LESSON 26

The Word “But”

You have learned the expression geureochiman = but:

Gage e gaseoyo. Geureochiman gudu-reul an saseoyo.

가게에 갔어요 그렇지만 구두를 안 샀어요.

I went to the store. But I didn’t buy any shoes.

If you want to link two such sentences together more closely, you can change the verb of the first to the -ji form and add the particle man:

Gage-e gajjiman, gudu-reul an sasseoyo.

가게에 갔지만 구두를 안 샀어요.

I went to the store, but I didn’t buy any shoes.

If the verb is in the past, you have to use the past -ji form which ends in -eojji or -ajji (with some irregularities, just like the polite past -eosse yo and -ase yo):

Sangjeom-e gaseyo. Geureochiman, gudu-reul an sasseyo. = Sangjeom-e kajji man gudu-reul an sasseoyo.

Here are some past -ji forms:

jabajjiman	잡았지만	caught but
dadajjiman	닫았지만	closed but
useojjiman	웃었지만	laughed but
noajjiman	놓았지만	put but
anjeusyeojjiman	앉으셨지만	someone honored sat but
sseojjiman	썼지만	wrote but
gasyeojjiman	가셨지만	someone honored went but
jueojjiman	주었지만	gave but
bwajjiman	봤지만	saw but
haejiman	했지만	did but
kaji anajjiman	가지 않았지만	didn’t go but
oji aneusyeojjiman	오지않으셧지만	someone honored didn’t come but

Here are some examples in sentences:

Eoje-neun ilhaejjiman, oneul-eun swieoyo.

어제는 일했지만 오늘은 쉬어요.

Yesterday I worked but today, I am off (I rest).

Sinmun-eul bwajjiman, geu sajin-eun mot bwasseoyo.

신문을 봤지만 그 사진은 못 봤어요.

I read the newspaper, but I didn’t see that picture.

Saiteu-reul bwajjiman, geu sajin-eul mot bwasseoyo.

사이트를 봤지만 그 사진을 못 봤어요.

I looked at the website, but I didn’t see that picture.

Chaek-eul ilgeojjiman, yeonghwa-neun mot bwasseoyo.

책을 읽었지만 영화는 못봤어요.

I read the book, but I didn’t get to see the movie.

Yeonghwa-reul mot bwajjiman chaek-eul ilgeosseoyo?

영화를 못 봤지만 책을 읽었어요.

You didn’t see the movie, but you read the book?

Jip-i jakjiman yeppeoyo.

집이 작지만 예뻐요.

The house is small but it’s cute.

Gae-ga yeppeujiman neomu jijeoyo.

개가 예쁘지만 너무 짖어요.

The dog is cute but he barks a lot.

Na-neun haksaeng ijiman nae chingu-neun anieyo.

나는 학생이지만 내친구는 아니에요.

I’m a student, but my friend isn’t.

Gimssineun Hanguk saram ijiman, Massi-neun Jungguk saram ieyo.

김씨는 한국 사람이지만 마씨는 중국 사람이에요.

Mr. Kim is a Korean, but Mr. Ma is Chinese.

Na-neun Ilbon-eseo wajjiman, Ilbon saram-eun anieyo.

나는 일본에서 왔지만 일본 사람은 아니에요.

I came from Japan, but I’m not Japanese.

Sikku-neun maneunde don-i eopseoyo.

식구는 많은데 돈이 없어요.

I have a big family, but I haven’t any money.

Nae-ga neo-ege jun don-eul da sseokkuna.

내가 너에게 준 돈을 다 썼구나.

I gave you money but you spent it all.

NOTE: Sseoyo means (1) writes, (2) uses, (3) spends, (4) wears on head. Below, jagi means oneself.

Geuga moja-reul sseojjiman, jagi moja-ga anieosseoyo.

그가 모자를 썼지만 자기 모자가 아니었어요.

He put on a hat but it wasn’t his own.

Pen-i eopseojjiman, chingu yeonpil-lo sseosseoyo.

펜이 없었지만 친구 연필로 썼어요.

I didn’t have a pen, but I used a friend’s pencil.

Yeonpil-lo sseojjiman, gwaen chanayo.

연필로 썼지만 괞찮아요.

You wrote with a pencil, but it doesn’t make any difference.