Learn Hardcore Korean: oneureun nalssiga malgjiman jogeum chuwoyo. - Today the weather is clear but a bit cold.

-은/는 is the topic marker. By saying 오늘은, you’re setting today as the topic (“as for today…”). If you used 오늘이, you’d be making today the grammatical subject without that topical nuance. Using 오늘은 often implies contrast or emphasis: “Today (unlike other days)…”.

Why does 날씨 take -가 instead of -은/는 here?

In this sentence, 날씨가 is the grammatical subject of 맑다 (“to be clear”). When you want to identify or describe the subject, you use -이/가. Since 오늘은 already sets the topic, 날씨가 naturally becomes the subject: “As for today, the weather is clear…”.

What does the suffix -지만 do in 맑지만?

-지만 is a conjunctive ending meaning “but” or “although.” You drop 다 from the adjective 맑다 (clear) and add -지만, so 맑다 → 맑지만, which translates as “it’s clear, but…”. It links to the next clause.

Why is it 맑지만 조금 추워요 instead of two separate sentences?

You could split it into: • 오늘은 날씨가 맑아요. 하지만 조금 추워요.
That’s perfectly fine. Using -지만 in one sentence is just more concise and shows a tighter connection: “It’s clear but (on the other hand) a bit cold.”

Why is 조금 placed before 추워요? Could I say 추워요 조금?

In Korean, adverbs like 조금 (“a little”) typically precede the verb or adjective they modify. 조금 추워요 is natural. Saying 추워요 조금 would sound awkward because Korean word order for modifiers is usually Modifier + Head (i.e., adverb before predicate).

How does 춥다 become 추워요?

This is vowel contraction in polite speech:

Stem: 춥
- -아요
Because the stem vowel is ㅜ, you use 어 rather than 아, giving 춥 + 어요.
ㅜ + ㅓ contracts to ㅜㅓ → ㅝ, so 춥어요 → 추워요.

What’s the difference between -지만 and starting a new sentence with 하지만?

• -지만 attaches directly to a verb/adjective stem to mean “but/although,” joining two clauses in one sentence.
• 하지만 is a standalone conjunctive adverb meaning “however/but,” used to start a new sentence.
They both show contrast, but -지만 keeps it in one sentence, 하지만 often begins a fresh sentence.

Can I replace 조금 with 약간 here?

Yes, 약간 also means “a bit” or “somewhat.” 조금 추워요 and 약간 추워요 are both correct. 조금 is more common in everyday speech; 약간 can sound slightly more formal or literary.

Why don’t we need a particle after 조금?

Because 조금 is an adverb here, and adverbs in Korean generally don’t take particles. They directly modify the verb/adjective that follows.

If I want to be more informal or more formal, how would I change 추워요?

• Casual (friends/family): 추워
• Polite (standard): 추워요
• Formal (presentational): 춥습니다