-(으)면서도 Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

What you'll learn

• Attach -(으)면서도 to verbs, adjectives and 이다.
• Use it for two clashing facts about the same person or thing.
• Remember the same-subject rule.
• Choose between -(으)면서도, -(으)면서 and -지만.

Prerequisites: -(으)면서 for "while" and -지만 for "but". Time: about 15 minutes.

Key facts

• -(으)면서도 joins two clashing facts about one subject.
• The form is stem + 면서도 or 으면서도, like -(으)면.
• The subject of both clauses must be the same.
• Tense normally goes on the last verb only.
• It sounds surprised or critical, more than -지만.

Listen to two model sentences.

The next section defines the pattern.

What Does -(으)면서도 Grammar Mean?

-(으)면서도 means "and yet", "even while" or "although at the same time". A connective ending is a word ending that joins one clause to the next. -(으)면서도 is built from -(으)면서 ("while") plus the particle 도 ("even, also"). The first part says that two things happen together. The particle 도 adds the sense that the second part is surprising.

The pattern has two conditions. The same person or thing must do or be both parts, and the two parts must contrast with each other. Knowing and pretending not to know clash. Being expensive and poor in quality clash.

The word 척 in the first sentence means "pretence". 모른 척하다 is "to pretend not to know". Notice that 척 is written as a separate word, and 하다 follows it. In speech 척했어요 sounds like [처캐써요] because the ㄱ of 척 meets the ㅎ of 했 and merges into ㅋ. Revised Romanization (RR) writes this aspiration in predicates, so it is cheokaesseoyo.

The next section shows how to build the form.

How Do You Form -(으)면서도?

Remove 다 from the dictionary form to get the stem. The stem is the verb or adjective without its dictionary ending -다. For 먹다 the stem is 먹. Then add 면서도 after a vowel or ㄹ, and 으면서도 after any other consonant. This is the same rule as -(으)면 ("if").

The final consonant of the stem moves to the next syllable in speech, so 먹으면서도 sounds like [머그면서도]. RR spells such words by what you hear, so it writes meogeumyeonseodo. A stem that ends in ㄹ, such as 알 or 살, keeps its ㄹ and adds only 면서도, because ㄹ counts like a vowel for 으.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

Vowel stems take 면서도 directly: 가면서도, 하면서도, 아프면서도. No contraction takes place, and 하 stays 하.

Stems Ending in a Consonant

Consonant stems take 으면서도: 먹으면서도, 읽으면서도, 좋으면서도. The 으 is a helping vowel. It connects the final consonant to the ending.

Irregular Stems

Irregular stems change as they do before -(으)면. 춥다 becomes 추우면서도, 듣다 becomes 들으면서도, 돕다 becomes 도우면서도 and 낫다 becomes 나으면서도. The ㅂ turns into 우 and the ㄷ turns into ㄹ because 으면서도 begins with a vowel.

Nouns with 이다

For nouns, use 이다 ("to be"). It becomes (이)면서도. After a consonant use 이면서도: 학생이면서도 ("although he is a student"). After a vowel the 이 can stay or drop: 부자이면서도 or 부자면서도 ("although he is rich"). The negative 아니다 becomes 아니면서도.

The next section builds a full sentence.

Worked Example: Building 몸이 아프면서도 일을 했어요

Say "Although he was sick, he worked." Follow five steps.

1. Name the first state. "Be sick" is the adjective 아프다. The stem is 아프.
2. Add 면서도. The stem ends in a vowel, so use 면서도: 아프면서도.
3. Name the clashing action. "Worked" is 일을 했어요. 일하다 means "work", and here it is split as 일을 하다.
4. Check the subject. The sick person is also the person who worked, so the same-subject rule holds. 몸이 is the body part that is sick, and the sentence is about the same person.
5. Join. 몸이 아프면서도 일을 했어요.

You'll know it worked when the first verb ends in 면서도 with nothing after it, and the polite ending 요 appears only once, at the end. Try the same steps with "Although she is tired, she cannot sleep": 피곤하다 gives 피곤하면서도, and 잠이 안 와요 follows.

The next section covers tense and sentence types.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -(으)면서도?

Korean puts the tense marker between the stem and the ending. For -(으)면서도, the tense usually appears on the last verb only. The first clause shares the tense of the main verb: 알면서도 모른 척했어요 is a past sentence, even though 알면서도 has no past marker.

A statement or a question is the most natural. A command works when it tells someone to stop doing the clashing thing: 알면서도 모른 척하지 마세요 ("Don't pretend not to know, when you do").

A yes/no question ends with a rise: 알면서도 모른 척했어요? A wh-question stresses the question word and does not end with a sharp rise: 알면서도 왜 안 해요?

The subject of both clauses must be the same. The next section shows what happens when it is not.

The next section compares -(으)면서도 with its neighbours.

How Is -(으)면서도 Different from -(으)면서 and -지만?

All three connect two clauses, and learners often mix them up. The difference is the relationship between the clauses.

Look at three versions of one idea:

• 알면서 모른 척했어요. This is possible but less pointed, and it sounds like "knowing and pretending at the same time".
• 알면서도 모른 척했어요. This stresses the clash: "Even though he knew, he pretended not to."
• 알지만 모른 척했어요. This is a plain contrast: "He knew, but he pretended not to."

With adjectives, -(으)면서 can mean "and also": 이 음식은 맛있으면서 건강에도 좋아요 ("This food is tasty and also healthy"). Adding 도 would signal a clash instead: 싸면서도 품질이 좋아요 ("It is cheap and yet the quality is good"). The clash here is that cheap things are normally poor.

The next section covers variations and edge cases.

