jabi-는데②
-는데②: Soft Contrast (Same Shape as ①)
Connective used for soft contrast — 'though / but' without the blunt edge of -지만. Same endings as -는데①; Sejong splits the teaching focus.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Action verb | stem + -는데 | 가다 → 가는데 |
| Adjective | stem + -(으)ㄴ데 | 좋다 → 좋은데 / 크다 → 큰데 |
| 이다 / nouns | -인데 | 주말이다 → 주말인데 |
| Past | -았/었는데 | 갔는데 / 바빴는데 |
-는데② uses the same endings as -는데①. Sejong teaches them as a KEEP_DISTINCT pair: one page for background, one for softer contrast.
Dictionaries do not number ① and ②. 우리말샘’s connective -는데 is one entry — framing a situation so the next clause can explain, ask, or suggest. The curriculum splits how you use that frame in class.
Same forms
| Stem type | Shape | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Action verb | -는데 | 가는데, 먹는데 |
| Adjective | -(으)ㄴ데 | 좋은데, 큰데 |
| Noun + 이다 | -인데 | 주말인데 |
| Past | -았/었는데 | 갔는데 |
If the morphology is fuzzy, learn it on -는데① first. This page assumes those shapes.
Teaching focus: soft contrast
Here the first clause is not only scenery — it is something the second clause gently turns against.
주말인데 집에만 있어요. It's the weekend, but I'm just staying home.
맛있긴 한데 좀 짜요. It is tasty, though it's a bit salty.
가고 싶은데 시간이 없어요. I want to go, but I don't have time.English may need but / though. Korean often stays softer than that wording suggests.
Not -는데①’s main job
| Slot | Focus |
|---|---|
| -는데① | Background, lead-in, trailing -는데요 |
| -는데② (this page) | Soft contrast on the same connective |
Do not merge the two pages into one memory. Same shape; different question the textbook is asking.
Soft vs blunt contrast
| Connective | Feel |
|---|---|
| -는데 (②) | Mild turn; barely disagreement |
| -지만 | Plain, clearer ‘but’ |
| -고 | And / sequence — not contrast |
Reach for -지만 when contrast must be loud. Reach for -는데 when you only need a gentle pivot.
Practice rule
Hear -는데 and ask: Am I loading a scene, or turning against it? Scene → -는데①. Soft turn → this page. Forms stay identical either way.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
In the Sejong course this appears in 주말마다 산에 가요 — Sejong Korean 2, Unit 9, on the theme of 휴일. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. How should you treat -는데① and -는데②?
2. Which is softer contrast than -지만?
3. Which form follows 좋다 in a soft-contrast setup?
Common questions
Is -는데② a different dictionary entry?
No. 우리말샘 lists connective -는데 as one item (situation setup for what follows). The ①/② split is educational: background vs softer contrast on the same shapes.
When do I pick this instead of -는데①?
If the first clause mainly loads context, stay with [[g:neunde1]]. If the point is a gentle turn against that clause — 'though…' — you are in ② territory. Forms do not change.
When do I use -지만 instead?
When the contrast is the point and you want it clear. [[g:jiman]] is blunter. Conversation often prefers -는데 even when English would say 'but.'
Does soft contrast need an English 'but'?
Not always. Korean can mark a mild turn with -는데 while English stays with 'and' or a comma. Force-translating every -는데 as 'but' makes speech sound argumentative.