-아도/어도: Even If — Concession

-아도 / -어도 means even if — you grant the condition, then go ahead anyway.

비가 와도 갈 거예요. Busy day, wet streets, awkward timing: the -어도 clause admits the obstacle; the second clause refuses to stop.

우리말샘 lists -아도 and -어도 as connectives of assumption or concession. Classroom English usually lands on even if.

Forms

Same vowel decision as 해요체 and -아서/어서:

Stem	Ending	Example
ㅏ / ㅗ	-아도	가도, 와도, 좋아도
Other	-어도	먹어도, 읽어도, 예쁘어도
하다	-해도	해도, 바빠도
Past	-았/었어도	갔어도, 바빴어도

바빠도 연락하세요.
돈이 없어도 재미있어요.
늦었어도 괜찮아요.

Even if ≠ if

Ending	Job
-으면 -으면	if / when
-아도 / -어도	even if

비가 오면 취소해요.     If it rains, we cancel.
비가 와도 진행해요.     Even if it rains, we go ahead.

The second half after -어도 is typically still / anyway — not a simple dependent result of a hopeful if.

Not permission -어도 되다

Learners who only know -어도 되다 glue 되다 onto every -어도.

Form	Job
-아/어도	even if (needs a second clause)
-아/어도 되다	may / it’s okay to

들어가도 돼요?           May I come in?
들어가도 아무도 없어요.   Even if you go in, nobody’s there.

Permission ends with 되다. Concession continues into a real predicate.

Beside -지만

-지만 cuts a plain contrast: X, but Y. -어도 often packages even conceding X, Y.

비싸지만 샀어요.     It’s expensive, but I bought it.
비싸도 살 거예요.     Even if it’s expensive, I’ll buy it.

Both can translate with but/although; -어도 keeps the even if feel louder.

Memory / meeting talk

This Sejong unit sits with chance meetings and memories — lines where something happens anyway:

바빠도 만났어요.
시간이 없어도 기억에 남아요.

Ask: am I granting an obstacle and continuing? If yes, -어도. If you only need if/when, stay with -으면. If you need may I?, add 되다.