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Questions & Answers about noraebang gagyeogi gwaenchanhgineun hajiman oneureun jibe gaja.
What nuance does -기는 하지만 add compared to a simple contrast?
It’s a concessive “I admit X is true, but…,” with a soft, hedging tone. 괜찮지만 is a straightforward “it’s okay, but,” while 괜찮기는 하지만 sounds more like “it’s true that it’s okay, but (still…).” It highlights the speaker’s slight reservation or different priority that follows.
Can I just say 괜찮지만 instead of 괜찮기는 하지만?
Yes, it’s grammatically fine: 노래방 가격이 괜찮지만 오늘은 집에 가자. The version with -기는 is more nuanced/softer and often preferred in speech to sound less blunt. Both mean the same overall thing.
Is -긴 하지만 the same as -기는 하지만?
Yes. -긴 is the contracted form of -기는. In everyday speech, you’ll often hear 괜찮긴 하지만 or even 괜찮긴 한데. A very colloquial emphasis pattern is 괜찮긴 괜찮은데, which doubles the adjective for “It’s okay, sure, but….”
Why is it 가격이 and not 가격은?
이/가 marks the grammatical subject of 괜찮다 (“the price is okay”). Using 가격은 would topicalize “the price,” often implying a contrast with other aspects (e.g., “As for the price it’s fine, but maybe the location/service isn’t”). Both are possible; 가격이 is a neutral “the price is (objectively) okay.”
Do I need 의 (possessive) as in ?