Today we’re going to learn 보다 grammar which is used to compare two or more than two things. In English, 보다 can correspond as ‘ … than’ or ‘-er than’ and adverbs 더 and 덜 are generally attached after 보다 but they can also be omitted. 이/가 must be used while making a comparison using 보다 (더) grammar particle. Let’s find out ‘Noun 보다’ that indicates the standard of comparison when comparing two or more things.
더 is not required always to make comparisons but it(더) can be used to make the comparison stronger. ‘보다’ attaches after a noun. It is a particle and it indicates the preceding noun is the standard of comparison when comparing two or more things. 보다 has a similar meaning to 에 비해서. Don’t get confused with 아 어 해 보다.
보다 grammar Examples
Let’s look at some examples.
Let’s look at some examples.
“저는 산보다 바다를 더 좋아해요.” I like the sea more than the mountains. In this sentence 산 (the mountains) and 바다 (the sea) are compared. Here, ‘보다’ attaches after the noun 산 which indicates 산 is the standard.
“저는 바다보다 산을 더 좋아해요.” I like the mountains more than the sea. ‘바다’ and ‘산’ are compared. Here, ‘보다’ attaches after the noun 바다 which indicates 바다 is the standard.
‘Noun보다’ can be used in front of or after a word that is compared. So you can switch ‘산보다’ and ‘바다를’. Lets see example
‘저는 바다를 산보다 더 좋아해요.’ I like the sea more than the mountains. It also has the same meaning.
Likewise, you can switch ‘바다보다’ and ‘산을’ in the second sentence.
‘저는 산을 바다보다 더 좋아해요.’ I like the mountains more than the sea. You can say that also.
‘(명사)보다’ is frequently used with ‘더 (more), 훨씬 (much), 덜 (less)’.
Whether the preceding noun has the final consonant or not ‘보다’ is used for both cases.
산이랑 바다 중에 무엇을 더 좋아해요?” Which one do you like more between the mountains and the sea?
저는 산보다 바다를 더 좋아해요. I like the sea more than the mountains.
김 씨는 어때요? How about you, kim?
저는 바다보다 산을 더 좋아해요.” I like the mountains more than the sea.
Another example-
kim: 나이가 어떻게 돼요? How old are you?
Lee: 저는 스물여덟 살이에요. I am 28 years old.
김 씨는요?” How about you, kim?
“저는 스물여섯 살이에요.” I’m 26 years old.
kim 씨가 저보다 나이가 많네요.” You are older than me. “앞으로 언니라고 부를게요.” I’ll call you 언니 (the older sister) from now on.
보다 is attached with 산 mountain, 바다 sea and 저 I . All are nouns 산보다, 바다보다, 저보다.
‘(명사)보다’ is frequently used with ‘더 (more), 훨씬 (much), 덜 (less)’.
Whether the preceding noun has the final consonant or not ‘보다’ is used for both cases.
보다 conjugation
Let’s practice by looking at some more examples.
(‘제 고향은, 부산, 인구가 훨씬 적어요.’ my home town, Busan, has a much smaller population.)
It compares the population of my home town and Busan.’부산’ is the standard. How would you say it?
‘제 고향은 부산보다 인구가 훨씬 적어요.’ My home town has a much smaller population than Busan.
It compares the weather of yesterday and today. Yesterday’s weather is the standard. How would you say it?
(‘언니는, 저, 그림을 잘 그려요.’ My older sister, I, good at painting.)
It compares the painting skills between my older sister and me. ‘I’ is the standard. How would you say it?
‘언니는 저보다 그림을 잘 그려요.’ My older sister is better at painting than me.
(‘기차, 비행기가 더 빨라요.’ A train, a plane is faster)
It compares the speed between a train and a plane. A train (기차) is the standard. How would you say it?
‘기차보다 비행기가 더 빨라요.’ A plane is faster than a train.
(‘어제, 오늘이 덜 추워요.’ Yesterday, today is less cold)
‘어제보다 오늘이 덜 추워요.’ Today is less cold than yesterday.
Korean words
Some vocabularies used in this lesson are
- 보다 – has many meanings (To see, …than)
- 앞 Before
- 언니 sister
- 나이 age
- 스물 twenty
- 어제 yesterday
- 오늘 Today
- 덜 Less
- 추워요 Cold
- 기차 Train
- 비행기 Plane
- 더 More
- 빨라요 Fast
- 저 I
- 그림 Drawing
- 제 My
- 고향 Village
- 인구 Population
- 훨씬 A lot
- 적어요 Small
- 산 Hill
- 바다 Sea
- 좋아해요 Like
보다 grammar Summary
It is used to compare two or more than two things. whether a preceding noun has the final consonant or not, 보다 is used in both cases. In English, 보다 can correspond as ‘ … than’ , more or ‘-er than’ and adverbs 더 and 덜 are generally attached after 보다 but they can also be omitted. Here are some example sentences-
나는 그보다 키가 더 크다. I’m taller than him.
넌 나보다 (키가) 더 커. You’re taller than me.
똑똑하네 보기보다. You’re smarter than you look.
버스는 기차보다 느립니다. A bus is slower than the train.
기차가 비행기보다 느립니다. Trains are faster than Airplanes.
음향의 전달은 광선보다 늦다. Sound travels slower than light.
그녀는 오빠[남동생]보다 더 똑똑하다. She’s smarter than her brother.
