보다
more than — the standard of comparison
Attaches to the thing being compared against, not to the winner. English puts “than” second; Korean puts 보다 first, which reverses the word order you are used to.
Build it
Pick a standard
When to use it
The shape of a Korean comparison is A는 B보다 (더) 형용사. The 보다 sits on B, the yardstick. 오늘은 어제보다 더워요 — today is hotter than yesterday.
더 (“more”) is optional, because 보다 already signals comparison. Adding it is common and adds a little emphasis. Its opposite 덜 (“less”) is not optional — without it there is no way to say less: 오늘은 어제보다 덜 추워요.
Korean is flexible about where the two nouns sit, so 어제보다 오늘이 더워요 works too. What never moves is 보다 itself: it clings to the standard. If you can identify which thing is the benchmark, you know where the particle goes.
How to attach it
| Pattern | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Basic comparison | A는 B보다 adj | 오늘은 어제보다 더워요 |
| With 더 | emphasis, optional | 어제보다 더 더워요 |
| Less than | 덜 required | 어제보다 덜 더워요 |
| With a verb | 더 goes before the verb | 커피보다 차를 더 좋아해요 |
| Any noun | 보다 — no change | 생각보다 쉬웠어요 |
| Superlative uses | 제일 / 가장 instead | 제일 커요 — not 보다 제일 |
In use
오늘은 어제보다 더 추워요.
Today is colder than yesterday.
시험이 생각보다 쉬웠어요.
The exam was easier than I expected.
저는 커피보다 차를 더 좋아해요.
I like tea more than coffee.
형이 저보다 두 살 많아요.
My older brother is two years older than me.
지하철이 버스보다 빨라요.
The subway is faster than the bus.
이번 주는 지난주보다 덜 바빠요.
This week is less busy than last week.
Compared with
제일 / 가장
보다 compares two things; 제일 and 가장 pick the top of a whole group. They cannot appear in the same clause.
이 책이 저 책보다 재미있어요. (of the two) / 이 책이 제일 재미있어요. (of all)
만큼
보다 says one exceeds the other; 만큼 says they match. Same slot, different verdict.
형보다 커요. (taller than my brother) / 형만큼 커요. (as tall as my brother)
처럼
처럼 says something resembles another thing; 보다 measures a difference in degree between them.
가수처럼 노래해요. (sings like a singer) / 가수보다 잘해요. (sings better than a singer)
Watch out
저는 커피보다 차가 더 좋아해요.
저는 커피보다 차를 더 좋아해요.
보다 does not change what the rest of the sentence needs. 좋아하다 still takes an object with 을/를.
이 책은 저 책보다 제일 재미있어요.
이 책이 제일 재미있어요.
제일 already means “the most of all,” so it cannot sit alongside a two-way comparison. Pick one or the other.
오늘은 어제보다 안 더워요.
오늘은 어제보다 덜 더워요.
안 negates outright — “not hot” — which breaks the comparison. For “less than,” Korean needs 덜.
Next
koreangrammarmap.com