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아도 vs 어도 vs 여도: Mastering Confusing Korean Connective Endings

아도 (a-do, ado) · 어도 (eo-do, eodo) · 여도 (yeo-do, yeodo)

아도, 어도, and 여도 are connective endings chosen based on the preceding vowel or consonant, all meaning 'even if' or 'although' to express concession.

Comparison of Korean connective endings 아도, 어도, and 여도 with usage examples

Word-by-word breakdown

One lane per word — no nested boxes, just the gist.

아도(a-do, ado)

Used after verb or adjective stems ending with the vowel 'ㅏ' or 'ㅗ', expressing 'even if' or 'although'.

When to use

Stem ends with ㅏ/ㅗ, Concessive in positive contexts, Casual conditional clause

The nuance

Attach '-아도' when the stem's last vowel is 'ㅏ' or 'ㅗ'.

어도(eo-do, eodo)

Used after verb or adjective stems ending with vowels other than 'ㅏ' or 'ㅗ', expressing 'even if' or 'although'.

When to use

Stem ends with other vowels, Concessive in negative contexts, Formal sentence construction

The nuance

Attach '-어도' when the stem's last vowel is not 'ㅏ' or 'ㅗ'.

여도(yeo-do, yeodo)

Attached to the verb '하다' to mean the same as '해도', mainly used in formal or written language.

When to use

Verb 하다 usage, Formal and literary style, Official documents or writing

The nuance

Attach '-여도' to the stem '하' of '하다' to form the same meaning as '해도'.

Real-world examples

  • 가도 괜찮아요.

    ga-do gwaen-chan-a-yo., ga do gwaen chan a yo.

    '가' stem ends with vowel 'ㅏ', so '-아도' is correctly used.

  • 먹어도 괜찮아요.

    meok-eo-do gwaen-chan-a-yo., meok eo do gwaen chan a yo.

    '먹' stem ends with vowel 'ㅓ', so '-어도' is correct.

  • 해도 괜찮아요.

    hae-do gwaen-chan-a-yo., hae do gwaen chan a yo.

    '하다' verb is an exception and uses '-해도'.

  • 하여도 괜찮아요.

    ha-yeo-do gwaen-chan-a-yo., ha yeo do gwaen chan a yo.

    '-여도' is the formal/literary form attached to '하다'.

  • 가어도 괜찮아요.

    ga-eo-do gwaen-chan-a-yo., ga eo do gwaen chan a yo.

    '가' stem ends with 'ㅏ', so '-어도' is incorrect; use '-아도'.

  • 먹아도 괜찮아요.

    meok-a-do gwaen-chan-a-yo., meok a do gwaen chan a yo.

    '먹' stem ends with 'ㅓ', so '-아도' is wrong; use '-어도'.

  • 해여도 괜찮아요.

    hae-yeo-do gwaen-chan-a-yo., hae yeo do gwaen chan a yo.

    '하다' verb takes '-여도' as '하여도'; '해여도' is ungrammatical.

  • 가여도 괜찮아요.

    ga-yeo-do gwaen-chan-a-yo., ga yeo do gwaen chan a yo.

    '가' stem does not take '-여도'; use '-아도'.

Quick quiz

  1. When do you use '-아도'?

    어떤 경우에 '-아도'를 사용하나요?(eo-tteongyeong-u-e'-a-do'reulsa-yong-ha-na-yo?, eotteongyeongue'ado'reulsayonghanayo?)

  2. Which is the correct connective ending for '먹다'?

    '먹다'에 붙는 올바른 연결어미는?('meok-da'ebut-neunol-ba-reunyeon-gyeol-eo-mi-neun?, 'meokda'ebutneunolbareunyeongyeoleomineun?)

  3. Formal connective ending for '하다'?

    '하다' 동사의 격식체 연결어미는?('ha-da'dong-sa-uigyeok-sik-cheyeon-gyeol-eo-mi-neun?, 'hada'dongsauigyeoksikcheyeongyeoleomineun?)

More comparisons to explore

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