Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 7 - Upper-Intermediate Korean #2 (Lessons 181 to 210) ᚛ Lesson 181 - Degree in Korean #1 [만큼]
Degree in Korean #1 [만큼]
In the lesson on comparison in Korean, we saw how to express "more" and "less" to compare two elements. Here, we are going to see how to translate "as much as" and "in proportion to", that is, how to bring two elements together by indicating that they are at the same degree, with the word 만큼.
Equivalence with [Noun]만큼
In Korean, equivalence with a noun can be expressed with the word 만큼, which comes directly after that noun like a particle:
[Noun]만큼 [Comparison]
- 나만큼 = as much as me
- 서울만큼 = as much as Seoul
- 고양이만큼 = as much as a cat
지우는 서울에서 태어났지만 표준어만큼 사투리를 잘 구사할 수 있었어요.
→ Although Jiwoo was born in Seoul, she could speak the dialect as well as standard Korean.
민기가 매번 지각하니까 늦은 시간만큼 벌금을 내야 할 거예요.
→ Since Mingi is late every time, he will have to pay a fine in proportion to how late he is.
- 현수야, 나 얼마나 사랑해?
→ Hyunsoo, how much do you love me?
- 내가 하늘만큼 땅만큼 사랑하는 거 알잖아.
→ You know I love you more than anything. (lit. as much as the sky and the earth, a set expression Korean children use to say "enormously")
To stress that the degree reached is high, the particle 이나 is added: 만큼이나 translates as "just as much as".
너는 네가 많이 달라졌다고 했지만 네 말만큼이나 행동도 바뀐 모습을 보여 주면 좋겠어.
→ You said you had changed a lot, but I would like you to show me that your actions have changed just as much as your words.
지수는 대기업 면접 결과를 기다리면서 대학교 입학 결과를 기다릴 때만큼이나 긴장된다고 이야기했어요.
→ Jisoo said that while waiting for the results of her interviews at big companies, she was just as nervous as when she was waiting for her university admission results.
Comparing with -(으)ㄴ/는/(으)ㄹ 만큼
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The word 정도, which you know in the sense of "around", also expresses a degree, with the -(으)ㄹ 정도로 structure very close to -(으)ㄹ 만큼: that will be the subject of the second lesson on degree.
Exercises
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You already know some vocabulary and sentence structures… But when you listen to Koreans speak, do you ever feel like something is missing, the meaning behind the words, the cultural nuance that makes the language truly come alive?
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