Day 26: Making Comparisons in Korean – How to Compare People, Objects, and Situations

 Day 26: Making Comparisons in Korean – How to Compare People, Objects, and Situations

Welcome to Day 26 of your Korean language journey! Today, we’ll focus on how to make comparisons in Korean.

Making comparisons is an important part of any language, especially when you want to highlight the differences or similarities between two or more things. In Korean, there are specific structures and words used to compare people, objects, and situations.

By the end of today’s lesson, you’ll be able to make comparisons between things, talk about which one is better, bigger, or more interesting, and explain your preferences in Korean.

1. Basic Structure for Making Comparisons

In Korean, the general structure for comparisons is as follows:

[Noun 1] + (이/가) + [Adjective] + (보다) + [Noun 2]

This structure translates to "Noun 1 is [adjective] than Noun 2." You can use 보다 (boda) to indicate "than" or to make a direct comparison.

Examples:

  1. 이 책이 그 책보다 좋아요. (I chaegi geu chaegboda joayo.)
    Translation: This book is better than that book.

  2. 저는 피자가 햄버거보다 더 좋아요. (Jeoneun pijaga haembeogeoboda deo joayo.)
    Translation: I like pizza more than hamburgers.

In these examples, 보다 (boda) means "than," and it helps to compare two items.

2. Using the Comparative Adjectives

To compare things using adjectives, you’ll need to conjugate the adjective in the correct form and use the 보다 (boda) structure. Some common adjectives for comparison are:

  1. 좋다 (jota) – to be good, nice

    • 이것이 더 좋아요. (Igeosi deo joayo.) – This is better.

  2. 크다 (keuda) – to be big

    • 이 집은 저 집보다 커요. (I jibeun jeo jibboda keoyo.) – This house is bigger than that house.

  3. 작다 (jakda) – to be small

    • 그 사과는 이 사과보다 작아요. (Geu sagwaneun i sagwaboda jagayo.) – That apple is smaller than this apple.

  4. 많다 (manta) – to be many

    • 저는 커피를 더 많이 마셔요. (Jeoneun keopireul deo mani masyeoyo.) – I drink more coffee.

  5. 빠르다 (ppareuda) – to be fast

    • 이 차는 그 차보다 빨라요. (I chaneun geu chaboda ppallayo.) – This car is faster than that car.

3. Comparing Superlatives – The Best, The Most

In Korean, the superlative form is used to talk about the best or most in a group of items or people. The structure for forming the superlative is simple and involves using 제일 (jeil) or 가장 (gajang), both of which mean "the most" or "the best."

  • 제일 (jeil) – the best

  • 가장 (gajang) – the most

Examples:

  1. 제일 (jeil) – the best

    • 저는 제일 좋아하는 음식은 김치예요. (Jeoneun jeil joahaneun eumsigeun gimchi-yeyo.)
      Translation: My favorite food is kimchi.

  2. 가장 (gajang) – the most

    • 이 영화는 가장 재미있어요. (I yeonghwaneun gajang jaemiisseoyo.)
      Translation: This movie is the most interesting.

4. Using "보다" in Questions

You can also use 보다 (boda) in questions to compare two things, asking which one is better, bigger, etc. The structure is:

[Noun 1] + (이/가) + [Adjective] + (보다) + [Noun 2] + (어때요)?

This structure translates to "How about Noun 1 compared to Noun 2?" or "Which one is better?"

Examples:

  1. 이 책이 그 책보다 어때요? (I chaegi geu chaegboda eottaeyo?)
    Translation: How is this book compared to that book?

    • Possible answer: 이 책이 더 좋아요. (I chaegi deo joayo.) – This book is better.

  2. 저는 피자가 햄버거보다 어때요? (Jeoneun pijaga haembeogeoboda eottaeyo?)
    Translation: How about pizza compared to hamburgers?

    • Possible answer: 피자가 더 좋아요. (Pijaga deo joayo.) – Pizza is better.

5. Practice Comparing Things in Korean

Let’s practice making comparisons using the structure and adjectives we’ve learned:

  1. The book is better than the movie.
    책이 영화보다 더 좋아요. (Chaegi yeonghwaboda deo joayo.)

  2. This car is faster than that car.
    이 차는 그 차보다 빨라요. (I chaneun geu chaboda ppallayo.)

  3. Which one is more interesting?
    어떤 것이 더 재미있어요? (Eotteon geosi deo jaemiisseoyo?)

  4. I like coffee more than tea.
    저는 차보다 커피를 더 좋아해요. (Jeoneun chaboda keopireul deo joahaeyo.)

  5. My sister is shorter than me.
    제 여동생은 저보다 작아요. (Je yeodongsaengeun joboda jagayo.)

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Not Using "보다 (boda)" for Comparisons:
    When comparing things, be sure to use 보다 (boda) after the adjective to indicate "than." For example, 이 집은 저 집보다 커요. (I jibeun jeo jibboda keoyo.) – This house is bigger than that house.

  2. Confusing "제일 (jeil)" and "가장 (gajang)":
    제일 (jeil) is often used for the best in a group, while 가장 (gajang) is used for the most or maximum. Keep in mind their different uses in expressing superlatives.

  3. Overusing "보다 (boda)" in Negative Comparisons:
    When making negative comparisons, you can use 덜 (deol) for “less,” instead of using 보다 (boda). For example, 덜 좋아요 (deol joayo) – It’s less good.

What’s Next? (다음은 무엇인가요?)

Tomorrow, in Day 27, we’ll learn about making decisions and giving opinions in Korean. You’ll learn how to suggest, decide, and express your opinions in various contexts!