How to Say "The snowfield is dark, but starlight is bright" in Korean | -지만 Grammar

Quick Answer: "The snowfield is dark, but starlight is bright" in Korean is "눈밭은 어둡지만, 별빛이 밝아요." (nunbateun eodupjiman, byeolbiti balkayo.). It uses the -지만 grammar pattern (But/However (-지만)). Level: A2.

In Korean, "The snowfield is dark, but starlight is bright" is expressed as "눈밭은 어둡지만, 별빛이 밝아요.". This sentence demonstrates But/However (-지만), one of the most useful grammar patterns for Korean learners. Let's explore the grammar and vocabulary.

Category: 날씨

What does "The snowfield is dark, but starlight is bright" mean in Korean?

The Korean sentence "눈밭은 어둡지만, 별빛이 밝아요." translates to "The snowfield is dark, but starlight is bright." in English. "눈밭은 어둡지만, 별빛이 밝아요." is a complete thought in just a few syllables. It translates to "the snowfield is dark, but starlight is bright" and demonstrates how efficiently Korean communicates meaning. The polite form ensures you sound respectful in any context.

Pronunciation guide: nunbateun eodupjiman, byeolbiti balkayo.

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 "눈밭은 어둡지만, 별빛이 밝아요.", the verb comes at the end of the sentence. Here is the word-by-word breakdown: • 눈밭은 (nunbateun) • 어둡지만, (eodupjiman,) • 별빛이 (byeolbiti) • 밝아요 (balkayo)

In fairy tales, Korean sentences tend to be shorter and simpler than in novels. This makes them perfect for language practice.

Why This Korean Expression Sounds Natural

This sounds natural because Korean speakers instinctively expect the verb at the end. When you say "The snowfield is dark, but starlight is bright" with the action word last, it matches the mental model Korean listeners use.

Cultural Insight

한국어에는 비를 표현하는 단어가 다양해요. 보슬비, 가랑비, 소나기, 장대비 등 비의 강도와 느낌에 따라 다른 이름을 사용합니다.

Examples

눈밭은 어둡지만, 별빛이 밝아요. — nunbateun eodupjiman, byeolbiti balkayo. — The snowfield is dark, but starlight is bright.

눈밭은 어둡지만, 별빛이 밝아요? — nunbateun eodupjiman, byeolbiti balkayo? — Does the snowfield is dark, but starlight is bright?

눈밭은 어둡지만, 별빛이 안 밝아요. — nunbateun eodupjiman, byeolbiti an balkayo. — The snowfield is not dark, but starlight is bright.

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 snowfield is dark, but starlight is bright" in Korean?

The correct Korean translation is "눈밭은 어둡지만, 별빛이 밝아요.". nunbateun eodupjiman, byeolbiti balkayo.

Fill in the blank: 눈밭은 어둡지만, 별빛이 ___

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