Degree and Comparison

Korean Grammar 3

Course 3 · Chapter 10 · Degree and Comparison

📏 Degree and Comparison — 비교와 정도

Korean Grammar 3 8 covered contrast between clauses. This chapter covers comparing things (보다, 만큼, 처럼, 같이), ranking them (더, 덜, 가장, 제일) and describing degree (-(으)ㄴ/는 편이다, -(으)ㄹ 정도, -(으)ㄹ수록). Most of the comparing words are particles, so word order is simple; the real work is choosing among them.

The rule in one box A 보다 B: "than". A 만큼: "as much as A". A 처럼 / 같이: "like A". 더 / 덜: "more / less". 가장 / 제일: "most". -(으)ㄴ/는 편이다: "tends to be". -(으)ㄹ 정도(로): "to the extent that". -(으)ㄹ수록: "the more … the more".

보다: "than"

The particle 보다 marks the thing you compare against. The adjective of comparison usually takes 더 ("more") for emphasis, but 더 can be left out.

Example	Meaning
서울이 부산보다 커요.	Seoul is bigger than Busan.
저는 커피보다 차를 더 좋아해요.	I like tea more than coffee.
오늘은 어제보다 훨씬 더 추워요.	Today is much colder than yesterday.
생각보다 어려웠어요.	It was harder than I thought.

Useful strengtheners are 훨씬 "far, much", 조금 더 "a little more" and 좀 더 "somewhat more". A neutral phrase for comparison is -에 비해(서) "compared with": 작년에 비해 많이 늘었어요.

만큼 and 처럼 / 같이: "as … as" and "like"

Particle	Meaning	Example
만큼	as much as, to the same degree	저도 형만큼 키가 커요. I'm as tall as my older brother.
처럼	like, in the manner of	그녀는 아이처럼 웃어요. She laughs like a child.
같이	like (a little more literary)	꿈같이 아름다웠어요. It was beautiful like a dream.

For the negative of "as … as", Korean says the first thing is not the same degree: 저는 형만큼 키가 크지 않아요 "I'm not as tall as my older brother".

Watch out: 만큼 has two spellings After a noun it is a particle and is written joined: 형만큼. After a modifier (-(으)ㄴ/는/-(으)ㄹ) it is a dependent noun and is written separately: 노력한 만큼 "in proportion to the effort made". 같이 as a particle is joined (꿈같이); 같이 meaning "together" is a separate adverb (같이 가요).

더, 덜, 가장, 제일

Word	Meaning	Example
더	more	더 크게 말해 주세요. Please speak louder.
덜	less, not so	덜 맵게 해 주세요. Please make it less spicy.
가장	most (neutral, a little formal)	이것이 가장 좋아요. This is the best.
제일	most (everyday)	제일 좋아하는 음식이 뭐예요? What is your favourite food?

For "of all" use 중에서 or 에서 before the superlative: 한국 음식 중에서 김치찌개를 가장 좋아해요 "Of Korean food I like kimchi stew best"; 우리 반에서 제일 키가 커요 "I'm the tallest in our class".

-(으)ㄴ/는 편이다: "tends to be"

Say what side of a scale something falls on, without claiming an extreme.

Word type	Form	Example
adjective	-(으)ㄴ 편이다	저는 키가 큰 편이에요. I'm on the tall side.
verb	-는 편이다	저는 많이 먹는 편이에요. I tend to eat a lot.
noun	인 편이다	이 방은 조용한 편이에요. This room is on the quiet side.
negative	안 / -지 않는 편이다	술을 잘 안 마시는 편이에요. I tend not to drink much.

-(으)ㄹ 정도: "to the extent of"

Modifier + 정도 measures how far something goes. 정도 also means "about" after a number or quantity.

Use	Example	Meaning
-(으)ㄹ 정도(로)	눈물이 날 정도로 웃었어요.	I laughed so much that tears came.
-(으)ㄹ 정도(로)	말도 못 할 정도로 기뻤어요.	I was too happy for words.
noun + 정도	한 시간 정도 걸려요.	It takes about an hour.