Variations and Edge Cases of -(으)면서도

Common Partner Phrases

Some phrases show up again and again.

Two Qualities That Clash

With two adjectives, -(으)면서도 makes a neat pair: 어리면서도 어른스럽다 ("young, yet mature"), 작으면서도 힘이 세다 ("small, yet strong"). The two adjectives describe one person.

Past inside the First Clause

A past marker before 면서도, as in 알았으면서도, is possible, but it is uncommon. In most sentences, the first clause simply shares the tense of the last verb. If you need to say that the first state was earlier, use a different pattern such as -았/었지만.

Negative and 있다 / 없다

The negative uses 지 않다 or 안: 먹지 않으면서도 ("although he does not eat"). The verbs 있다 and 없다 work normally: 있으면서도 [이쓰면서도], 없으면서도 [업쓰면서도].

The next section lists the mistakes that appear most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -(으)면서도?

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

Learners often use different subjects. Actually both clauses need the same subject. Wrong: 비가 오면서도 나는 갔어요. Right: 비가 오는데도 나는 갔어요. Fix: use -(으)ㄴ/는데도 or -지만 when the subjects differ.

Learners often use -(으)면서도 for plain "while". Actually the particle 도 adds a contrast. The sentence 커피를 마시면서도 책을 읽어요 is grammatical, but it sounds as if drinking coffee should stop you from reading. Right for "while": 커피를 마시면서 책을 읽어요. Fix: drop 도 when there is no clash.

Learners often forget the 으. Wrong: 먹면서도. Right: 먹으면서도. Fix: after a final consonant use 으면서도.

Learners often add 으 to ㄹ stems. Wrong: 알으면서도. Right: 알면서도. Fix: ㄹ counts like a vowel.

Learners often skip the irregular change. Wrong: 춥으면서도. Right: 추우면서도. Fix: apply the same change as for -(으)면.

Learners often put the polite ending inside. Wrong: 알아요면서도. Right: 알면서도. Fix: attach the ending to the bare stem, and put 요 only on the last verb.

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)면서도. Write one sentence for each pair.

1. 알아요. / 모른 척했어요.
2. 피곤해요. / 잠이 안 와요.
3. 어려요. / 어른스러워요.
4. 비싸요. / 품질이 별로예요.

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

1. 먹면서도 배고프다고 해요.
2. 알으면서도 모른 척했어요.
3. 비가 오면서도 나는 갔어요.

Task 3: translate. Write in Korean: "Although he is rich, he is always frugal." and "She was tired, yet she kept working."

Task 4: write your own. Write one sentence with two clashing adjectives and one with a verb.

Answer key

1. (1) 알면서도 모른 척했어요. (2) 피곤하면서도 잠이 안 와요. (3) 어리면서도 어른스러워요. (4) 비싸면서도 품질이 별로예요.
2. (1) 먹으면서도 배고프다고 해요. (2) 알면서도 모른 척했어요. (3) 비가 오는데도 나는 갔어요.
3. 그는 부자이면서도 늘 검소해요. 그녀는 피곤하면서도 계속 일했어요. Other correct versions exist, for example 부자지만 늘 검소해요.
4. Sample answers: 작으면서도 힘이 세요. 알면서도 왜 안 해요? Any pair is correct if the first verb ends in (으)면서도 and the rest follows.

If task 1 was correct, you have the formation rule. If task 2 was hard, check whether you added 으 to a ㄹ stem, left out 으 or changed the subject. The next section points you to what comes after this lesson.

What Should You Learn after -(으)면서도 Grammar?

After -(으)면서도, learn -(으)ㄴ/는데도 for different subjects, and -건만 for a literary "although". If you have not yet studied the neutral partner, go back to -아/어도.

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

A note on level. This site places -(으)면서도 at B2. That is an editorial estimate based on how textbooks usually order grammar, not an official list. For official exam information, check topik.go.kr.

This lesson covers -(으)면서도 in the polite and plain styles. 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 -(으)면서도 Mean?

-(으)면서도 means 'and yet' or 'even while'. The same person does or is two things at once, and the two things clash. 알면서도 모른 척했어요 means 'He knew, yet he pretended not to.' The ending adds 도 to -(으)면서 to stress that the second part is surprising or unexpected.

How Do You Attach -(으)면서도?

Remove 다 and add 면서도 after a vowel or ㄹ, or 으면서도 after another consonant. 가다 becomes 가면서도, 먹다 becomes 먹으면서도 and 알다 becomes 알면서도. Irregulars follow -(으)면: 춥다 becomes 추우면서도 and 듣다 becomes 들으면서도. For 이다, use (이)면서도: 학생이면서도.

Must the Subject Be the Same in Both Clauses?

Yes. Both clauses describe the same person or thing. 비싸면서도 품질이 별로예요 is fine, because the item is expensive and poor at the same time. If the subjects differ, use -(으)ㄴ/는데도 or -지만 instead: 비가 오는데도 나는 갔어요, not 비가 오면서도 나는 갔어요.

What Is the Difference between -(으)면서도 and -(으)면서?

-(으)면서 means 'while' and just says that two actions overlap: 커피를 마시면서 책을 읽어요. -(으)면서도 adds a contrast, 'even while' or 'and yet': 알면서도 모른 척해요. With adjectives, -(으)면서 can mean 'and also', but -(으)면서도 always signals that the two qualities clash.

What Is the Difference between -(으)면서도 and -지만?

-지만 is the neutral 'but' and can join clauses with different subjects. -(으)면서도 needs the same subject and stresses that both things are true at once, so it often sounds critical or surprised. 알지만 모른 척했어요 is a plain contrast; 알면서도 모른 척했어요 sounds more pointed.

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