TOPIK II Grammar · Ch.6 Contrast, Concession & Futility 01

TOPIK II Grammar · Ch.6 Contrast, Concession & Futility 01

'-는데도 · -더라도 · -아/어도' - Even Though, Even If, No Matter What

약을 먹어도 낫지 않아요 - even though I take the medicine, I'm not getting better (a fact). 비가 오더라도 갈 거예요 - even if it rains, I'm going (still a guess). 열심히 하는데도 점수가 안 올라요 - even though I study hard, my score won't move (fact + surprise). Grammar books call this "concession" - here's how Korean splits it three ways.

Key point English marks the real/unreal split with two phrases: "even though" for facts, "even if" for guesses. Korean does it with endings: -는데도 = even though (real fact + unexpected result), -더라도 = even if (hasn't happened yet), and -아/어도 covers both.

How to use it

-아/어도 is the base form and the busiest one: 바빠도 아침은 꼭 먹어요 (= even when I'm busy, I never skip breakfast). It pairs constantly with 아무리: 아무리 불러도 대답이 없어요 (= no matter how much I call, there's no answer) - the Korean counterpart of English "no matter how".

-는데도 points at a real, existing fact and highlights the unexpected result after it - English "even though": 매일 운동하는데도 살이 안 빠져요 (= even though I exercise every day, I'm not losing weight). Past facts take -았/었는데도.

-더라도 supposes something that hasn't happened and says "even then, it changes nothing" - English "even if": 실패하더라도 도전할 가치가 있어요 (= even if I fail, it's worth trying). It feels more hypothetical than -아/어도.

At a glance

Pattern	Character	Example
-아/어도	fact or guess - both	추워도 창문을 열고 자요
-는데도	real fact + surprise ("even though")	설명을 들었는데도 이해가 안 돼요
-더라도	hasn't happened yet ("even if")	늦더라도 꼭 오세요

아무리 and its partners  아무리 pairs with -아/어도 and -더라도, not with -는데도 - 아무리 힘들어도 works; 아무리 힘든데도 doesn't.

Examples

여러 번 읽어도 무슨 뜻인지 모르겠어요. No matter how many times I read it, I can't tell what it means. - literally "even reading it several times": a fact conceded with the all-purpose -아/어도.

주말인데도 회사에 나왔어요. Even though it's the weekend, he went in to work. - noun + 인데도.

결과가 어떻더라도 후회하지 않을 거예요. Whatever the result turns out to be, I won't regret it. - the future is still open, so -더라도.

Common mistakes

❌ 내일 눈이 많이 오는데도 출발할 거예요. → ⭕ 내일 눈이 많이 오더라도 출발할 거예요. -는데도 works on facts that already hold. Tomorrow's snow is still a guess, so it needs "even if" - -더라도 (or plain -아/어도).

❌ 아무리 피곤한데도 숙제는 해야 해요. → ⭕ 아무리 피곤해도 숙제는 해야 해요. 아무리's partner is -아/어도 (or -더라도). When the two don't match, the whole sentence sounds wrong. Learn 아무리 ~ -아/어도 as one unit.

Quick check

Fill each blank with -아/어도, -는데도, or -더라도.

1. 아무리 바빠(      ) 가족과의 약속은 지켜요.
2. 어제 일찍 잤(      ) 아직 피곤해요. (a fact)
3. 무슨 일이 있(      ) 이번 시험은 꼭 볼 거예요. (a guess)

Show answers

1. 도 (바빠도 - 아무리 takes -아/어도)   2. 는데도 (잤는데도 - a real past fact with an unexpected result)   3. 더라도 (whatever may happen - still only a guess)

💡 Study tip - Use these when you state a resolution. 힘들더라도 포기하지 않을 거예요 (= even if it gets hard, I won't give up). This frame goes straight into the argument paragraph of TOPIK writing question 54.