TOPIK II · LEVEL 4
-(으)ㄴ/는 데도 불구하고
Use it to say that something happened or is true despite a real fact that should have prevented it, which makes the result surprising.
대조·양보Contrast & concessionHan: Tomorrow's rain is only a possibility, and the sentence ends in a request; -는데도 불구하고 needs a real fact and an unexpected result, so use -아/어도 here.
Examples
비가 많이 오는데도 불구하고 많은 사람들이 축제에 왔습니다.Even though it was raining heavily, many people came to the festival.
그는 몸이 아픈데도 불구하고 끝까지 일을 마쳤다.Even though he was sick, he finished the work to the end.
열심히 공부했는데도 불구하고 시험에 떨어졌어요.Even though I studied hard, I failed the exam.
주말인데도 불구하고 길이 별로 막히지 않았다.Even though it was the weekend, the roads were not very congested.
Don’t mix up
-(으)ㄴ/는 데도 불구하고vs-아/어도-아/어도 can express a hypothetical 'even if' and can end in a command; -는데도 불구하고 is only for real facts: 내일 비가 와도 꼭 오세요.-(으)ㄴ/는 데도 불구하고vsN에도 불구하고에도 불구하고 attaches directly to a noun without a verb: 많은 노력에도 불구하고 실패했다 vs 많이 노력했는데도 불구하고 실패했다.
-(으)ㄴ/는 데도 불구하고vs-(으)ㄴ/는데도Same meaning, but without 불구하고 it sounds lighter and more conversational: 약을 먹었는데도 아직 아파요.How to build it
V+는데도 불구하고
A+(으)ㄴ데도 불구하고
N+인데도 불구하고
past: V/A+았/었는데도 불구하고
오다 → 오는데도 불구하고, 바쁘다 → 바쁜데도 불구하고, 공부하다 → 공부했는데도 불구하고
- The first clause must be a real, known fact, not a hypothesis. For 'even if' about something that may happen, use -아/어도.
- The second clause usually reports a result contrary to expectation, so it does not normally end in a command or suggestion (-(으)세요, -(으)ㅂ시다).
- Choose the ending by word class: action verbs and 있다/없다 take -는데도, adjectives take -(으)ㄴ데도, nouns take 인데도; for past events use -았/었는데도.
- 불구하고 adds emphasis and a formal tone; it is common in writing, news and speeches, while in casual speech plain -는데도 is more usual.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 내일 비가 오는데도 불구하고 꼭 오세요.
Right: 내일 비가 와도 꼭 오세요.
Tomorrow's rain is only a possibility, and the sentence ends in a request; -는데도 불구하고 needs a real fact and an unexpected result, so use -아/어도 here.
Practise -(으)ㄴ/는 데도 불구하고 on real TOPIK questions
Hannim plans each day up to your exam date: questions on this pattern, reviews, full mock papers and graded writing. 7 days free, no card.
Start 7-day free trialMore level 4 grammar
All TOPIK grammar- -(으)나-(으)나 is a formal written 'but / however', linking two contrasting clauses.
- -(으)되-(으)되 states or allows a first action and then adds a condition or limit to it, in a formal or written style.
- -(으)ㄹ 게 아니라Use it to say that doing X is not the right move, so you should do Y instead: "rather than doing X, do Y."
- -(으)ㄴ/는 데 반해-(으)ㄴ/는 데 반해 contrasts two facts: 'whereas / while A, B'.
- -(으)ㄴ/는 데 비해Says that the second fact is more or less than what the first fact would lead you to expect: 'considering that…', 'compared with the fact that…'.
- -(으)ㄴ들-(으)ㄴ들 means "even if (it happens), it changes nothing," and it usually leads into a negative statement or a rhetorical question.
- -(느)ㄴ다고 해도-(느)ㄴ다고 해도 means 'even if (it is the case that) …', conceding a point before saying it doesn't change things.
- -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고-(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고 states a real fact and says the result happened despite it, against what you would expect.
- -는 한편-는 한편 links two parallel actions or two sides of one situation: 'while doing X, (the subject) also does Y' or 'X is true; on the other hand, Y is true too'.