Korean Comparison: "In My Country We Eat ___ but Here You Eat ___"
Learn to contrast food customs in Korean using 에서는 ... (으)ㄴ데 여기서는, with the topic particles 은/는 and the contrast connector -지만.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
Comparing customs is one of the most useful things you can do in a conversation, because it lets you share your own background while asking about someone else's. In Korean, this comparison is not built with a single word like "but." Instead, you mark the place with 에서는 ("in/at [place], as for..."), state the first habit, then use a contrast connector such as -지만 or -(으)ㄴ데 to set up the second half. This lesson gives you a reusable frame: "In my country, we eat ___ but here you eat ___." You will practice the particles 은/는 and 을/를, the verb 먹다 ("to eat"), and the place word 여기 ("here"). Because Korean often omits subjects when they are clear, you will also learn when to keep 우리나라 ("my/our country") and when to drop it.
By the end, you can…
- say what people eat in my country and contrast it with what people eat in Korea.
- use 에서는, 은/는, and -지만 or -(으)ㄴ데 in one natural comparison sentence.
- ask a Korean speaker whether a food custom is common here.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
우리나라에서는 밥을 먹지만 여기서는 빵을 먹어요.
In my country we eat rice, but here we eat bread.
u-ri-na-ra-e-seo-neun ba-beul meok-ji-man yeo-gi-seo-neun ppang-eul meo-geo-yo
The core comparison frame. 에서는 marks the place as the topic of each half; -지만 joins the two clauses.
우리나라에서는 고기를 많이 먹는데 여기서는 채소를 많이 먹어요.
In my country we eat a lot of meat, but here we eat a lot of vegetables.
u-ri-na-ra-e-seo-neun go-gi-reul ma-ni meok-neun-de yeo-gi-seo-neun chae-so-reul ma-ni meo-geo-yo
-(으)ㄴ데 is softer than -지만 and often sounds more conversational when you are explaining background.
여기서는 아침에 뭘 먹어요?
What do you eat for breakfast here?
yeo-gi-seo-neun a-chi-me mwol meo-geo-yo?
뭘 is the contracted form of 무엇을. Use this to invite the other person to describe their own custom.
한국에서는 김치를 거의 매일 먹는다고 들었어요.
I heard that in Korea people eat kimchi almost every day.
han-guk-e-seo-neun gim-chi-reul geo-ui mae-il meong-neun-da-go deu-reo-sseo-yo
-다고 들었어요 means "I heard that...". Useful for checking a custom politely before comparing.
제 나라에서는 그렇게 안 먹는데, 여기서는 자주 먹네요.
In my country we don't eat it that way, but here people eat it often.
je na-ra-e-seo-neun geu-reo-ke an meok-neun-de, yeo-gi-seo-neun ja-ju meong-ne-yo
-네요 adds mild surprise or observation, good for reacting to something you have just noticed.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The frame is: [Place + 에서는] + [object + 을/를] + [verb + -지만 / -(으)ㄴ데] + [Place + 에서는] + [object + 을/를] + [verb + ending]. For example, 우리나라에서는 차를 마시지만 여기서는 커피를 마셔요 ("In my country we drink tea, but here we drink coffee"). 에서는 combines 에서 ("at/in a place") with 는 (topic marker), so it literally means "as for in [place]." The object particle 을/를 attaches to what is eaten: 밥을, 빵을, 고기를. The verb 먹다 becomes 먹어요 in the polite informal style, and the contrast connector -지만 attaches to the verb stem: 먹지만, 마시지만.
When to use it
Use -지만 when the contrast is direct and you want to be clear: 우리나라에서는 밥을 먹지만 여기서는 빵을 먹어요. Use -(으)ㄴ데 when you are giving background and the second clause feels like a natural continuation: 우리나라에서는 밥을 먹는데 여기서는 빵을 먹어요. In casual conversation among friends, you can drop the polite -요 and say 우리나라에서는 밥 먹지만 여기서는 빵 먹어. Keep 우리나라 (literally "our country") rather than 제 나라 in most comparisons; 제 나라 is possible but sounds more individual and less natural in this set phrase. If the context is already clear, you can omit the first place and say 여기서는 빵을 먹네요.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
우리나라에서는 아침에 빵을 먹는데 여기서는 뭘 먹어요?
In my country we eat bread for breakfast; what do you eat here?u-ri-na-ra-e-seo-neun a-chi-me ppang-eul meok-neun-de yeo-gi-seo-neun mwol meo-geo-yo?여기서는 보통 밥하고 국을 먹어요. 아침부터 따뜻한 국을 먹죠.
Here we usually eat rice and soup. We eat warm soup starting from breakfast.yeo-gi-seo-neun bo-tong bap-ha-go gu-geul meo-geo-yo. a-chim-bu-teo tta-tteu-tan gu-geul meok-jyo.아, 그래서 아침 식당에 국이 많네요. 우리나라에서는 아침에 국을 잘 안 먹어요.
Ah, that's why there is a lot of soup at breakfast restaurants. In my country we don't really eat soup for breakfast.a, geu-rae-seo a-chim sik-dang-e gu-gi man-ne-yo. u-ri-na-ra-e-seo-neun a-chi-me gu-geul jal an meo-geo-yo.그렇군요. 그럼 우리나라에서는 아침에 뭘 자주 먹어요?
I see. Then what do you often eat for breakfast in your country?geu-reo-kun-yo. geu-reom u-ri-na-ra-e-seo-neun a-chi-me mwol ja-ju meo-geo-yo?A little context goes a long way
에서는 is not just "in"; it adds the topic nuance "as for in that place," which is why it pairs naturally with a second 에서는 in the contrasting clause. Koreans often say 우리나라 ("our country") rather than 제 나라, because 우리 can express shared belonging rather than strict possession. When you ask about another person's country, 우리나라 can be ambiguous, so many speakers switch to 한국 ("Korea") or the specific country name to avoid confusion.
One thing to watch for
Using 에 instead of 에서는 in the comparison, as in 우리나라에 밥을 먹지만 여기서는 빵을 먹어요.
Try this instead: Use 에서는 for the place where an action happens and for the topic contrast: 우리나라에서는 밥을 먹지만 여기서는 빵을 먹어요. The simple particle 에 marks location or direction, not the setting of an action, so it does not fit here.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Translate into Korean: "In my country we drink tea, but here we drink coffee."
Show a sample answer
우리나라에서는 차를 마시지만 여기서는 커피를 마셔요.
에서는 marks each place as a topic, 을/를 marks the object, and -지만 joins the contrast. You could also use 마시는데 instead of 마시지만; both are correct, with -는데 sounding slightly softer.
2Which connector is softer and more conversational: -지만 or -(으)ㄴ데?
Show a sample answer
-(으)ㄴ데 is generally softer and more conversational.
-지만 states the contrast directly, while -(으)ㄴ데 gives background and lets the second clause follow naturally. Both are correct; the choice depends on how direct you want to sound.
3Fill in the blank: 여기서는 아침에 뭘 ___? (Use the polite informal form of 먹다.)
Show a sample answer
먹어요
The polite informal present tense of 먹다 is 먹어요. In casual speech among close friends, 먹어 is also possible, but 먹어요 is the safe polite choice.
Build comparisons with [place + 에서는] + [object + 을/를] + [verb + -지만 or -(으)ㄴ데], then repeat the frame for the second place. Keep 우리나라 for "my country" in this set phrase, and use -는데 when you want a softer, more conversational contrast.
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