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.

"The traveler is scared, but is brave" — in Korean, this becomes "여행자는 무섭지만, 용감해요.". This example highlights -지만, a grammar pattern at the A2 level that appears everywhere in Korean.

Category: 감정

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." might look complex at first, but it follows a predictable pattern. It says "the traveler is scared, but is brave" by placing the key action at the very end — a hallmark of Korean grammar.

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)

The best way to internalize Korean word order is to build sentences piece by piece: start with the verb, then add the object, then the subject.

Why This Korean Expression Sounds Natural

Korean speakers would find this sentence instantly comprehensible because it uses high-frequency vocabulary combined with a standard sentence pattern — the bread and butter of Korean communication.

Cultural Insight

한국 동화 속 주인공은 초인적 영웅보다 평범한 아이나 동물인 경우가 많아요. 작은 존재가 큰일을 해내는 이야기가 한국인에게 깊은 울림을 줍니다.

Examples

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

여행자는 무섭지만, 용감해요? — yeohaengjaneun museopjiman, yonggamhaeyo? — Does the traveler is scared, but is brave?

여행자는 무섭지만, 안 용감해요. — yeohaengjaneun museopjiman, an yonggamhaeyo. — The traveler is not 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.

Quiz

How do you say "The traveler is scared, but is brave" in Korean?

The correct Korean translation is "여행자는 무섭지만, 용감해요.". yeohaengjaneun museopjiman, yonggamhaeyo.

Fill in the blank: 여행자는 무섭지만, ___

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