This is the 19301st most frequent Korean word.
않았으나
"않았으나" means "did not, but" in English.
In this sentence, '않았으나' is used to contrast the action of not studying hard with the unexpected result of performing well on the test.
그는 열심히 공부하지 않았으나 시험을 잘 봤다.
He didn't study hard but he did well on the test.
Here, '않았으나' is utilized to indicate the lack of agreement, contrasting it with a neutral stance regarding opposition.
나는 그 계획을 찬성하지 않았으나 반대도 하지 않았다.
I neither supported nor opposed the plan.
'않았으나' conveys contrast by highlighting the lack of victory against the positive outcome of maximum effort by everyone.