Korean Lessons ᚛ Level 7 - Upper-Intermediate Korean #2 (Lessons 181 to 210) ᚛ Lesson 201 - Degree in Korean #2 [정도] [-(으)ㄹ 정도로] [-도록]
Degree in Korean #2 [정도] [-(으)ㄹ 정도로] [-도록]
In the previous lesson, we saw 만큼 to say "as much as" and "in proportion to". This second lesson on degree presents three tools to say "to the point of", "so much that": the noun 정도, the structure -(으)ㄹ 정도로 and the ending -도록 used figuratively.
Degree with 정도
In the lesson on "around" in Korean, we saw the word 정도 to express an approximation. In fact, 정도 literally means "degree", "measure", "level". When we translated 교실에 열 명 정도가 있어요. as "There are around ten people in the classroom", the idea was actually that we had sized up the number of people and arrived at a measure of ten, without it necessarily being precise.
정도 is a noun, and it is used as such in many kinds of sentences, with or without a particle.
팀장님은 술을 즐겨 먹는 애주가로 주량은 소주 3병 정도라고 했어요.
→ The team leader said he enjoys drinking and can handle about three bottles of soju.
매달 고정 지출비가 보험료, 전기세, 생활비, 통신료, 적금, 기름 값 등 평균적으로 200만 원 정도입니다.
→ My fixed monthly expenses, insurance, electricity, living costs, phone, savings, gas, come to around two million won on average.
- 요리를 너무 잘하는데 혹시 요리 강좌나 요리책을 써 보시는 건 어때요?
→ You cook so well, how about writing cooking classes or a cookbook?
- 저는 요리가 취미지 전공은 아니라서 그 정도 실력까지는 아니에요.
→ Cooking is a hobby for me, not my specialty, I am not at that level.
우리는 지금 서로에게 가장 친한 친구이지만 사실 알고 지낸 지 겨우 일 년 정도밖에 안 됐어요.
→ We are each other's best friends now, but actually we have only known each other for about a year.
한국은 국토의 70% 정도가 산으로 둘러싸여 있어서 등산을 할 수 있는 아름다운 산들이 많습니다.
→ About 70% of Korea's land is covered by mountains, so there are many beautiful mountains to hike.
민지 정도로 착한 사람은 어디에나 있잖아.
→ People as kind as Minji can be found anywhere, you know.
많이 노력하지 않았다면 대리 정도로 만족해.
→ If you have not made much effort, be content with an assistant manager position.
Degree with -(으)ㄹ 정도로
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To the point of with -도록
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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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