하지만
hajiman[ha̠d͡ʑima̠n]
The Korean word for 'but' is 하지만 (hajiman).
하지만 is used to express contrast, typically appearing at the beginning of a new sentence to provide a statement that contradicts or qualifies the previous one.
Meaning: except (conj)
Which one should you use?
While 하지만 is used to start a new sentence, the grammatical suffix -지만 is used to connect two different clauses within a single sentence. In casual spoken Korean, people often use 근데 (a contraction of 그런데) instead of 하지만 to mean 'but' or 'anyway'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
하지만 is a standard, polite way to express contrast and is suitable for both written and spoken contexts. For very formal written language, such as news or academic texts, 그러나 is used. 그렇지만 is another formal way to provide a contrasting idea or opinion. In contrast, 근데 is colloquial and informal, used in casual conversations.
How does it change in a sentence?
하지만 functions as a conjunctive adverb that typically starts a new sentence to express contrast with the previous sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
hajiman
Did you know?
- In spoken Korean, it is common to end a sentence with the suffix -지만 and leave the second half of the thought unsaid to politely imply a contradiction.
- The word 하지만 is actually a combination of the verb stem 'ha-' meaning 'to do' and the contrastive connector '-jiman'.
- The casual word 근데 is frequently used as a 'conversation starter' to change the subject entirely, functioning more like 'by the way' than 'but'.
Examples in context
- 나는 많은 운동은 잘 하지만 수영은 못한다.I'm good at many sports, but I can't swim.This sentence shows how to use 하지만 to contrast a person's ability in sports with their inability to swim.Tatoeba #9689689 by ST_Young, translation #5936720 by CK
- 제가 예정된 일정이 있었으나, 갑작스러운 회의로 변경되었습니다.I had a scheduled appointment, but it was suddenly changed due to a meeting.
- 오늘은 비록 힘들었지만, 전부 완료했습니다.Although today was challenging, I managed to finish everything.
- 오늘 공부할 생각은 했는데, 너무 피곤해서 못 했어.I had plans to study today, but I was too tired and couldn't do it.
- 요리 방법은 쉽게 이해했는데, 재료가 없어서 못 만들었어요.I understood the recipe easily, but I couldn't make it because I didn't have the ingredients.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 하지만, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 하지만, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
