-(으)ㄹ 테지만

From -(으)ㄹ 터이지만: 'surely / probably …, but'. The speaker grants a confident assumption, often about the listener's feelings or situation, and then adds a contrasting point. A little more formal than -겠지만.

대조·양보Contrast & concession

Han: The guess is about a past state, so it needs 았/었을 테지만.

Examples

새 시스템을 도입하면 처음에는 혼란이 있을 테지만 장기적으로는 업무 효율이 크게 높아질 것이다.Introducing the new system will probably cause confusion at first, but in the long run it will greatly raise efficiency.

이미 들으셨을 테지만 다음 달부터 회의 시간이 바뀝니다.You've probably heard already, but the meeting time changes from next month.

처음에는 낯설고 힘드실 테지만 곧 익숙해지실 겁니다.It will probably feel strange and hard at first, but you'll soon get used to it.

Don’t mix up

-(으)ㄹ 테지만vs-겠지만Very close; -겠지만 is more everyday and also softens the speaker's own statements: 잘 모르겠지만…. -(으)ㄹ 테지만 is a guess about others: 힘드실 테지만 조금만 참아 주세요.

-(으)ㄹ 테지만vs-(으)ㄹ 텐데-(으)ㄹ 텐데 sets a background for advice: 추울 텐데 옷을 더 입어. -(으)ㄹ 테지만 stresses 'but': 추울 테지만 조금만 더 걷자.

How to build it

V/A+(으)ㄹ 테지만

guess about the past: V/A+았/었을 테지만

N+일 테지만

힘들다 → 힘들 테지만; 바쁘다 → 바쁘실 테지만; 춥다 → 추울 테지만; 듣다 → 들었을 테지만; 처음 → 처음일 테지만

It is a guess, mostly about other people or the situation; the second clause often asks for understanding or effort: 바쁘실 테지만 꼭 참석해 주세요.
For a guess about something already done or a past state, use 았/었을 테지만: 이미 들으셨을 테지만….
Common in letters, speeches, notices and polite requests, often with -(으)시-: 피곤하실 테지만.
The two clauses must really contrast; for neutral background before a suggestion use -(으)ㄹ 텐데.

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~그는 어제 많이 피곤할 테지만 끝까지 일을 마쳤다.~~

Right: 그는 어제 많이 피곤했을 테지만 끝까지 일을 마쳤다.

The guess is about a past state, so it needs 았/었을 테지만.

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