-(으)ㄴ/는데
background, contrast, lead-in
The most-used connector in spoken Korean, and the hardest to pin down in English. It sets up context and leaves the rest of the sentence room to land.
Build it
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When to use it
The form splits like the modifier system. Verbs take -는데: 가는데, 먹는데. Adjectives take -(으)ㄴ데: 좋은데, 바쁜데. Past tense always takes -는데, whatever the word class: 갔는데, 좋았는데. Stems in ㄹ drop it: 만드는데, 긴데.
Its core job is setting the scene before the main point: 지금 밖인데 조금 늦을 것 같아요. The first clause is not a reason and not really a contrast — it is context.
From there it stretches. It can mark contrast, more softly than -지만. It softens requests, which is why so many polite openings use it: 저기, 길을 좀 묻고 싶은데요. And left hanging at the end of a sentence, it invites the listener to respond.
How to attach it
| Word type | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb, present | -는데 | 가다 → 가는데 |
| Adjective | -(으)ㄴ데 | 좋다 → 좋은데 |
| Past, any word type | -았/었는데 | 갔는데 / 좋았는데 |
| 이다 | -인데 | 학생인데 |
| Ends in ㄹ | ㄹ drops | 만들다 → 만드는데 |
| Trailing off | -(으)ㄴ/는데요 | 좀 바쁜데요 |
In use
지금 밖인데 조금 늦을 것 같아요.
I’m out at the moment, so I might be a bit late.
저기, 길을 좀 묻고 싶은데요.
Excuse me, I’d like to ask for directions.
어제 갔는데 문이 닫혀 있었어요.
I went yesterday, but the door was closed.
이 식당은 비싼데 맛있어요.
This restaurant is expensive, but the food is good.
지금 저녁을 만드는데 같이 드실래요?
I’m making dinner now — would you like to join?
시간 있으세요? — 지금은 좀 바쁜데요.
Do you have a moment? — I’m a bit busy right now.
Compared with
-지만
-지만 states an opposition plainly; -는데 often just supplies background and lets the listener draw the contrast. -는데 is far more common in speech.
비싸지만 맛있어요. (expensive but tasty) / 비싼데 맛있어요. (it’s pricey — and good)
-아서/어서
-아서 claims a causal link; -는데 does not. Use -는데 when the first clause merely sets the stage.
비가 와서 안 갔어요. (because it rained) / 비가 오는데 갈까요? (it’s raining — shall we still go?)
-거든요
-거든요 explains a reason the listener did not know; -는데 opens a topic. They often appear in the same conversation but do different work.
지금 바쁜데요. (I’m busy — leaving it there) / 지금 바쁘거든요. (the thing is, I’m busy)
Watch out
이 식당은 비싸는데 맛있어요.
이 식당은 비싼데 맛있어요.
비싸다 is an adjective, so it takes -(으)ㄴ데. -는데 belongs to verbs in the present.
어제 갔은데 문이 닫혀 있었어요.
어제 갔는데 문이 닫혀 있었어요.
In the past, everything takes -는데, adjectives included: 좋았는데, 바빴는데.
지금 저녁을 만들는데요.
지금 저녁을 만드는데요.
Stems ending in ㄹ drop it before -는데, exactly as before -는 and -네요.
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