This is the 12989th most frequent Korean word.
돌아왔지만
"돌아왔지만" means "returned, but."
In this sentence, '돌아왔지만' is used to denote an action—coming back—and is followed by '지만,' which introduces a contrasting situation.
그는 집에 돌아왔지만 아내가 없었어요.
Although he returned home, his wife was not there.
Here, '돌아왔지만' expresses the action of returning, and '지만' sets up a contrast, emphasizing the unexpected lack of recognition despite the return.
나는 학교에 돌아왔지만 아무도 나를 알아보지 못했어요.
I returned to school, but no one recognized me.
In this case, '돌아왔지만' conveys the action of coming back to work and contrasts it with the abundance of tasks awaiting.