Language/Korean/Grammar/Comparatives-and-Superlatives

Korean Grammar → Describing People and Things → Comparatives and Superlatives

Comparatives and superlatives are essential in describing people and things in more detail and with more complexity. In this lesson, I will teach you how to compare two or more things using comparatives and superlatives in Korean.

Comparatives

Comparative adjectives are used to compare two nouns (people, things, or ideas) or two groups of nouns. In Korean, comparative adjectives can be formed in two ways:

1. When the stem ends with a vowel or ㄹ, add -보다 (-boda) to the end of the stem. For example:

Korean	Pronunciation	English
작다	jakda	small
크다	keuda	big
예쁘다	yeppeuda	pretty

Examples:

• 제임스는 미리보다 작아요. (James-neun miri-boda jakayo) - James is smaller than Miri.
• 소녀는 소년보다 예쁘다. (Sonyeo-neun sonyeon-boda yeppeuda) - The girl is prettier than the boy.
• 선생님은 학생들보다 똑똑하다. (Seonsaengnim-eun haksaeng-deul-boda ttokttokhada) - The teacher is smarter than the students.

2. When the stem ends with a consonant (except ㄹ), replace the final consonant with -ㄴ/은 (-n/eun) and add -보다 (-boda) to the end of the stem. For example:

Korean	Pronunciation	English
좋다	jota	good
싸다	ssada	cheap
빠르다	bbareuda	fast

Examples:

• 이 책은 그 책보다 더 좋아요. (I chaekeun geu chaek-boda deo johayo) - This book is better than that book.
• 그 신발은 이 신발보다 더 싸요. (Geu shinbareun i shinbal-boda deo ssayo) - Those shoes are cheaper than these shoes.
• 미국은 한국보다 더 크다. (Miguk-eun Hanguk-boda deo keuda) - The United States is bigger than Korea.

Superlatives

Superlative adjectives are used to compare one noun with all the other nouns in the same group. In Korean, superlative adjectives can be formed in two ways:

1. Add -중에서 가장 (-jung-eseo gajang) to the end of the stem. For example:

Korean	Pronunciation	English
가장 좋다	gajang jota	the best
가장 싼	gajang ssaen	the cheapest
가장 예쁘다	gajang yeppeuda	the prettiest

Examples:

• 이렇게 맛있는 음식은 내가 먹어본 음식 중에서 가장 좋아요. (Ireohge masinneun eumsik-eun naega meog-eobon eumsik jung-eseo gajang johayo) - This delicious food is the best food I've ever eaten.
• 그 옷은 이 쇼핑몰에서 팔고 있는 옷 중에서 가장 싸요. (Geu oseun i syopingmol-eseo palgo issneun ot jung-eseo gajang ssayo) - That clothes is the cheapest among the ones sold in this shopping mall.
• 나는 우리 반에서 가장 예쁜 여자라고 생각해요. (Naneun uri ban-eseo gajang yeppeun yeojara-go saenggakhaeyo) - I think I am the prettiest girl in our class.

2. Replace the final consonant with -ㄴ/은 (-n/eun) and add -중에서 가장 (-jung-eseo gajang) to the end of the stem. For example:

Korean	Pronunciation	English
바쁘다	bappeuda	busy
빨리	ppalli	fast
높다	nopda	high

Examples:

• 이 시간대에 바쁜 회사 중에서 우리 회사가 가장 바쁘다. (I sigandaee bappeun hoesa jung-eseo uri hoesaga gajang bappeuda) - Among the busy companies at this hour, our company is the busiest.
• 이 비행기는 이 공항에서 출발하는 비행기 중에서 가장 빨리 도착해요. (I bihaenggi-neun i gonghang-eseo chulbalhaneun bihaenggi jung-eseo gajang ppalli dochakhaeyo) - This

Table of Contents - Korean Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Korean Alphabets

• Reading and writing Korean Alphabets
• Korean Pronunciation
• Subject and Object Markers

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Hello and Goodbye
• Introducing Yourself
• Family and Friends

  ---

Korean Culture and Customs

• Korean Etiquette
• Korean Holidays
• Korean Cuisine

  ---

Sentence Building

• Basic Verb Conjugation
• Question Words
• Connecting Verbs

  ---

Daily Routine

• Daily Activities
• Means of Transportation
• Weather and Seasons

  ---

Korean Pop Culture

• Korean Dramas
• Korean Music
• Korean Cinema

  ---

Describing People and Things

• Describing People
• Describing Things
• Comparatives and Superlatives

  ---

Food and Drinks

• Food and Ingredients
• Drinks
• Cooking and Recipes

  ---

Korean Traditions

• Korean Weddings
• Korean Festivals
• Korean Games and Sports

  ---

Verb Tenses

• Past Tense
• Future Tense
• Progressive Tense

  ---

Travel and Sightseeing

• Travel Vocabulary
• Sightseeing Vocabulary
• Shopping Vocabulary

  ---

Korean Arts and Crafts

• Korean Calligraphy
• Korean Pottery
• Korean Paper Crafts

  ---

Conjunctions and Connectors

• Conjunctions
• Connectors
• Conditional Sentences

  ---

Health and Body

• Body Parts
• Health Vocabulary
• Exercise and Fitness Vocabulary

  ---

Korean Nature

• Korean National Parks
• Korean Folk Villages
• Korean Eco-Friendly Practices

Related Lessons

• Gender
• Past Tense
• Nouns
• Question Words
• Reading and writing Korean Alphabets
• Conjunctions
• How to Use Have
• Describing People
• Conditional Sentences
• Conditional Mood

Sources

• Lesson 19: Korean Comparatives and Superlatives: 더, 보다, 가장/제일
• Korean/Comparatives and superlatives - Wikibooks, open books for ...
• Comparatives & Superlatives | Learn Korean