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

What you'll learn

• Attach -건만 to verbs, adjectives and 이다.
• See why stems never change before 건만.
• Hear the feeling of regret or surprise that the ending carries.
• Choose between -건만, -지만 and -(으)나.

Prerequisites: the contrast ending -지만 and the past tense -았/었-. Time: about 15 minutes.

Key facts

• -건만 states a fact, then a result that goes against it.
• The form never changes: stem + 건만.
• A past marker goes before it: 왔건만 ("although it came").
• The main clause often shows disappointment, regret or irony.
• It is literary. You will read it more often than you will say it.

Listen to two model sentences.

The next section defines the pattern.

What Does -건만 Grammar Mean?

-건만 means "although" or "yet". A connective ending is a word ending that joins one clause to the next. -건만 is a connective ending that tells the listener, "This is true, and you would expect a certain result, but the result is different."

The key is expectation. If spring has come, we expect warm weather. If someone speaks with great effort, we expect to be heard. The second clause breaks the expectation. That is why the ending often carries feeling: surprise, sadness, irritation or irony.

Both sentences close in the plain style -다. This is typical, because -건만 belongs to written Korean: novels, essays, song lyrics and speeches. A speaker who uses it in a casual chat sounds as if they are quoting a book.

The next section shows how to build the form.

How Do You Form -건만?

The rule is simple. Remove 다 from the dictionary form to get the stem. The stem is the verb or adjective without its dictionary ending -다. For 좋다 the stem is 좋. Then add 건만.

Many connective endings change with the last sound of the stem. They need 아/어 or 으 in some cases. -건만 does not. Like -고 and -지만, it never takes a helping vowel 으 or 아/어, so the stem stays as it is.

Two sound changes appear in this table. After a final consonant such as ㄱ, ㅅ, ㅂ or ㄷ, the ㄱ of 건 is said as a tense ㄲ, so 먹건만 sounds like [먹껀만]. 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 meokgeonman. The second change is aspiration. The ㅎ of 좋 joins the following ㄱ and makes ㅋ, so 좋건만 sounds like [조컨만]. RR writes this aspiration in predicates, so it is jokeonman. The past forms behave in the same way: 왔건만 sounds like [왇껀만], and RR writes watgeonman.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

Vowel stems take 건만 directly: 오건만, 가건만, 말하건만. In the past, the vowel contracts with 았/었 first and then 건만 follows: 오 + 았 = 왔, so 왔건만. A 하다 verb becomes 했건만, as in 말했건만.

Stems Ending in a Consonant

Consonant stems also take 건만 directly: 먹건만, 있건만, 좋건만. There is no 으 to insert. This is a difference from -(으)면 and -(으)나, which add 으 after some consonants.

Irregular Stems

An irregular stem is one that changes shape before an ending that begins with a vowel. 건만 begins with a consonant, so the change never happens.

Nouns with 이다

For nouns, use 이다, which means "to be". The ending is (이)건만. 학생이건만 means "although he is a student" and 부자이건만 means "although he is rich". After a vowel the 이 can stay, as in 부자이건만 and 의사이건만.

The next section builds a full sentence.

Worked Example: Building 열심히 했건만 결과가 좋지 않았다

Say "I worked hard, yet the result was not good." Follow five steps.

1. Write the fact. "I did it hard" is 열심히 했다. The dictionary form is 하다, and 열심히 means "hard, diligently".
2. Find the stem and the tense. The stem is 하, and the past marker 았/었 turns 하 into 했.
3. Add 건만. 했 + 건만 gives 했건만 [핻껀만].
4. Write the surprise. "The result was not good" is 결과가 좋지 않았다. The result goes against the effort.
5. Join. 열심히 했건만 결과가 좋지 않았다.

You'll know it worked when the first verb ends in 건만 with nothing after it, and the plain ending -다 appears once, at the end. Try the same steps with "Although he is rich, he is unhappy": 부자이다 gives 부자이건만, and 행복하지 않다 follows.

The next section covers tense and sentence types.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -건만?

Korean puts the tense marker between the stem and the ending. For -건만, the past marker is very common, because the ending usually looks back at something that has happened.

The main clause is nearly always a statement in the plain style. A question, a command or a suggestion would not fit, because -건만 describes how things are, not what the listener should do.

Tense in the two clauses can differ. 봄이 왔건만 날씨는 아직 춥다 has a past first clause and a present second clause. The first marks "spring has already come", and the second says what is still true now.

The ending also works with an honorific 시. 나이는 많건만 아직 건강하시다 means "He is old, yet he is still healthy." The 시 refers to the person being respected.

The next section compares -건만 with its neighbours.

How Is -건만 Different from -지만 and -(으)나?

All three can be translated as "but" or "although". The difference is register and feeling.

Compare three versions of one idea.

• 봄이 왔지만 아직 추워요. This is conversation. Anyone could say it.
• 봄이 왔으나 아직 춥다. This is a formal text, such as a weather report.
• 봄이 왔건만 아직 춥다. This is an essay or a poem, and it hints that the speaker is sad about the cold.

Another neighbour is -(으)ㄴ/는데도. It also describes an unexpected result, but it is fully at home in speech. If you want to say "although it was raining, we went" in a chat, 비가 오는데도 갔어요 is the natural way.

For a side-by-side with practice, see -는데 vs -지만. The next section covers variations and edge cases.

Variations and Edge Cases of -건만

The Full Form -건마는

The ending -건만 is the short form of -건마는. You may see -건마는 in older texts and song lyrics. It means the same, and it is a little more old-fashioned. Learn -건만 first.

