Setting the scene and softening: -는데/-(으)ㄴ데
A2 배경·대조 -는데/-(으)ㄴ데 41 / 68
In short
-는데/-(으)ㄴ데 hangs on the first clause to do one of four things: set a scene before your real point, add a soft “but,” trail off politely as -는데요, or close a sentence on -는데요 to invite a reaction. Pick -는데 after a verb or 있다/없다, -(으)ㄴ데 after an adjective, -인데 after a noun - and in the past it is always -았/었는데, whatever the word class.
The rule
This one ending is everywhere in spoken Korean because it is so flexible. Grammatically it works like the connectives in lesson 23: it rides on the end of the first stem and the sentence keeps flowing. The two things to nail are (1) which allomorph the word class picks, and (2) which of its four jobs you mean.
Step 1 - Choose the ending by word class, not by 받침
Unlike 은/는 or -(으)면, this ending does not split on the final 받침 alone - it splits on whether the word is a verb or an adjective:
- Verbs (동사) and 있다/없다 -> -는데, regardless of 받침: 가다 -> 가는데 (ganeunde), 먹다 -> 먹는데 (meongneunde), 있다 -> 있는데 (inneunde).
- Adjectives (형용사) -> -(으)ㄴ데, with the usual vowel/받침 split: 크다 -> 큰데 (keunde), 좋다 -> 좋은데 (joeunde), 작다 -> 작은데 (jageunde).
- A ㄹ-stem drops its ㄹ before both endings (the ㄴ triggers it, just as ㅂ and ㅅ do in 삽니다/사세요): verb 살다 -> 사는데 (saneunde), adjective 멀다 -> 먼데 (meonde).
- The 이다 copula behaves like an adjective and gives -인데 after any noun: 학생이다 -> 학생인데 (haksaeng-inde), 친구다 -> 친구인데 (chinguinde). After a vowel-final noun the 이 may contract in speech: 친구인데 -> 친군데 (chingunde).
Step 2 - In the past, everything is -았/었는데
Once you add the past marker -았/었-, the word-class question disappears: the past stem always takes -는데. 가다 -> 갔는데 (ganneunde), 좋다 -> 좋았는데 (joanneunde), 학생이다 -> 학생이었는데 (haksaeng-ieonneunde). Never *갔은데.
Step 3 - The four jobs of -는데
- Background / setup - hand the listener some context, then land your point (often a question, request, or suggestion): 지금 도서관에 가는데 같이 갈래요? (I’m going to the library now - want to come?). Unlike -아/어서, a command or question can follow.
- Soft contrast - a gentler “but / although” than -지만: 비싼데 맛없어요 (it’s expensive but not tasty).
- Softened request / news - break the clause off with -는데요… and leave the request implied, so it sounds tentative and polite: 예약을 하고 싶은데요… (I’d like to make a reservation…).
- Sentence-final -는데요 - end on it to voice mild surprise or an opinion while inviting the other person to react: 이거 맛있는데요! (hey, this is good!).
Step 4 - The sentence-adverb twin: 그런데 / 근데
When the “but / by the way” turn opens a whole new sentence, use the adverb 그런데 (geureonde), contracted to 근데 (geunde) in speech - built from 그렇다 exactly like 그래서 and 그렇지만. Note that 그렇다 is an adjective, so by Step 1 it takes the adjective allomorph: 그렇 + -(으)ㄴ데 -> 그런데, never *그렇는데. It signals a turn or a new topic, not just contrast: 밥 먹었어요. 근데 왜 안 와요? (I ate. By the way, why aren’t you coming?).
Forms & patterns
Which ending each word class takes (present):
| Word class | Ending | Worked example |
|---|---|---|
| 동사 (verb) | -는데 | 가다 -> 가는데 (ganeunde), 먹다 -> 먹는데 (meongneunde) |
| 있다 / 없다 | -는데 | 있다 -> 있는데 (inneunde), 없다 -> 없는데 (eomneunde) |
| 형용사, vowel-final | -ㄴ데 | 크다 -> 큰데 (keunde), 비싸다 -> 비싼데 (bissande) |
| 형용사, 받침-final | -은데 | 좋다 -> 좋은데 (joeunde), 작다 -> 작은데 (jageunde) |
| 형용사, ㅂ-irregular | -(우)ㄴ데 | 춥다 -> 추운데 (chuunde), 덥다 -> 더운데 (deounde) |
| ㄹ-stem (ㄹ drops) | -는데 / -ㄴ데 | 살다 -> 사는데 (saneunde), 멀다 -> 먼데 (meonde) |
| 이다 (copula) | -인데 (contracts to -ㄴ데) | 학생이다 -> 학생인데 (haksaeng-inde), 친구다 -> 친구인데 / 친군데 (chinguinde / chingunde) |
| past -았/었- (any class) | -는데 | 갔다 -> 갔는데 (ganneunde), 좋았다 -> 좋았는데 (joanneunde) |
The four jobs at a glance:
| Job | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Background / setup | gives context, then the point follows | 가는데 같이 갈래요? (ganeunde gachi gallaeyo?) |
| Soft contrast | a gentle “but / although” | 비싼데 맛없어요 (bissande madeopseoyo) |
| Softened request | trails off, request left implied | 하고 싶은데요… (hago sipeundeyo…) |
| Sentence-final -는데요 | mild surprise, invites a reply | 맛있는데요! (masinneundeyo!) |
-는데 vs -지만 vs -아/어서 (all can mean “but” or link clauses):
| -는데/-(으)ㄴ데 | -지만 | -아/어서 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core sense | background + soft contrast | plain contrast (but) | cause / “and then” |
| Tone | soft, open, conversational | neutral, clear-cut | neutral |
| Command / question after it? | Yes (가는데 같이 가요) | rare | No |
| Can trail off as an ending? | Yes (-는데요) | No | No |
| Sentence-adverb form | 그런데 / 근데 | 하지만 / 그렇지만 | 그래서 |
Examples
- 지금 도서관에 가는데 같이 갈래요? (Jigeum doseogwane ganeunde gachi gallaeyo?) - I’m going to the library now - want to come with me?
