tall, but my younger sibling is small." The pair 형은 and 동생은 sets up the contrast, and 지만 completes it. The particle 은/는 adds the sense of "as for this one", which goes well with "but".

Make the First Clause Stronger

To admit a fact and then reject it, learners meet the pattern -기는 하지만, as in 맛있기는 하지만 ("it is tasty, true, but..."). It has its own page: -기는 하지만.

Joining Nouns Instead

-지만 joins clauses, not words. To say "A and B" with two nouns, use 와/과 and with particle. To say "A or B", use (이)나 or particle.

The next section lists the mistakes that appear most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -지만?

Learners make six predictable mistakes. Each has a reason and a fix.

Learners often use -지만 for background. Actually -지만 needs a real contrast. Wrong: 저는 김민수지만요 (when picking up a phone call). Right: 저는 김민수인데요. Fix: if the first clause only sets the scene, use -(으)ㄴ/는데.

Learners often add 지만 to a noun directly. Actually a noun needs 이다. Wrong: 학생지만 (after a consonant). Right: 학생이지만. After a vowel, 이 can drop: 의사지만. Fix: say the noun plus 이지만 first, then drop 이 only after a vowel.

Learners often use -지만 when there is no contrast. Wrong: 저는 한국어를 좋아하지만 한국 음식도 좋아해요. Right: 저는 한국어를 좋아하고 한국 음식도 좋아해요. Fix: if "and" fits in English, use -고, not -지만.

Learners often double the "but". Actually 지만 and 하지만 do the same job. Wrong: 비싸지만 하지만 맛있어요. Right: 비싸지만 맛있어요. Or: 비싸요. 하지만 맛있어요. Fix: pick one.

Learners often change the stem. Actually irregular stems stay whole before 지만. Wrong: 더우지만 and 들지만. Right: 덥지만 and 듣지만. Fix: do not apply the -아/어 rules here.

Learners often put the polite ending inside. Wrong: 비싸요지만 맛있어요. Right: 비싸지만 맛있어요. Fix: attach 지만 to the bare stem, and put 요 only on the last verb. A tense marker such as 았/었 is fine inside: 비쌌지만.

The next section gives you practice.

Practice and Answers

Do the four tasks, then compare with the key.

Task 1: join the sentences with -지만. Write one sentence for each pair.

1. 이 옷은 예뻐요. / 비싸요.
2. 저는 요리를 좋아해요. / 잘 못해요.
3. 어제는 추웠어요. / 오늘은 따뜻해요.
4. 한국어는 어려워요. / 재미있어요.

Task 2: fix the error. Each sentence has one mistake. Rewrite it correctly.

1. 학생지만 일도 해요.
2. 한국어는 어려워요지만 재미있어요.
3. 날씨가 더우지만 밖에 나갔어요.

Task 3: translate. Write in Korean: "I know the answer, but I can't say it." and "Sorry, but could you help me?"

Task 4: write your own. Write one sentence that contrasts two things about food, and one that contrasts yesterday with today.

Answer key

1. (1) 이 옷은 예쁘지만 비싸요. (2) 저는 요리를 좋아하지만 잘 못해요. (3) 어제는 추웠지만 오늘은 따뜻해요. (4) 한국어는 어렵지만 재미있어요.
2. (1) 학생이지만 일도 해요. (2) 한국어는 어렵지만 재미있어요. (3) 날씨가 덥지만 밖에 나갔어요.
3. 저는 답을 알지만 말할 수 없어요. 죄송하지만 좀 도와주시겠어요? Other correct versions exist, for example 죄송하지만 도와주세요.
4. Sample answers: 한국 음식은 맵지만 맛있어요. 어제는 비가 왔지만 오늘은 맑아요. Any pair is correct if each half ends with the right stem and 지만 sits on the first verb.

If task 1 was correct, you have the formation rule. If task 2 was hard, check whether you changed a stem or put 요 inside. The next section points you to what comes after this lesson.

What Should You Learn after -지만 Grammar?

After -지만, learn -(으)ㄴ/는데, the most flexible linker, which gives background and sets up requests. The written, formal "but" is -(으)나. When the result is surprising, continue with -(으)ㄴ/는데도.

For a wider view, the parent page And / But Connectors lists every connector in this group. To plan by level, use Beginner Grammar.

This lesson covers -지만 in the polite, casual and formal styles. It does not cover contrast with nouns, or every written variation. About this page. Last updated 2026-10-09. Revised Romanization follows the national rules and is shown only as a learning aid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does -지만 Mean?

-지만 means "but" or "although". It joins two clauses and tells the listener that the second idea is in contrast with the first. 비싸지만 맛있어요 means "It is expensive, but it tastes good". It can also soften a request, as in 죄송하지만 물 좀 주세요.

How Do I Attach -지만 to a Verb or Adjective?

Take the stem, which is the dictionary form without 다, and add 지만. 먹다 becomes 먹지만, 가다 becomes 가지만 and 비싸다 becomes 비싸지만. There is no vowel rule and no irregular change. For 이다, use (이)지만: 학생이지만 after a consonant, and 의사지만 after a vowel.

Can -지만 Be Used in the past Tense?

Yes. Put 았/었 before it: 먹었지만, 갔지만, 비쌌지만. You can also put 겠 before it for a guess: 비싸겠지만. The two halves can have different tenses, for example 어제는 추웠지만 오늘은 따뜻해요. The sentence tense is shown mainly on the last verb.

Is -지만 Used in Speech or Only in Writing?

Both. It is natural in conversation, messages, news and essays, and it works in polite, casual and formal styles. Written Korean sometimes prefers -(으)나 or the sentence word 그러나, which are more formal. In everyday speech, -지만 and 하지만 are the normal choices.

What Is the Difference between -지만 and -(으)ㄴ/는데?

-지만 is a clear "but": the two ideas oppose each other. -(으)ㄴ/는데 is wider. It can set the scene, give mild contrast or lead into a question. Use -지만 when you want to stress the contrast, and -(으)ㄴ/는데 when you open a topic or prepare a request.

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