Korean grammar patterns › Level 2
-(으)ㄴ/는데요
soft ending: hint, hesitation, background, polite disagreement
Level 2 · TOPIK I · beginner
How to use it
Ends a sentence while leaving something unsaid: it gives background, softly refuses or disagrees, or waits for the listener's reaction. Verbs and 있다/없다 take -는데요, adjectives -(으)ㄴ데요, nouns 인데요.
Forming it
| 가다 | → 가는데요 |
| 작다 | → 작은데요 |
| 학생 | → 학생인데요 |
| 먹었다 | → 먹었는데요 |
Adjectives don't take -는: ✗ 바쁘는데요 → 바쁜데요. With a falling tone it can sound like a refusal or an objection.
Examples
이 신발이 저한테 좀 작은데요.
These shoes are a bit small for me.
미안하지만 저는 지금 좀 바쁜데요.
Sorry, but I'm a bit busy right now.
Compared with similar patterns
-(으)ㄴ/는데 links two clauses inside a sentence; -거든요 gives a reason the listener didn't know; -나요/-(으)ㄴ가요 is a soft question ending.