-(으)ㄴ/는데도 Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

What you'll learn

• Attach -(으)ㄴ/는데도 to verbs, adjectives and 이다.
• Put the past tense and the honorific -시- in the right place.
• Tell -(으)ㄴ/는데도 apart from -지만, -아/어도 and -(으)ㄴ/는데.
• Avoid the biggest mistake: using it for imagined situations.

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

Key facts

• Verbs take 는데도, adjectives take (으)ㄴ데도, and the past takes 았/었는데도.
• Both facts must be real. An imagined "even if" uses -아/어도.
• It works in speech and writing. The last verb sets the politeness.
• The ending is -(으)ㄴ/는데 plus the particle 도, which here means "even".

Listen to two model sentences.

The next section defines the pattern.

What Does -(으)ㄴ/는데도 Grammar Mean?

-(으)ㄴ/는데도 means "even though". A connective ending is a word ending that joins one clause to the next. This one tells the listener: "The first fact is true, but the result you would expect did not follow."

Think of an expectation. If you study hard, you expect to pass. In the first model sentence the expected result is "pass", but the real result is "fail". The ending 는데도 marks that gap. The speaker is not only saying "but". The speaker is saying "this is surprising".

The ending has two parts. -(으)ㄴ/는데 is a connector that gives background or a mild contrast. The particle 도 means "also" or "even". Put together, "background + even" gives "even though". The particle itself is explained on the page for also particle 도, so this lesson does not repeat it.

The next section shows how to build the form.

How Do You Form -(으)ㄴ/는데도?

The form depends on the word class. The stem is the verb or adjective without its dictionary ending -다. For 먹다 the stem is 먹.

Two sound changes appear. In 먹는데도, the ㄱ of 먹 comes before the ㄴ of 는, so it is said as ㅇ: [멍는데도]. This is nasalization. In 먹었는데도, the final ㅆ of 었 is first said as ㄷ and then as ㄴ, so the result is [머건는데도]. Revised Romanization (RR) writes the sound that is heard, so it shows nn in meogeonneundedo.

Why do verbs and adjectives differ? 는 is the present marker of a verb, and ㄴ/은 is the present marker of an adjective. The same split appears in the modifier forms 먹는 (the eating) and 큰 (big). 있다 and 없다 act like verbs here, so they take 는: 있는데도, 없는데도.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

A vowel-final verb takes 는데도 directly: 가는데도, 오는데도, 공부하는데도. A vowel-final adjective takes only ㄴ, which sits under the last syllable: 비싸 + ㄴ → 비싼, 크 + ㄴ → 큰, 피곤하 + ㄴ → 피곤한.

Stems Ending in a Consonant

A consonant-final verb takes 는데도 with no helping vowel: 먹는데도, 읽는데도. A consonant-final adjective takes 은데도: 좋은데도, 작은데도 [자근데도].

Irregular Stems and Nouns

Irregular stems change only when the next sound is a vowel. Here the adjective ending 은 begins with a vowel, so ㅂ-irregular adjectives change, while verbs followed by 는데도 do not.

For nouns, use 이다 ("to be"). Both after a vowel and after a consonant the form is 인데도: 학생인데도, 의사인데도. In the past it is 이었는데도, as in 학생이었는데도 [학쌩이언는데도]. The negative of 이다 is 아니다, which gives 아닌데도.

The next section builds a full sentence.

Worked Example: Building 열심히 공부했는데도 시험에 떨어졌어요

Say that you studied hard but failed an exam. Follow five steps.

1. Write the first fact. "I studied hard" is 열심히 공부했어요 in the polite style.
2. Find the stem and the tense. The dictionary form is 공부하다. The past stem is 공부했, from 공부하 + 았 contracted to 공부했.
3. Add 는데도. 공부했 + 는데도 gives 공부했는데도, "even though I studied". Take away the polite ending 어요, because it belongs to the last verb only.
4. Write the surprising result. "I failed the exam" is 시험에 떨어졌어요. The verb 떨어지다 means "to fall" and, with 시험에, "to fail an exam".
5. Join the two parts. 열심히 공부했는데도 시험에 떨어졌어요.

You'll know it worked when the first verb ends in 는데도 with nothing after it, the result is a surprise, and the polite ending 요 appears only once, at the end. Try the same steps with "Even though I took medicine, my fever did not go down": 약을 먹었는데도 열이 안 내려요.

The next section covers tense and sentence types.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -(으)ㄴ/는데도?

Tense in Korean is shown on the verb before the ending. For -(으)ㄴ/는데도, a past marker goes between the stem and 는데도. The final verb then carries the speech level for the whole sentence.

The first row needs a note. When you tell a story in the past, the first clause often stays in the present form. 비가 오는데도 등산을 갔어요 describes the rain as the situation at that time, and 갔어요 carries the past tense. Use 왔는데도 only when the rain had stopped before the second event.

