High School - Grade 10
Lesson 3: The All-Purpose Connector
-(으)ㄴ/는데
The "Secret Sauce" of Conversation
If you want to sound natural, this is one of the most important grammar points to learn. It's used to provide background information or context before you make your main point.
It can be translated as "and...", "but...", or "so..." depending on the context. It's the "By the way, this is the situation..." connector.
The Conjugation Rules
The rule changes depending on whether you're using an Action Verb, an Adjective, or a Noun.
Rule 1: Action Verbs & 있다/없다
Attach to the stem, regardless of vowel/consonant.
... + 는데
가다 가는데
먹다 먹는데
있다 있는데
Rule 2: Adjectives
Follows the adjective-modifying rule `-(으)ㄴ`.
... + (으)ㄴ데
예쁘다 (vowel) 예쁜데
작다 (consonant) 작은데
Rule 3: Nouns (이다 / 아니다)
Attach directly to the noun.
... + 인데
학생이다 학생인데
의사이다 의사인데
Rule 4: Past Tense (All)
Attach to the past tense stem.
... + 았/었는데
갔다 갔는데
예뻤다 예뻤는데
Examples in Action
CONTEXT = "BUT" (CONTRAST)
비가 오는데 우산이 없어요.
It's raining, but I don't have an umbrella.
CONTEXT = "SO" (BACKGROUND)
날씨가 좋은데 공원에 갈까요?
The weather is nice, so shall we go to the park?
CONTEXT = "AND" (SETTING THE SCENE)
어제 영화를 봤는데 정말 재미있었어요.
I saw a movie yesterday, and it was really fun.
CONTEXT = "NOUN" (BACKGROUND)
저는 학생인데 돈이 없어요.
I'm a student, so I don't have money.
Coming Up Next...
You've learned the all-purpose connector! Next, let's learn a more formal way to make a suggestion: "Let's..."