This is the 19740th most frequent Korean word.
엎드렸지만
"엎드렸지만" means "lay down/bowed down but."
The word "엎드렸지만" is used here to describe the action of lying down or stretching out on the floor in exhaustion, followed by the contrasting action of getting back up.
그는 피곤함에 지쳐 방바닥에 엎드렸지만, 곧 다시 일어났다.
He collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion but soon stood up again.
In this sentence, "엎드렸지만" illustrates how the students crouched down under the leaves, emphasizing the contrast with the result, which is the inability to avoid rain.
학생들이 나뭇잎 아래로 엎드렸지만, 비를 피할 수는 없었다.
The students crouched under the leaves but couldn't avoid the rain.
Here, "엎드렸지만" is employed to show the dog's compliance in lying down as instructed, contrasted with its continued tail-wagging action.