A future form such as -(으)ㄹ 건데도 is possible in theory, but it is rare. The ending needs a fact that is already true. For things that have not happened, use -아/어도, which is covered below.

Yes/no questions end with a rise: 비싼데도 샀어요? ("Did you buy it even though it is expensive?"). 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: 아픈데도 왜 출근했어요?

The next section compares -(으)ㄴ/는데도 with its neighbours.

How Is -(으)ㄴ/는데도 Different from -지만?

Both can be translated as "but" or "although", so learners mix them up. The difference is surprise. -지만 sets two facts side by side. -(으)ㄴ/는데도 says the second fact is not what the first fact leads you to expect.

Try the same facts with each ending. The facts are "It rained" and "We held the match".

• 비가 왔지만 경기를 했어요. A plain contrast: rain, and the match was held.
• 비가 왔는데도 경기를 했어요. A surprise: rain should have stopped the match, but it did not.
• 비가 와도 경기를 할 거예요. A plan: if it rains, the match will still be held. The rain has not happened yet.

The deciding test is whether you expected the opposite. If yes, choose -(으)ㄴ/는데도. If you only place two facts side by side, -지만 is enough. Ask whether you could add "surprisingly" in English. For a full side-by-side with practice, read -(으)ㄴ/는데도 vs -지만.

-아/어도 and the Fact Test

-아/어도 is mainly used for assumptions ("even if") and for permission (먹어도 돼요, "you may eat"). It can also admit a fact, as in 비가 와도 갔어요 ("It rained, but I went anyway"). -(으)ㄴ/는데도 can only assert a fact. If the situation is imagined, use -아/어도.

-(으)ㄴ/는데도 and -(으)ㄴ/는데

Without 도, -(으)ㄴ/는데 gives background or a gentle contrast. 비싼데 맛있어요 says "It is expensive, and it is tasty". Add 도 and you add "even", which means the surprise is part of the message.

The next section covers set phrases and edge cases.

Variations and Edge Cases of -(으)ㄴ/는데도

그런데도 at the Start of a Sentence

그런데도 is a conjunctive adverb, a word that begins a new sentence. It means "even so". 날씨가 추웠어요. 그런데도 사람들이 많이 나왔어요. ("The weather was cold. Even so, many people came out.") It uses the same surprise as -(으)ㄴ/는데도 but sits between two sentences.

A Formal Written Form

In formal writing and speeches you will see -(으)ㄴ/는데도 불구하고. 불구하고 means "regardless". 비가 오는데도 불구하고 경기가 열렸습니다 means "The match was held in spite of the rain." In conversation, -(으)ㄴ/는데도 alone is enough.

Adding a Polite Closing

A clause that ends in 는데도 can be followed by 요 to trail off. 비싼데도요... leaves the listener to supply the surprise. It is natural in speech, but it is not needed in writing.

Polite Openers of Thanks and Apology

Speakers use the honorific form to thank or apologise to a busy person. 바쁘신데도 와 주셔서 감사합니다 ("Thank you for coming although you are busy") and 늦었는데도 기다려 주셔서 감사합니다 ("Thank you for waiting although I was late") are common in meetings and messages. The ending turns the other person's effort into a courtesy.

Spacing

Write 는데도 as one word with the stem: 비싼데도. If you write 비싼 데도 with a space, 데 is the noun meaning "place" or "case", and the meaning changes.

Making the Sentence Negative

Put 안 before the verb or use -지 않다 on the first clause. 안 비싼데도 and 비싸지 않은데도 are both possible, but 비싸지 않은데도 is more natural for an adjective. Write 아닌데도 for "even though it is not".

The next section lists the mistakes that appear most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -(으)ㄴ/는데도?

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

Learners often use -(으)ㄴ/는데도 for imagined situations. Actually it needs a fact that is already true. Wrong: 내일 비가 오는데도 갈 거예요. Right: 내일 비가 와도 갈 거예요. Fix: if the first clause is "if" or "suppose", use -아/어도.

Learners often use it where there is no surprise. Wrong: 저는 커피를 좋아하는데도 동생은 차를 좋아해요. Right: 저는 커피를 좋아하지만 동생은 차를 좋아해요. Fix: if the English is "but" or "while" and nothing is unexpected, use -지만.

Learners often give an adjective the verb ending. Wrong: 비싸는데도 and 좋는데도. Right: 비싼데도 and 좋은데도. Fix: ask whether the stem is a verb (action) or an adjective (description). Only verbs, 있다 and 없다 take 는.

Learners often leave out the past marker. Wrong: 어제 많이 먹은데도 배가 고팠어요. Right: 어제 많이 먹었는데도 배가 고팠어요. Fix: put 았/었 inside, directly before 는데도, for a finished event. 먹은데도 is not a normal form for this meaning.

