haru Korean › Grammar › Level 1B › N보다 (더)
N보다 (더) — comparing — 'than'
Comparing — 'than'. Korean grammar for beginner learners — Level 1B, lesson 9: 어느 게 더 맛있어요? (Which one is tastier? — food and comparing).
What it means
보다 means 'than'. It goes straight after the thing you compare against, the same with or without 받침: 김밥보다, 버스보다. So 떡볶이가 김밥보다 더 매워요 means 'tteokbokki is spicier than gimbap'. It works together with the 더 of Grammar 3: you ask with 하고 … 중에서 뭐가 더 …?, and in the answer 보다 names the other thing. Because 보다 already shows that you are comparing, 더 can be left out: 택시가 버스보다 비싸요 means the same as 택시가 버스보다 더 비싸요. The 보다 part can also come first: 김밥보다 떡볶이가 더 매워요. The thing that is 'more' keeps 이/가, or 을/를 with verbs like 좋아하다. For 'the most' out of three or more, keep using 제일.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| N보다 (더) | with or without 받침 — after the thing you compare against | 김밥 + 보다 → 김밥보다 |
Key points
- N보다 — 'than', right after the thing you compare against, the same with or without 받침: 김밥보다 · 버스보다
- 더 is optional, and the 보다 part may come first: 떡볶이가 김밥보다 (더) 매워요 = 김밥보다 떡볶이가 더 매워요
Examples
- 떡볶이하고 김밥 중에서 뭐가 더 매워요? — 떡볶이가 김밥보다 더 매워요.
- 택시가 버스보다 비싸요. = 택시가 버스보다 더 비싸요.
- 김밥보다 떡볶이가 더 매워요. 저는 김밥보다 떡볶이를 더 좋아해요.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 2A, lesson 4; Yonsei University Korean 1-2, lesson 13; Sogang University Korean 1B, lesson 8; Ewha Womans University Korean 1-2, lesson 8; Hongik University Korean 1B, lesson 8; Hanyang University Korean 2-2, lesson 8.