TOPIK II · LEVEL 4
-(으)나
-(으)나 is a formal written 'but / however', linking two contrasting clauses.
대조·양보Contrast & concessionHan: -(으)나 is too formal for casual speech; use -는데 or -지만.
Examples
그 계획은 좋으나 비용이 너무 많이 든다.The plan is good, but it costs too much.
이 제품은 가격이 비싸나 품질이 우수하다.This product is expensive, but its quality is excellent.
열심히 노력했으나 결과는 좋지 않았다.I tried hard, but the result wasn't good.
Don’t mix up
-(으)나vs-지만Same meaning; -지만 is neutral and fine in speech, -(으)나 sounds written and formal (TOPIK reading/writing).How to build it
V/A(vowel or ㄹ)+나
V/A(consonant)+으나
비싸다 → 비싸나, 좋다 → 좋으나, 만들다 → 만드나
- Mainly in writing, news and formal speeches; in conversation use -지만.
- Past: -았/었으나 (했으나).
Classic mistake
Wrong: (talking to a friend) 영화 봤으나 재미없었어.
Right: 영화 봤는데 재미없었어.
-(으)나 is too formal for casual speech; use -는데 or -지만.
Practise -(으)나 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)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.
- -(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'.