Learners often put 이 on a noun wrongly. Wrong: 일요일는데도. Right: 일요일인데도. Fix: a noun needs 이다 first, and 이다 + ㄴ데도 gives 인데도 after both vowels and consonants.

Learners often end with a command. Wrong: 비싼데도 사세요. Fix: the second clause should report what happened, as in 비싼데도 사 갔어요. If you want to urge someone to buy it, use a different structure, such as 비싸도 사세요 ("Buy it even if it is expensive").

The next section gives you practice.

Practice and Answers

Do the four tasks, then compare with the key.

Task 1: join the sentences with -(으)ㄴ/는데도. Write one sentence for each pair.

1. 이 옷은 비싸요. / 많이 팔려요.
2. 저는 열심히 연습했어요. / 대회에서 졌어요.
3. 오늘은 일요일이에요. / 일해요.
4. 밥을 먹었어요. / 배가 고파요.

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

1. 날씨가 춥는데도 밖에 나갔어요.
2. 어제 잠을 많이 잔데도 피곤해요.
3. 내일 눈이 오는데도 여행을 갈 거예요.

Task 3: translate. Write in Korean: "Even though I am busy, I will help you." and "Even though it was a holiday, the store was open."

Task 4: write your own. Write one sentence about something surprising that happened to you, and one about a place that is popular although it is hard to reach.

Answer key

1. (1) 이 옷은 비싼데도 많이 팔려요. (2) 저는 열심히 연습했는데도 대회에서 졌어요. (3) 오늘은 일요일인데도 일해요. (4) 밥을 먹었는데도 배가 고파요.
2. (1) 날씨가 추운데도 밖에 나갔어요. (2) 어제 잠을 많이 잤는데도 피곤해요. (3) 내일 눈이 와도 여행을 갈 거예요.
3. 바쁜데도 도와줄게요. 휴일이었는데도 가게가 열려 있었어요. Other correct versions exist, for example 바쁜데도 도와드릴게요 in a politer setting.
4. Sample answers: 한국어를 열심히 공부했는데도 말이 안 나와요. 그 식당은 멀고 찾기 어려운데도 손님이 많아요. Any sentence is correct if the first clause is a real fact and the second is a surprise.

If task 1 was correct, you have the formation rule. If task 2 was hard, check whether you gave an adjective 는 or used a finished action without 았/었. The next section points you to what comes after this lesson.

What Should You Learn after -(으)ㄴ/는데도 Grammar?

After -(으)ㄴ/는데도, read -아/어도 for imagined situations and permission, and -(으)ㄴ/는데, the flexible linker that gives background and sets up requests. For the plain "but", go back to -지만. If you tend to mix the two, the comparison -(으)ㄴ/는데도 vs -지만 gives a decision rule.

For a wider view, the parent page Contrast and Concession lists every connector in this group. To plan by level, use Intermediate Grammar.

This lesson covers -(으)ㄴ/는데도 in the polite, casual and formal styles. It does not cover every written or literary 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 -(으)ㄴ/는데도 Mean?

-(으)ㄴ/는데도 means "even though". It states a real fact and then reports a result that you would not expect from it. 열심히 공부했는데도 시험에 떨어졌어요 means "Even though I studied hard, I failed the exam." The ending is -(으)ㄴ/는데 plus the particle 도 ("even").

How Do I Attach -(으)ㄴ/는데도 to a Verb or Adjective?

For a verb, add 는데도 to the stem: 먹는데도, 가는데도. For an adjective, add ㄴ데도 after a vowel and 은데도 after a consonant: 비싼데도, 좋은데도. For the past, add 았/었는데도 to any verb or adjective. For a noun, use 인데도: 학생인데도.

Can -(으)ㄴ/는데도 Be Used in the past Tense?

Yes. Put the past marker 았/었 before 는데도: 먹었는데도, 비쌌는데도, 학생이었는데도. Use it when the first fact happened earlier than now. The present form (공부하는데도) describes a situation that is going on, even when the whole story is told in the past.

Is -(으)ㄴ/는데도 Used in Speech or Only in Writing?

Both. You will hear it in everyday talk, such as 바쁜데도 와 줘서 고마워요, and you will read it in essays and news. The politeness depends on the final ending of the sentence, not on 는데도. In very formal writing, -(으)ㄴ/는데도 불구하고 is also common.

What Is the Most Common Mistake with -(으)ㄴ/는데도?

Learners use it for imagined situations. 내일 비가 오는데도 갈 거예요 is wrong, because the rain has not happened yet. Say 내일 비가 와도 갈 거예요 for "Even if it rains tomorrow, I will go." -(으)ㄴ/는데도 needs a fact that is already true.

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

-지만 simply sets two ideas against each other: "A, but B". -(으)ㄴ/는데도 adds surprise: B is not what you would expect after A. 비싸지만 맛있어요 is a plain contrast. 비싼데도 잘 팔려요 says that the high price should have stopped sales, yet it did not.

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