[Connective Endings] -아/어도 vs. -지만 vs. -ㄴ/는데

In order to make a concessive sentence, there are many options to use in Korean expressions.

 

-아/어도, -지만 and -ㄴ/는데 are among them, and they are nearly interchangeable. Therefore, even if you use it without division, it matters little.

 

However, there is a subtle difference in nuance, which is the subject of this post today.

 

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Among the three expressions, -아도/어도 is the most similar to the expression 'no matter how' or 'even if' in English. It usually shows general situations. 

 

아무리 많이 먹어도 배가 고팠어요. 

No matter how much I ate, I was still hungry.

 

열심히 운동해도 살이 빠지지 않았어요. 

No matter how hard I worked out, I couldn't lose weight. / Even if I worked out hard, I couldn't lose weight.

 

If both of the former and latter clauses are in the past tense, you cannot use past tense in the former clause. Do not add -았/었- to the verb in the former one. The basic form of a verb shows the same tense as the latter clause.

 

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-지만 and -ㄴ/는데 are more close to 'but' in English and are nearly interchangeable. The difference is, that the former clause of -지만 expresses the speaker's admission or acknowledgment of the content while that of -ㄴ/는데 shows some facts or situations which are related to the latter clause.

 

열심히 운동했지만 살이 빠지지 않았어요.

I worked out hard, but I couldn't lose weight. / Even if I worked out hard, I couldn't lose weight.

 

열심히 운동했는데(도) 살이 빠지지 않았어요.

I worked out hard, but I couldn't lose weight. / Even if I worked out hard, I couldn't lose weight.

- Nuance: How can't I lose weight when I work out this hard?

 

 

The first sentence shows the speaker's acknowledgment of the fact that s/he actually worked out hard. Meanwhile, the second one shows that the situation goes the opposite way of his/her working out hard.

 

Then what is the most natural expression? Case by case, and according to what you want to emphasize.

 

 

 

To sum it up:

• No matter how / even if → -아/어도
• It's true / I admit that~, but~ → -지만
• when things go the opposite way of the former clause → -ㄴ/는데