How to Say "The seamstress is sad, but still has hope" in Korean | -지만 Grammar

Quick Answer: "The seamstress is sad, but still has hope" in Korean is "재봉사는 슬프지만, 희망이 있어요." (jaebongsaneun seulpeujiman, huimangi iteoyo.). It uses the -지만 grammar pattern (But/However (-지만)). Level: A2.

Master the Korean expression "재봉사는 슬프지만, 희망이 있어요." (The seamstress is sad, but still has hope). It showcases the -지만 pattern, which you will encounter constantly in Korean dramas, books, and conversations.

Category: 감정

What does "The seamstress is sad, but still has hope" mean in Korean?

The Korean sentence "재봉사는 슬프지만, 희망이 있어요." translates to "The seamstress is sad, but still has hope." in English. Korean expresses "the seamstress is sad, but still has hope" as "재봉사는 슬프지만, 희망이 있어요.". The sentence structure may feel backwards compared to English, but once you get used to verb-final order, Korean starts to feel surprisingly logical.

Pronunciation guide: jaebongsaneun seulpeujiman, huimangi iteoyo.

Grammar Point: But/However (-지만)

The connective -지만 joins two contrasting clauses, similar to 'but' or 'however' in English. It attaches directly to the verb/adjective stem. This sentence also uses -아/어요.

Verb stem + 지만. For example: 작지만 (small but…), 춥지만 (cold but…).

Korean Sentence Structure Breakdown

Korean follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order, which is different from English (SVO). In "재봉사는 슬프지만, 희망이 있어요.", the verb comes at the end of the sentence. Here is the word-by-word breakdown: • 재봉사는 (jaebongsaneun) • 슬프지만, (seulpeujiman,) • 희망이 (huimangi) • 있어요 (iteoyo)

Try covering the verb and guessing the sentence meaning from context. Then reveal it — this builds your Korean reading intuition.

Why This Korean Expression Sounds Natural

The Korean version flows naturally because it follows the golden rule of Korean word order: time/place first, then subject, then object, and finally the verb.

Cultural Insight

한국어는 감정을 직접 말하기보다 행동으로 보여주는 경우가 많아요. '사랑해'보다 '밥 먹었어?'가 더 큰 사랑의 표현일 수 있죠.

Examples

재봉사는 슬프지만, 희망이 있어요. — jaebongsaneun seulpeujiman, huimangi iteoyo. — The seamstress is sad, but still has hope.

재봉사는 슬프지만, 희망이 있어요? — jaebongsaneun seulpeujiman, huimangi iteoyo? — Does the seamstress is sad, but still has hope?

재봉사는 슬프지만, 희망이 안 있어요. — jaebongsaneun seulpeujiman, huimangi an iteoyo. — The seamstress is not sad, but still has hope.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect: 작은지만 → Correct: 작지만. Do not add the modifier ending -은/-는 before -지만. Attach -지만 directly to the stem.

Incorrect: 먹아요 → Correct: 먹어요. The stem 먹- ends in a dark vowel (ㅓ), so it takes -어요 not -아요. Match the vowel harmony.

Quiz

How do you say "The seamstress is sad, but still has hope" in Korean?

The correct Korean translation is "재봉사는 슬프지만, 희망이 있어요.". jaebongsaneun seulpeujiman, huimangi iteoyo.

Fill in the blank: 재봉사는 슬프지만, 희망이 ___

The correct ending is "있어요". The polite -요 form is essential for everyday Korean conversation.