LEARN KOREAN (한국어) [GRAMMAR] #1

KOREAN COMPARATIVES - 보다

As you learned in the previous section, you can use 더 in sentences when not making any specific comparison. 더 is often used in sentences when a specific comparison is being made. In English, comparing is really hard and confusing. Look at these examples:

It is hotter than yesterday
It is more beautiful than yesterday
It is smellier than yesterday

In English, depending on the word that you are using to compare, the conjugation is different. I can't imagine how annoying this would be for an English learner. Luckily, comparatives in Korean are much simpler (or is it more simple?).

In Korean, you can make a specific comparison by attaching the particle ~보다 to the thing that is being compared to. I feel like it is most logical to present sentences using ~보다 in the same order that I presented the sentences using 더. So here we go:

You can use ~보다 to make a specific comparison with adjectives:

나는 더 잘생겼어 - I am more handsome
나는 아버지보다 더 잘생겼어 - I am more handsome than my father

Notice here the example "잘생기다" (handsome) is conjugated into the past tense. When conjugating 잘생기다 and 못생기다 it is always more natural to use the past tense conjugation.

선생님들은 더 똑똑해요 - Teachers are smarter
선생님들은 학생들보다 더 똑똑해요 - Teachers are smarter than students

한식은 더 매워 - Korean food is spicier
한식은 양식보다 더 매워 - Korean food is spicier than western food

추억은 더 중요해요 - Memories are more important
추억은 돈보다 더 중요해요 - Memories are more important than money

You don't really need 더 in these types of sentences. The use of ~보다 in these types of sentences would also carry this meaning. However, there is no harm in including it.

You can use ~보다 to make a specific comparison with verbs:

나는 밥을 더 먹었어 - I ate more
나는 남동생보다 밥을 더 먹었어 - I ate more than my brother
나는 어제보다 밥을 더 먹었어 - I ate more than yesterday

저는 더 공부할 거예요 - I will study more
저는 친구들보다 더 공부할 거예요 - I will study more than my friends
저는 작년보다 더 공부할 거예요 - I will study more than last year

You can use adverbs in these sentences to indicate that they occur more as a function of the adverb:

저는 친구들보다 더 열심히 공부할 거예요 - I will study harder than my friends
저는 작년보다 더 열심히 공부할 거예요 - I will study harder than last year

You can compare things in sentences with counters as well. For example:

나는 친구보다 펜이 두 개 더 있어 - I have two more pens than my friend
어제보다 두 명 더 올 거예요 - Two more people will come compared to yesterday
저의 여동생은 지난 주보다 이번 주에 책을 두 권 더 읽었어요 - My sister read two more books this week than she read last week

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The words 좋다 and 많다 are often used with ~보다 as well. For example:

저는 옛날보다 돈이 더 많아요 - I have more money than a long time ago
저는 저의 아버지보다 돈이 더 많아요 - I have more money than my father
그 학생의 태도가 지난 주보다 더 좋아요 - That student's attitude is better than last week

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Another way you can create the meaning of "better" is by using the adjective 낫다. 낫다 is very much like 좋다, but it is more naturally used when a specified comparison is being made. Therefore, it is common to see 낫다 used in sentences with ~보다. For example:

그 학생의 태도가 지난 주보다 나아요 - That student's attitude is better than last week
라면보다 밥이 더 나아요 - Rice is better than Ramen
한식보다 양식이 더 나아요 - Western food is better than Korean food

낫다 is also very commonly used when you are talking about getting better after being sick. You can say things like this:

병은 나았어 - I'm better (literally – the sickness/disease is better)
감기는 나았어 - My cold is better

Although ~보다 is not used in the sentences above, by context the listener assumed that the speaker is referring to the time where he/she had a cold.

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Two words that ~보다 is commonly attached to are 평소 and 생각. For example:

저는 요즘에 평소보다 더 바빠요 - These days, I am busier than usual
나는 평소보다 더 공부하고 있어 - I am studying more than usual
오늘 하늘에 별이 평소보다 더 많아요 - Tonight, there are more stars in the sky than usual

도심은 생각보다 멀어요 - Downtown is further than I thought
별이 생각보다 더 많아요 - There are more stars than I thought
한식은 생각보다 매워요 - Korean food is spicier than I thought