TOPIK II · LEVEL 4
-(으)ㄴ/는 데 비해
Says 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…'.
대조·양보Contrast & concessionHan: 비싸다 is an adjective, so it takes -(으)ㄴ (비싼), not the verb ending -는.
Examples
이 집은 교통이 불편한 데 비해 월세가 비싼 편이에요.Considering how inconvenient the transport is, the rent is rather high.
그 친구는 많이 먹는 데 비해 살이 안 쪄요.Considering how much he eats, he doesn't gain weight.
열심히 준비한 데 비해 시험 결과가 좋지 않았어요.Considering how hard I prepared, the exam result wasn't good.
동생은 나이가 어린 데 비해 생각이 깊어요.My younger sibling thinks deeply for someone so young.
Don’t mix up
-(으)ㄴ/는 데 비해vsN에 비해N에 비해 attaches directly to a noun; -(으)ㄴ/는 데 비해 attaches to a whole clause: 나이에 비해 젊어 보여요 vs 나이가 많은 데 비해 젊어 보여요.
-(으)ㄴ/는 데 비해vs-(으)ㄴ/는 반면(에)반면에 simply sets two opposite sides side by side, with no idea of 'more/less than expected': 이 방은 넓은 반면에 어두워요.
-(으)ㄴ/는 데 비해vs-(으)ㄴ/는데-(으)ㄴ/는데 (no space) is a general background/contrast connector and can end in a command: 비싼데 사지 마세요. -(으)ㄴ/는 데 비해 usually cannot.
How to build it
V+는 데 비해 (present)
V+(으)ㄴ 데 비해 (past)
A+(으)ㄴ 데 비해
N+인 데 비해
먹다 → 먹는 데 비해, 준비하다 → 준비한 데 비해, 비싸다 → 비싼 데 비해, 학생 → 학생인 데 비해
- Adjectives take -(으)ㄴ, not -는: 비싼 데 비해, not 비싸는 데 비해. Exception: adjectives ending in 있다/없다 take -는 (맛있는 데 비해).
- For verbs, use -는 데 비해 for current/habitual actions and -(으)ㄴ 데 비해 for a completed action (열심히 공부한 데 비해).
- 데 here is a bound noun, so it is written with a space: 비싼 데 비해. Writing 비싼데 비해 is a spelling error.
- The second clause is an evaluation, so it usually does not end in a command or suggestion (-(으)세요, -(으)ㅂ시다).
Classic mistake
Wrong: 이 식당은 가격이 비싸는 데 비해 양이 적어요.
Right: 이 식당은 가격이 비싼 데 비해 양이 적어요.
비싸다 is an adjective, so it takes -(으)ㄴ (비싼), not the verb ending -는.
Practise -(으)ㄴ/는 데 비해 on real TOPIK questions
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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 데도 불구하고Use it to say that something happened or is true despite a real fact that should have prevented it, which makes the result surprising.
- -(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'.