만 해도

man haedo

Grammar · 1 sense

Just (time expression) ago, up until

Examples

10년 전만 해도, 우리 나라가 이렇게 양극화되지는 않았다.

Even just 10 years ago, our country was not this polarized.

어제까지만 해도 나는 그 사람이 사건에 관여했을 거라고는 생각도 못했어.

Just yesterday, I hadn't even once thought that he could have been involved in this case.

도서관에 들어올 때까지만 해도 공부할 의욕이 차고 넘쳐났는데 교과서 펴고 보니까 집중이 안 되더라고요.

Right up until I entered the library, I was full of motivation to study, but once I opened the textbook, I couldn't focus at all.

When you'd hear it

Common in both conversation and writing, especially when looking back on a recent past situation that has changed. It appears often in news, personal stories, and dramas, and can follow expressions such as 10년 전 or 어제까지.

What learners get wrong

Do not confuse it with 만하다, meaning “to be worth” or “to be tolerable.” In a time expression, 만 해도 highlights how things were at that earlier point, often before a change.

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