-던데(요) in Korean: “I noticed that (but)”

-던데(요) (-deonde(yo)) means "I noticed that..." or "from what I saw...", and it shares something you saw or experienced yourself, usually setting up a follow-up or a gentle contrast. It is like -더라 (I noticed) combined with -는데 (background, but).

How to form it

How to use it

-던데 reports something you personally noticed in the past, then leaves room for more: advice, a question, or a contrast. 그 카페 조용하던데 means "That cafe was quiet (I noticed), so..."

As a sentence ending, -던데요 often gently disagrees or adds your own experience: if someone says a restaurant is bad, you can reply 맛있던데요 ("Hmm, I thought it was good").

It is normally about things you observed, not your own actions. For your own feelings or reactions it works fine: 난 재미있던데 means "I found it fun, though."

-던데 is casual and -던데요 is polite.

Examples

Tap a word to see what it means and save it to your flashcards.

Don’t mix it up with

-더라(고요): -더라고요 simply reports what you noticed. -던데요 does the same but leaves something unsaid, like a contrast or a follow-up.

-는데(요): -는데 gives background about now. -던데 gives background based on what you saw or felt before.

Common mistakes

Using -던데 for your own actions, like 내가 밥을 먹던데. It is for things you observed, so it sounds strange about yourself.

Want the basics first? Read -는데: background, "but" and -는데요.