Korean Adverbs for More Than and Less Than

When you compare quantities, qualities, or degrees in Korean, the adverbs (more than) and the particle / are the most common tools. This page explains how these forms work, shows typical comparative constructions, and gives a set of practical examples.

1. The basic comparative marker

literally means to see, but in comparative sentences it functions as than. The structure is:

Where A is the standard of comparison and B is the thing that is more or less. The adjective or verb that follows tells you whether the comparison is positive (more) or negative (less).

1.1 More than

Use the adjective in its normal form after . The adjective can be descriptive (e.g., big) or a copula with -//.

1.2 Less than

Place the adjective in its negative form ( or ) after . The negative adjective conveys less.

2. Using more and less with adverbs

When the quality being compared is expressed by an adverb rather than an adjective, you can insert (more) or (less) directly before the adverb.

2.1 More quickly / less quickly

2.2 More often / less often

3. Comparative constructions with nouns

When comparing quantities of countable nouns, Korean often uses the pattern ~ / (more / less than). The noun appears before , and the verb or follows.

Korean	English
.	There are more students than teachers.
.	There are fewer apples than pears.

3.1 Adding very or quite

Use intensifiers such as , , before the adjective or verb.

4. The ~ pattern for not as as

To express not as as, Korean commonly uses ~ . The structure is:

Examples:

5. Comparative when using numbers

With explicit numbers, the particle still works, but you often see the pattern ~ .

6. Common pitfalls

• is never used after the comparative adjective itself. Incorrect: **.
• When you need a simple less than, is often clearer than a negative adjective.
• Remember that and are used with nouns; they are not interchangeable with or .

7. Quick reference chart

English	Korean pattern	Example
more than	A + adjective + + B + adjective	.
less than	A + + adjective + + B + adjective	.
more quickly	A + + adverb	.
not as as	A + + B + adjective +	.
more (countable)	A	.
less (countable)	A	.

8. Practice sentences

1. My phone is heavier than yours. .
2. She studies less frequently than her brother. .
3. This movie is not as long as the previous one. .
4. There are many more tourists this year than last year. .
5. He ran faster than I expected. .

With these patterns you can build almost any comparative sentence in Korean. Practice swapping the adjectives, adverbs, and nouns to become comfortable with the flow of , , and . Happy studying!