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Grammar Advanced TOPIK II · Level 5–6 Advanced Korean 1 · expression

-을 테지만

-을 테지만: Will, But… — Expect One Thing, Contrast Another

터 「005」 + -지만: expect/plan X, but contrast with Y.

Before this, make sure you know: -을 테다 , -지만 , -아요 / -어요

How to form it

When Form Example
Verb / adjective + -(으)ㄹ 테지만 -(으)ㄹ 테지만 올 테지만 / 바쁠 테지만 / 할 테지만

-을 테지만 means will, but… — expecting one thing and contrasting another.

Why this is hard

It combines expectation -을 테- with contrast -지만. Learners write bare -지만 and lose the ‘I expect / it should’ layer, or stack expectation without the turn.

What it does

You grant an expected line, then turn against it.

바쁠 테지만 와 주세요.
어려울 테지만 해 봐요.
알 테지만 다시 말해요.
늦을 테지만 기다릴게요.

Forms

-을 테지만.

When not to use it

Do not drop the expectation and write only -지만. Do not use it when no expectation is in play. Do not confuse it with soft -는데도 even-though.

Neighbours — and why they differ

FormWhy it is not this slot
-지만Plain but — no expectation layer.
-을 테다Expectation without the but-turn.
-는데도Even though — background + 도.

Polite requests often ride this: I know it’ll be hard, but please. Keep both halves audible.

Classroom examples should keep the meaning concrete: one clear scene beats three vague glosses. If a neighbour form already says the same thing more lightly, prefer the lighter tool unless register demands this one.

Ask: am I saying ‘it should be X, but…’? If yes, -을 테지만. If you only need but, use -지만.

Keep one concrete scene in examples; do not pad with conjugation lists or translation filler.

Do not confuse it with

-을 테다

will (for sure) — a strong expectation about what follows

-을 테면

if you are going to… — setting a condition for a plan

-지만

but — the plain contrast, blunter than 는데

Taught alongside this

On the jabi learning path, this appears in 표현 (expression) — Advanced Korean 1, Unit 4, on the theme of expression. These come with it:

-는다니1 what are they telling me to…? — asking what the order was -었던 that had been… — past modifier with a lingering sense 에 관하여 regarding, about — the written 에 관하여 / 관한 -자기에 because one decides to… — contracted -자고 하기에 (청유 인용 + 이유), pair of -는다기에 -게 마련이다 bound to be — naturally so (-기/게 마련이다) -게 생겼다 have ended up (badly)… — negative predicament with -게 생기다 -기 나름이다 depends on how you… — the outcome varies with the method -기가 바쁘게 as soon as — barely finishing one thing before the next -기가 쉽다 easy to… / prone to — a tendency that comes naturally -기만 하다 only does… — limiting the action to just that -기에 따라 depending on… — outcomes that change with the condition -기에 앞서(서) before doing… — prior to the step you name -은 나머지 as a result of… — the outcome that follows from that act -는 데다가 and on top of that — stacking one fact onto another -는 동시에 at the same time as — two things in the same moment -는 듯하다 seems to… — a soft guess from appearance -는 법이다 it is natural that… — a general rule of how things go -는 이상 now that / given that — already being in that state -은 채로 while still… — leaving it in the state it already has -는 척하다 pretend to… — acting as if -는 가운데 in the midst of — while that situation continues 는 말할 것도 없고 not to mention — A goes without saying, and B too (는/은 말할 것도 없고) -을 만하다 worth doing / decent enough — worth the effort or acceptable -을 법하다 likely to… — a reasonable prediction -을 테다 will (for sure) — a strong expectation about what follows -을 테면 if you are going to… — setting a condition for a plan -으려나 보다 I guess they mean to… — reading someone's likely intention 를 가지고 with, using — taking that as the means or topic -으면 몰라도 only if… — the following holds only under that (unreal / opposite) condition 에도 불구하고 despite — in spite of that noun situation -는데도 even though — contrast after a clause, softer than 지만 -어 내다 manage to… — pushing through until it is done -는다기에 because they say… — the reported claim is the reason -는다는 것이 meant to…, but — intention (-는다고 하는 것이) whose result diverged -는데도 불구하고 even so — despite the whole preceding clause

Words used above

Tap the speaker to hear it read aloud by your browser.

-(으)ㄹ 테지만-(eu)l tejimanwill… but…
오다odato come
바쁘다bappeudato be busy
그래도geuraedoeven so
기다리다gidaridato wait

Quick check

No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.

1. A friend's schedule is probably packed, but you still want them at your opening. Which line does the work?

2. Which line matches a forms-table example for this pattern?

3. You have seen their packed calendar yourself — known fact, soft even-though — and still invite them. Which line?

Common questions

Dictionary?

터 「005」 path: -(으)ㄹ 터이지만 → often -(으)ㄹ 테지만.

Vs -을 테다?

테다 states expect/will. 테지만 adds a contrasting second clause.

Vs -을 테면?

테면 = if that’s the plan. 테지만 = expect X, but Y.

Spacing?

올 테지만 — space before 테.