-(으)ㄹ수록: "the more … the more"

Stem + -(으)ㄹ수록 (vowel stem and ㄹ stem: -ㄹ수록; consonant stem: -을수록). The second clause names the change that goes with it, often with 더.

Example	Meaning
한국어는 배울수록 어려워요.	The more I learn Korean, the harder it gets.
음식은 먹을수록 더 먹고 싶어요.	The more I eat, the more I want.
보면 볼수록 매력 있는 사람이에요.	The more you see him, the more attractive he is.
갈수록 날씨가 추워져요.	As time goes on, the weather gets colder.

The pattern -(으)면 -(으)ㄹ수록 repeats the verb for emphasis: 보면 볼수록, 알면 알수록 "the more you know".

Choosing a comparison

You want to say…	Use
A is more than B	A가 B보다 (더) …
A is as … as B	A도 B만큼 …
A acts like B	A는 B처럼 …
A is the most	… 중에서 A가 가장 …
I tend to	-는 편이다
so … that	-(으)ㄹ 정도로
the more … the more	-(으)ㄹ수록

Watch out: 보다 the particle against 보다 the verb The comparing 보다 is a particle attached to a noun. The verb 보다 ("to see, to watch") is a different word that takes 을/를. 책보다 영화를 봐요 is "I watch films rather than books", with both in one sentence.

🗣️ In Use — 실제 예문

Three exchanges with comparisons.

① Choosing (보다 / 더)

A: 커피와 차 중에 뭐가 더 좋아요? Which do you like more, coffee or tea?

B: 커피보다 차를 더 좋아해요. I like tea more than coffee.

② Habits (-는 편이다)

A: 매운 음식 잘 드세요? Are you good with spicy food?

B: 네, 잘 먹는 편이에요. 하지만 너무 매우면 못 먹어요. Yes, I'm fairly good at it. But if it's too spicy, I can't.

③ Growing (-(으)ㄹ수록)

A: 한국어 공부는 어때요? How is your Korean study?

B: 배울수록 어렵지만 더 재미있어요. The more I learn the harder it gets, but the more fun it is.

📋 Quick Reference — 요약표

Pattern	Meaning	Example
noun + 보다	than	부산보다 커요
noun + 만큼	as much as	형만큼 커요
noun + 처럼 / 같이	like	아이처럼 웃어요
더 / 덜	more / less	덜 맵게
가장 / 제일	most	제일 좋아해요
-(으)ㄴ/는 편이다	tends to be	큰 편이에요
-(으)ㄹ 정도(로)	to the extent that	눈물이 날 정도로
-(으)ㄹ수록	the more … the more	배울수록 어려워요

✏️ Try It Yourself — 연습

Work out the answer first, then click to check.

1. Say "This bag is cheaper than that one."

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이 가방이 저 가방보다 (더) 싸요.

2. Say "I'm as busy as you."

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저도 당신만큼 바빠요.

3. Say "She sings like a singer."

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그녀는 가수처럼 노래해요.

4. Say "Of all my friends, he is the tallest."

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친구들 중에서 그가 가장 키가 커요.

5. Say "I tend to get up early."

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저는 일찍 일어나는 편이에요.

6. Say "I was so tired that I couldn't walk."

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걷지 못할 정도로 피곤했어요.

7. Say "The more I think about it, the more confused I get."

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생각할수록 헷갈려요.

8. Spell correctly: 노력한만큼 or 노력한 만큼?

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노력한 만큼 (separate, because 만큼 follows a modifier).

9. Ask for a less sweet drink politely.

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덜 달게 해 주세요.

Coming up in Chapter 11: Noun Clauses and Nominalisation in Depth. You will learn -기, -(으)ㅁ and -는 것, and -(으)ㄴ 적, -는 줄 알다 / 모르다, -다는 것 and -(으)ㄴ/는지, with advice on choosing among the three nominalisers.