📘 Intermediate Day 2: Sentence Connectors II – -지만, -는데 Welcome back to your Intermediate Korean journey! 🎓 Today, we’ll go deeper into connecting sentences by learning two essential grammar patterns: -지만 (but / although) and -는데 (but / background / contrast). These patterns are slightly more nuanced than the beginner-level connectors we saw before like 하지만 and 그래서 , and they allow your Korean to sound more fluent, contextual, and natural! 📘 What Are These Connectors Used For? Both -지만 and -는데 are used to join two ideas or actions, especially when there is contrast or background involved. -지만 : “but,” “although” – expresses clear, direct contrast between two clauses. -는데 : “but,” “and,” “so…” – provides context or a background before the main point. 📘 1. -지만 (but / although) This grammar attaches directly to verbs, adjectives, and nouns. Use it when showing a strong or direct contrast. 저는 매운 음식을 좋아 하지만 많이는 못 먹어요. jeo-neun mae-un eum-sik-e...

📘 Intermediate Day 1: Sentence Connectors – 그래서, 하지만, 그리고 Welcome to Intermediate Korean Day 1! 🎓 If you’ve completed the beginner level, it’s time to step up your fluency by learning how to connect sentences naturally. In this lesson, we’ll cover three essential Korean sentence connectors: 그래서 (so/therefore), 하지만 (but/however), and 그리고 (and). These connectors will help you speak in longer, smoother, and more complex sentences – just like native speakers! 📌 What Are Sentence Connectors? Sentence connectors link two ideas or actions in a logical way. In Korean, connectors help express cause and effect, contrast, and addition. Here are the three we’ll focus on: 그래서 – so, therefore (cause → result) 하지만 – but, however (contrast) 그리고 – and, also (addition) 📘 1. 그래서 (so / therefore) Used to show cause and effect. The first sentence gives a reason; the second sentence shows the result. 비가 왔어요. 그래서 우산을 썼어요. bi-ga wa-sseo-yo. geu-rae-seo u-s...

📘 How to Use ~고 나서 – Saying After Doing Something in Korean Want to say “After I ate, I studied,” “I called him after I got home,” or “She slept after reading” in Korean? Then it’s time to learn ~고 나서 , a natural and clear way to express sequential actions in Korean, especially when one action is followed by another. This structure is perfect for storytelling and explaining what you did step by step. 📌 What Does ~고 나서 Mean? ~고 나서 is used to describe an action that happens after a previous action is completed . It has the nuance of “after doing...” or “once done, then…” and emphasizes that the first action is fully finished before the next begins. Structure: Verb stem + 고 나서 + second action ✔️ You can also drop "나서" and simply use ~고 for simple sequences. 📘 Example Sentences 밥을 먹고 나서 공부했어요 – After eating, I studied bap-eul meok-go na-seo gong-bu-haet-seo-yo 일하고 나서 운동했어요 – I exercised after working il-ha-go na-seo un-dong-haet-seo-yo 도착...

📘 How to Use ~아/어도 – Even If / Even Though in Korean Want to say “Even if I’m tired, I’ll go”, “Even if it rains, I’ll exercise”, or “Even though it’s expensive, I’ll buy it” in Korean? Then you need to learn ~아/어도 – one of the most useful grammar points for expressing contrast and unexpected results! This lesson will help you use ~아/어도 correctly, understand how to conjugate it, and practice with real-life examples. 🧠 What Does ~아/어도 Mean? ~아/어도 is a grammar pattern that means: “Even if…” “Even though…” “Although…” It connects two clauses where the second one happens despite the first. 💡 You use it when something happens or is true even though there is a reason it normally wouldn't. 🔤 Conjugation Rule If verb/adjective stem has ㅏ or ㅗ → use ~아도 If it has other vowels → use ~어도 If the verb is 하다 → use ~해도 Structure: Verb/Adjective stem + 아/어도 가다 → 가도 (even if you go) 먹다 → 먹어도 (even if you eat) 하다 → 해도 (even if you do) 📘 ...