- 어제 명동에 갔는데 사람이 정말 많았어요. (Eoje Myeongdonge ganneunde sarami jeongmal manasseoyo.) - I went to Myeongdong yesterday, and there were really a lot of people.
- 이 가방은 비싼데 별로 안 예뻐요. (I gabang-eun bissande byeollo an yeppeoyo.) - This bag is expensive but not that pretty.
- 열심히 공부했는데 시험을 못 봤어요. (Yeolsimhi gongbuhaenneunde siheomeul mot bwasseoyo.) - I studied hard, but I did badly on the exam.
- 서울에 사는데 부산이 고향이에요. (Seoure saneunde Busani gohyang-ieyo.) - I live in Seoul, but my hometown is Busan.
- 제 동생은 학생인데 저는 회사원이에요. (Je dongsaeng-eun haksaeng-inde jeoneun hoesawon-ieyo.) - My younger sibling is a student, and I’m an office worker.
- 날씨는 추운데 눈은 안 와요. (Nalssineun chuunde nuneun an wayo.) - It’s cold out, but it isn’t snowing.
- 저기요, 예약을 하고 싶은데요. (Jeogiyo, yeyageul hago sipeundeyo.) - Excuse me, I’d like to make a reservation…
- 뭐 좀 물어보고 싶은데요. (Mwo jom mureobogo sipeundeyo.) - I’d like to ask you something…
- 와, 이 김치 정말 맛있는데요! (Wa, i gimchi jeongmal masinneundeyo!) - Wow, this kimchi is really good!
Common mistakes
- 비싸는데 맛없어요. (Bissaneunde madeopseoyo.) -> 비싼데 맛없어요. (Bissande madeopseoyo.) - 비싸다 is an adjective, so it takes -(으)ㄴ데 (비싼데); only verbs and 있다/없다 take -는데.
- 지금 밥을 먹은데 이따 갈게요. (Jigeum babeul meogeunde itta galgeyo.) -> 지금 밥을 먹는데 이따 갈게요. (Jigeum babeul meongneunde itta galgeyo.) - a verb takes -는데 regardless of its 받침; -(으)ㄴ데 is for adjectives, and 먹은데 would be read as a past modifier.
- 어제 갔은데 아무도 없었어요. (Eoje gasseunde amudo eopseosseoyo.) -> 어제 갔는데 아무도 없었어요. (Eoje ganneunde amudo eopseosseoyo.) - after the past -았/었- it is always -는데, never -은데.
- 서울에 살는데 부산이 고향이에요. (Seoure salleunde Busani gohyang-ieyo.) -> 서울에 사는데 부산이 고향이에요. (Seoure saneunde Busani gohyang-ieyo.) - a ㄹ-stem drops its ㄹ before the ㄴ of -는데 (사는데), just as it does before the ㅂ of 삽니다 and the ㅅ of 사세요.
- 제 친구이는데 아주 친절해요. (Je chinguineunde aju chinjeolhaeyo.) -> 제 친구인데 아주 친절해요. (Je chinguinde aju chinjeolhaeyo.) - after a noun the copula gives -인데 (이다 + -ㄴ데); the verb ending -는데 does not attach to a noun.
Tips
- Verb or adjective? That single question picks the ending: an action (verb) or 있다/없다 takes -는데; a description (adjective) takes -(으)ㄴ데. In the past the question vanishes - everything becomes -았/었는데.
- -는데 vs -지만. Both translate “but,” but -는데 also sets a scene and lets a command or question follow: 밖에 추운데 나가지 마세요 (bakke chuunde nagaji maseyo, it’s cold out, so don’t go out). Reach for -는데 in conversation; -지만 is flatter and more written.
- The trailing -는데(요)… is the politeness engine of spoken Korean. Leaving the sentence slightly open softens a request, a refusal, or a piece of news and hands the turn back: 예약하고 싶은데요… quietly asks the other person to take it from there.
- 그런데 = 근데 in speech, and it means “but” or “by the way / so anyway” - a topic pivot, not only a contrast. Native conversation runs on 근데; don’t overuse the flat 그리고.