This is the 11438th most frequent Korean word.
껄끄럽지만
"껄끄럽지만" means "awkward or uncomfortable, but."
The word "껄끄럽지만" is used to indicate a situation that is uncomfortable or awkward but must be addressed despite these feelings.
그와 대화하기는 껄끄럽지만 꼭 해야 한다.
Talking with him is awkward, but it's absolutely necessary.
Here "껄끄럽지만" describes the interpersonal tension or unease that requires effort to overcome for mutual understanding.
껄끄럽지만 서로 이해하려고 노력해야 한다.
It's awkward, but we need to try to understand each other.
In this sentence, "껄끄럽지만" denotes a challenging or sensitive problem necessitating teamwork to resolve.