How to Say "The traveler is scared, but is brave" in Korean | -지만 Grammar

Quick Answer: "The traveler is scared, but is brave" in Korean is "여행자는 무섭지만, 용감해요." (yeohaengjaneun museopjiman, yonggamhaeyo.). It uses the -지만 grammar pattern (But/However (-지만)). Level: A2.

Want to express "The traveler is scared, but is brave" in Korean? Say "여행자는 무섭지만, 용감해요.". The grammar point -지만 (A2) is essential for everyday Korean conversation. Read on for a full breakdown.

What does "The traveler is scared, but is brave" mean in Korean?

The Korean sentence "여행자는 무섭지만, 용감해요." translates to "The traveler is scared, but is brave." in English. "여행자는 무섭지만, 용감해요." is a simple A1–A2 sentence that paints a clear scene. It ends with "-요" so it feels polite and warm. It is perfect for fairy-tale style narration.

Pronunciation guide: yeohaengjaneun museopjiman, yonggamhaeyo.

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.

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 "여행자는 무섭지만, 용감해요.", the verb comes at the end of the sentence. Here is the word-by-word breakdown: • 여행자는 (yeohaengjaneun) • 무섭지만, (museopjiman,) • 용감해요 (yonggamhaeyo)

Korean sentences always end with the verb. Get comfortable with putting the action word last.

Why This Korean Expression Sounds Natural

In English, we often say "The traveler is scared, but is brave" directly. Korean keeps the same idea but adds softness through the ending, so the line feels caring rather than flat.

Cultural Insight

한국어는 감정을 드러낼 때도 부드러운 말투로 마음의 온기를 전해요.

Examples

여행자는 무섭지만, 용감해요. — yeohaengjaneun museopjiman, yonggamhaeyo. — The traveler is scared, but is brave.

오늘은 여행자는 무섭지만, 용감해요. — oneuleun yeohaengjaneun museopjiman, yonggamhaeyo. — Today, the traveler is scared, but is brave

지금 여행자는 무섭지만, 용감해요. — jigeum yeohaengjaneun museopjiman, yonggamhaeyo. — Right now, the traveler is scared, but is brave

Common Mistakes

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

Incorrect: 용감해요 여행자는 무섭지만, → Correct: 여행자는 무섭지만, 용감해요. Korean uses Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order. The verb must come at the end of the sentence, unlike English where it comes after the subject.