A Related Ending: -(으)련만

The ending -(으)련만 is a relative. It is used when the first clause is a guess or a hope instead of a plain fact: 올 때가 되었으련만 소식이 없다 means "He should have come by now, yet there is no news." It adds a sense of waiting. After a vowel use 련만, and after a consonant use 으련만. It is rare outside literature.

Helper Words

Writers sometimes place a word such as 그렇게 ("so") or 아무리 ("however much") before the first clause, to strengthen the expectation that is broken: 그렇게 애썼건만 ... ("although I tried so hard ...").

Negative and Ending in 있다 / 없다

The negative uses 지 않다 or 안: 먹지 않건만 means "although he does not eat". The verbs 있다 and 없다 work normally: 있건만 [읻껀만], 없건만 [업껀만].

The next section lists the mistakes that appear most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -건만?

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

Learners often use -건만 when the result is expected. Actually the ending needs a surprise. Wrong: 비가 오건만 우산을 썼다. Right: 비가 와서 우산을 썼다. Fix: if the second clause follows naturally from the first, use -아/어서.

Learners often change the stem. Actually irregular stems stay whole before 건만. Wrong: 추워건만. Right: 춥건만. Fix: do not apply the -아/어 rules here.

Learners often use it in daily talk. Actually it is literary. Wrong in feeling: 비가 오건만 갈래요? Natural: 비가 오는데도 갈래요? Fix: use -지만 or -(으)ㄴ/는데도 when you speak.

Learners often put a command after it. Wrong: 열심히 했건만 쉬세요. Fix: -건만 describes a situation, so start a new sentence for the request.

Learners often write a space. Actually 건만 is part of the ending. Wrong: 왔 건만. Right: 왔건만. Fix: write it as one word.

Learners often put the polite ending inside. Wrong: 말했어요건만. Right: 말했건만. Fix: attach 건만 to the bare stem, and put 요 only on the last verb, if at all. A tense marker such as 았/었 is fine inside.

The next section gives you practice.

Practice and Answers

Do the four tasks, then compare with the key.

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

1. 봄이 왔다. / 날씨는 아직 춥다.
2. 애써 말했다. / 아무도 듣지 않았다.
3. 학생이다. / 공부는 하지 않는다.
4. 날씨가 좋다. / 집에만 있다.

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

1. 날씨가 추워건만 사람들이 많다.
2. 비가 오건만 우산을 썼다.
3. 말했어요건만 아무도 듣지 않았다.

Task 3: translate. Write in Korean: "I studied hard, yet I failed." and "He is old, yet he is healthy."

Task 4: write your own. Write one sentence with a past -건만 and one with 이다.

Answer key

1. (1) 봄이 왔건만 날씨는 아직 춥다. (2) 애써 말했건만 아무도 듣지 않았다. (3) 학생이건만 공부는 하지 않는다. (4) 날씨가 좋건만 집에만 있다.
2. (1) 날씨가 춥건만 사람들이 많다. (2) 비가 와서 우산을 썼다. (3) 말했건만 아무도 듣지 않았다.
3. 열심히 공부했건만 떨어졌다. 나이는 많건만 건강하다. Other correct versions exist, for example 열심히 공부했지만 떨어졌어요 in a spoken setting.
4. Sample answers: 약속했건만 그는 오지 않았다. 부자이건만 늘 불행하다. Any pair is correct if the first verb ends in 건만 and the rest follows.

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

What Should You Learn after -건만 Grammar?

After -건만, learn -(으)ㄴ/는데도 for a spoken "although", and -(으)면서도 for "yet" within one subject. Then read -(으)ㄹ망정 for the solemn "even if I accept this" and -(으)ㄴ들 for the literary "what good would it do". If you have not yet studied the everyday "but", go back to -지만.

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

A note on level. This site places -건만 at C1. That is an editorial estimate based on how advanced textbooks usually order grammar, not an official list. For official exam information, check topik.go.kr.

This lesson covers -건만 in the plain style. It does not cover 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 -건만 Mean?

-건만 means 'although' or 'yet'. The first clause states a fact, and the second shows a result that goes against it. 봄이 왔건만 날씨는 아직 춥다 means 'Spring has come, yet the weather is still cold.' The tone is literary and often carries regret, disappointment or gentle irony.

How Do You Attach -건만?

Remove 다 to get the stem and add 건만. 오다 becomes 오건만, 좋다 becomes 좋건만 and 말하다 becomes 말하건만. Nothing changes for vowels, final consonants or irregular verbs, because 건만 starts with a consonant. For 이다 use (이)건만: 학생이건만. A past marker goes before it: 왔건만.

Is -건만 the Same as -지만?

Both mean 'but' or 'although', but -지만 is everyday and neutral, and it can join any two contrasting ideas or soften a request. -건만 is literary and stresses that the result is surprising or sad against the situation. Use -지만 in speech and writing for learners, and read -건만 in literature.

Can I Use -건만 in Conversation?

You can, but it will sound old-fashioned or dramatic, like a line in a drama or a song. In daily talk Koreans use -지만 or -(으)ㄴ/는데도. -건만 is best learned for reading novels, essays, newspaper columns and speeches, where it adds a touch of feeling to a simple contrast.

What Is the Difference between -건만 and -(으)나?

-(으)나 is a formal written 'but' used in reports, news and official documents, with a neutral tone. -건만 is also written, but it adds feeling: the result is unexpected or regrettable. Compare 노력했으나 실패했다, a plain report, with 노력했건만 실패했다, which sounds like 'I tried, yet I failed.'

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