Learn Korean
Grammar Intermediate TOPIK II · Level 3–4 Intermediate Korean 1 · Unit 17

-기는

-기는: As for Doing It — Concede, Then Push Back

Nominal -기 plus topic 는: concede that much, then contrast or limit it.

Before this, make sure you know: 은/는 vs 이/가 , -지만 , -아요 / -어요

How to form it

When Form Example
Verb / adjective + -기 + 는 -기는 좋기는 / 싸기는 / 어울리기는
Common follow-ups -기는 한데 / -기는 하지만 / -기는 해요 예쁘기는 한데 비싸요

-기는 lets you admit one side of an evaluation, then steer into a contrast. Formally it is nominal -기 plus topic 는 — as for (the) being/doing….

Curriculum gloss: as for doing it — conceding before you disagree. Dictionaries may not list -기는 as one frozen headword; education grammar treats the construction. The pragmatic job is stable: concede, then limit.

Shape

예쁘기는 한데 비싸요.
편하기는 해요. 근데 구김이 잘 가요.
색이 밝기는 한데 제 스타일은 아니에요.
어울리기는 하는데 사이즈가 커요.

Very common follow-ups: -기는 한데, -기는 하지만, -기는 해요 (partial affirmation).

Built from pieces you know

PieceJob
-기Turn the predicate into a noun-like chunk
는Topic / contrast marking — 은/는 vs 이/가

So 싸기는 ≈ as for (its) being cheap…. Then the next clause spends the contrast budget.

Versus -지만

-지만 is a straight though-linker:

예쁜데 비싸요. / 예쁘지만 비싸요.
예쁘기는 한데 비싸요.

All can contrast. -기는 spotlights the conceded trait first — useful when you partially agree with the other person (맞아요, 예쁘기는 해요…).

Versus bare -기

-기 covers purposes, likes, and noun uses (수영하기). -기는 is specifically the topic-concede move, not every -기.

운동하기가 힘들어요.     nominal subject
운동하기는 하는데…       concede ‘I do exercise’, then contrast

Clothes-unit feel

Outfit talk is full of half-agreements:

이 셔츠, 청바지랑 어울리기는 한데 좀 격식 있어요.
가격이 싸기는 한데 세탁이 까다로워요.
디자인이 단순하기는 해요.

Quick checks

  1. -기 + 는, then usually a contrast clause.
  2. Use it to concede a point without full agreement.
  3. Do not confuse with every other -기 pattern.

Ask: am I granting “that much is true” before I push back? If yes, -기는 is the tool.

Do not confuse it with

-지만

but — the plain contrast, blunter than 는데

은/는 vs 이/가

topic vs subject particles — communicative focus vs discourse framing

-으나

but — the written, more measured 지만

Taught alongside this

On the jabi learning path, this appears in 흰색 셔츠가 청바지와 잘 어울려요 (A white shirt goes well with jeans) — Intermediate Korean 1, Unit 17, on the theme of garments. These come with it:

-으면 좋겠다 I wish, it would be nice if -어 드리다 doing something for someone you respect — the humble 어 주다

Words used above

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

-기는-gineunas for V-ing — concede then contrast
-기는 한데-gineun handeit is…, but…
양보yangboconcession
대조daejocontrast
어울리다eoullidato go well together (clothes, etc.)

Quick check

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

1. 싸기는 한데 질이 걱정돼요 signals…

2. What is -기는 built from?

3. Why not always use -지만 instead?

Common questions

Is -기는 하다 required?

Emphatic -기는 하다 exists (‘I do V, all right…’). This slot’s gloss is the concede-then-contrast pattern, often -기는 한데 / 하지만.

vs -기만?

Different particle. -기만 하다 is ‘only do…’. -기는 topicalises for concession.

Can it stand alone?

Sometimes as a fragment (좋기는…) with tone doing the rest. Full sentences usually continue with a contrast.

Clothes-unit examples?

어울리기는 한데…, 편하기는 해요… — concede one trait, then qualify fit, price, or style.