TOPIK II · LEVEL 6
-는 판에
-는 판에 sets up a tough, hectic or urgent situation, and the next clause usually says that something is out of place in it or makes it even worse.
변화·피동·사동Change, passive & causativeHan: Nice weather is not a difficult or hectic situation, so 판에 sounds odd; a neutral background takes -는데.
Examples
월세 낼 돈도 없는 판에 새 휴대폰을 사겠다고?You don't even have money for rent, and you want to buy a new phone?
다들 야근하는 판에 혼자 일찍 퇴근하려니 눈치가 보였다.With everyone working late, I felt awkward leaving early on my own.
비가 쏟아지는 판에 우산까지 잃어버렸다.It was pouring with rain, and on top of that I lost my umbrella.
회사가 문을 닫느냐 마느냐 하는 판에 보너스 얘기를 꺼내는 사람이 어디 있어요?The company might shut down any day — who brings up bonuses at a time like this?
Don’t mix up
-는 판에vs-는 마당에마당에 stresses that things have already reached a final point, often leading to resignation or frankness, while 판에 stresses a hectic situation and criticism: 이렇게 된 마당에 숨길 게 뭐가 있어요?
-는 판에vs-는 통에통에 names the cause of a bad result, while 판에 sets a background against which something else is out of place: 아이가 우는 통에 잠을 못 잤어요.-는 판에vs-는데-는데 gives any neutral background, while 판에 requires a difficult or tense situation: 날씨가 좋은데 산책할까요?
How to build it
V+는 판에
A+(으)ㄴ 판에
V (completed)+(으)ㄴ 판에
싸우다 → 싸우는 판에, 바쁘다 → 바쁜 판에, 망하다 → 망한 판에
- The first clause should describe a difficult, chaotic or pressing situation; for a neutral or pleasant background use -는데 instead.
- The second clause is usually criticism, surprise or a rhetorical question (무슨 ~야?, ~겠어요?), often after 도/조차 in the first clause: 먹고 살기도 힘든 판에.
- It is colloquial and emotional, so it is rare in formal writing, reports or polite requests.
- For a situation that has already come about, use the past form (으)ㄴ 판에 (다 끝난 판에), not -었는 판에.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 날씨가 좋은 판에 산책이나 하자.
Right: 날씨가 좋은데 산책이나 하자.
Nice weather is not a difficult or hectic situation, so 판에 sounds odd; a neutral background takes -는데.
Practise -는 판에 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)ㄴ/는 터에-(으)ㄴ/는 터에 sets up a situation that already exists, and the next clause tells what happened in that situation, either something well-timed or something that makes it worse.
- -(으)매-(으)매 is a bookish, literary way to say 'because' or 'as', linking a cause to its natural result in formal writing.
- -(으)나 -(으)나Two paired or opposite verbs/adjectives, each with -(으)나, mean 'whichever of these is the case, the following stays the same', which often amounts to 'regardless' or 'all the time'.
- -(으)락 -(으)락Joins two opposite actions or states to show that they keep switching back and forth.
- -(으)랴 -(으)랴Lists two (or more) tasks a person is juggling at the same time to stress that they are extremely busy or worn out.
- -(이)건 -(이)건N(이)건 N(이)건 lists two or more options and says that whichever one it is, the outcome stays the same.
- -(이)라 (예스러운 서술)An archaic plain (해라체) statement ending attached to 이다 and 아니다: 'X is Y.' It sounds solemn and old, as in classical texts, proverbs, historical-drama narration and poetry; modern Korean uses -(이)다.
- -(으)ㄹ 듯 말 듯-(으)ㄹ 듯 말 듯 describes something hovering on the edge of happening, so it seems to happen and not happen at the same time.
- -(으)ㄹ 리 만무하다A formal, emphatic way to say "there is absolutely no way that ~", based on the speaker's firm reasoning.