-는데/(으)ㄴ데

-는데 sets up the background or a contrast in the first clause, preparing the listener for the second clause, which can be a statement, a question or a request.

대조·양보Contrast & concession

Han: 좋다 is an adjective, so it takes -(으)ㄴ데 (좋은데); -는데 goes after verbs and 있다/없다 words.

Examples

이 식당은 음식이 맛있는데 좀 비싸요.The food at this restaurant is tasty, but it's a bit expensive.

지금 밖에 비가 오는데 우산 있어요?It's raining outside now. Do you have an umbrella?

어제 시장에 갔는데 사람이 정말 많았어요.I went to the market yesterday, and it was really crowded.

내일은 토요일인데 같이 영화 볼까요?Tomorrow is Saturday. Shall we watch a movie together?

Don’t mix up

-는데/(으)ㄴ데vs-지만-지만 only marks contrast; it cannot simply give background before a question or request: 비가 오는데 우산 있어요? (not 비가 오지만 우산 있어요?).-는데/(으)ㄴ데vs-(으)니까-(으)니까 states a clear reason, while -는데 only lays out the situation and leaves the link implied, so it sounds softer: 바쁘니까 나중에 전화하세요 vs 지금 바쁜데 나중에 전화해도 돼요?

How to build it

V / 있다·없다+는데

A+(으)ㄴ데

N+인데

past: V/A+았/었는데

먹다 → 먹는데, 작다 → 작은데, 학생 → 학생인데, 가다 → 갔는데

Choose the ending by word class: verbs and words ending in 있다/없다 (맛있다, 재미없다) take -는데, adjectives take -(으)ㄴ데, and nouns take 인데.
In the past tense, verbs and adjectives both use -았/었는데 (갔는데, 좋았는데); forms like 갔은데 are wrong.
The second clause can be a question, request or suggestion, so -는데 is very useful for giving background before asking for something.
Ending a sentence with -는데요 softens it and suggests something is left unsaid or that you expect a reaction.

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~날씨가 좋는데 같이 산책할까요?~~

Right: 날씨가 좋은데 같이 산책할까요?

좋다 is an adjective, so it takes -(으)ㄴ데 (좋은데); -는데 goes after verbs and 있다/없다 words.

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