TOPIK II · LEVEL 4
-(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고
-(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고 states a real fact and says the result happened despite it, against what you would expect.
대조·양보Contrast & concessionHan: Tomorrow's rain is only a possibility, not a fact, so the hypothetical -아/어도 is needed instead of -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고.
Examples
그 선수는 부상에도 불구하고 끝까지 경기를 뛰었다.Despite the injury, the player played the match to the end.
비가 많이 왔음에도 불구하고 많은 사람들이 축제에 참가했다.Even though it rained heavily, many people took part in the festival.
많이 노력했음에도 불구하고 시험에 떨어졌다.Despite having tried hard, I failed the exam.
바쁘심에도 불구하고 이렇게 와 주셔서 감사합니다.Thank you for coming despite being so busy.
Don’t mix up
-(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고vs-는데도Same meaning, but -는데도 is conversational, while -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고 is formal: 비가 오는데도 우산을 안 가져갔어요.
-(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고vs-아/어도-아/어도 can express a hypothetical 'even if'; -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고 needs a real fact: 내일 비가 와도 갈 거예요.How to build it
V/A+(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고 (past: V/A + 았/었음에도 불구하고)
N+에도 불구하고 or N+임에도 불구하고
노력하다 → 노력했음에도 불구하고
- The first clause must be a real fact (present or past), not a hypothetical future situation; for 'even if' use -아/어도.
- Mark past time inside the pattern: 왔음에도, 했음에도. Do not add -겠- to it.
- It sounds formal and is typical of writing, news and speeches; in everyday talk -는데도 is more natural.
- The second clause is usually a statement of what happened, not a command or suggestion (polite thanks like 와 주셔서 감사합니다 is fine).
Classic mistake
Wrong: 내일 비가 옴에도 불구하고 소풍을 갈 거예요.
Right: 내일 비가 와도 소풍을 갈 거예요.
Tomorrow's rain is only a possibility, not a fact, so the hypothetical -아/어도 is needed instead of -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고.
Practise -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고 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 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)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.
- -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'.