-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
On the jabi learning path, this appears in 주말마다 산에 가요 (I go to the mountains every weekend) — Beginner Korean 2, Unit 9, on the theme of day off. 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 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. 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.
Seen in the wild
Lessons where this pattern showed up in real Korean — news, slang, drama lines.
