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Vocabulary
Nouns:
간격 = interval/space
Examples:
두 책상 사이의 간격을 좀 더 좁혀 주세요
= Please keep the space between the two desks closer
시간이 늦을수록 버스 운행 간격이 줄어요
= As it (the time) gets later, the interval time for buses (the frequency that buses run) decreases
야경 = night view
Examples:
어두워질수록 야경이 예뻐요
= As it gets darker, the night view gets prettier
이 도시의 야경은 세계적으로 유명해요
= The night view of this city is world-wide known
꿀벌 = honeybee
Examples:
꿀벌은 꽃에서 꿀을 채취해요
= Honeybees collect honey from flowers
꿀벌이 없어질수록 인류에 영향을 미치는 문제가 많아요
= As bees disappear, there will be more problems that affect humans
변동 = change/fluctuation
Common Usages:
가격 변동 = change in prices
지각 변동 = a large change (지각 refers to the Earth’s crust in this situation)
Examples:
해산물의 가격은 날마다 변동이 심해요
= The price of seafood fluctuates a lot every day
환율 변동이 생길수록 주식시장에 문제가 많이 생겨요
= As changes in the exchange rate happen/come up there are problems in the stock market
인류 = humanity/mankind
Common Usages:
인류애 = humanity
Examples:
인류는 자연계에 큰 영향을 미칩니다
= Humanity has a significant impact on the natural world
꿀벌이 없어질수록 인류에 영향을 미치는 문제가 많아요
= As bees disappear, there will be more problems that affect humans
욕심 = greed
Common Usages:
옷욕심 = to be greedy for clothes
가방욕심 = to be greedy for bags
신발욕심 = to be greedy for shoes
Examples:
스님이 되고 싶으면 욕심을 다 버려야 돼요
= If you want to become a Buddhist monk you need to get rid of all of your greed
동생이 욕심이 많아서 제가 동생 물건에 손을 대기만 해도 화를 내요
= My younger brother is so greedy that even if I put my hand on his stuff he gets mad
사람들이 돈이 많을수록 욕심이 많아요
= The more money people have, the greedier they are
혈압 = blood pressure
Common Usages:
고혈압 = high blood pressure
저혈압 = low blood pressure
혈압약 = blood pressure medicine
혈압 측정기 = machine to measure blood pressure
Examples:
스트레스를 받을수록 혈압이 높아져요
= The more stressed you are, the more your blood pressure goes up
저혈압은 고혈압 만큼이나 위험해요
= Low blood pressure is just as dangerous as high blood pressure
발톱 = toenail
Common Usages:
발톱을 깎다 = to trim one’s toes
Examples:
발톱이 길어질수록 아파요
= The longer my toenails get, the more they hurt
발톱을 잘라야 발이 편안해져요
= Trimming toenails makes feet more comfortable
고무줄 = rubber band
Common Usages:
고무줄이 느슨하다 = for a band to be too loose (this could also be said when referring to the band in one’s pants, or a hair band)
Examples:
오래 입은 바지의 고무줄이 느슨해져서 자꾸 바지가 내려가요
= The band in the pants that I wore for a long time is loose so my pants keep falling down
고무줄을 늘어뜨릴수록 저항력이 세져요
= The more you stretch the rubber band, the stronger the resistance is
생태계 = ecosystem
Examples:
이 생태계를 그대로 보전하기 위해서는 모두의 노력이 필요해요
= We need the help of everybody to preserve this ecosystem the way it is
생태계는 먹이사슬을 바탕으로 존재합니다
= The ecosystem is based on the food chain
사람들이 환경을 파괴할수록 이 생태계가 나빠져요
= The more people destroy the environment, the worse this ecosystem gets
휘발유 = gasoline
Examples:
자동차에 휘발유를 주유해야 해요
= You need to refuel your car with gasoline
휘발유가 비쌀수록 교통비가 비싸져요
= The more expensive gasoline is, the more expensive transportation costs will be
메아리 = echo
Common Usages:
메아리가 치다 = to echo
Examples:
소리를 크게 지를수록 메아리가 더 크게 돌아와요
= The louder you scream, the louder the echo is
성수기 = peak season
Common Usages:
극성수기 = very high peak season
Examples:
성수기가 가까워질수록 숙소비가 더 비싸져요
= As it gets closer to the peak season, the price of accommodation gets more expensive
비수기에 여행하는 것이 성수기보다 훨씬 저렴해요
= It is much cheaper to travel during the low season compared to the high season
비수기 = off season/low season
Examples:
비수기에 여행하면 사람도 적고 가격도 싸요
= Traveling in the off season means fewer people and cheaper prices
비수기에 여행하는 것이 성수기보다 훨씬 저렴해요
= It is much cheaper to travel during the low season compared to the high season
저항력 = resistance
Examples:
저항력이 강하면 감염병에 걸릴 확률이 줄어들어요
= Strong resistance reduces the likelihood of getting infectious diseases
고무줄을 늘어뜨릴수록 저항력이 세져요
= The more you stretch the rubber band, the stronger the resistance is
자외선 = ultra-violet rays
Common Usages:
자외선 차단 = blocking of UV rays
자외선 차단제 = sunscreen
자외선 차단 지수 = sun protection factor
Examples:
피부를 보호하기 위해 여름에는 자외선차단제를 발라 야 돼요
= In order to protect your skin, you need to apply sunscreen in the summer
지구표면에 눈과 얼음이 많을수록 자외선이 반사돼요
= The more snow and ice on the earth’s surface, the more UV rays get reflected
오존층이 없어질수록 지구에 들어오는 자외선이 많아져요
= The more the ozone layer disappears, the more UV rays enter Earth
숙소비 = the price of accommodation
Examples:
호텔 숙소비가 비쌀 경우에는 다른 숙박 시설을 찾아봐도 돼요
= If the price of hotel accommodation is expensive, you can look for other lodging options
성수기가 가까워질수록 숙소비가 더 비싸져요
= As it gets closer to the peak season, the price of accommodation gets more expensive
선진 = development
Example:
선진국이 아닐수록 소매치기가 많아요
= As a country is less developed, there is more pick pocketing
선진국 = developed nation
Examples:
선진국이 아닐수록 소매치기가 많아요
= As a country is less developed, there is more pick pocketing
선진국은 기술과 경제력이 발달한 나라를 가리켜요
= A developed nation refers to a country with advanced technology and economic power
소매치기 = pick pocketing
Common Usages:
소매치기를 당하다 = to get pick pocketed
Examples:
선진국이 아닐수록 소매치기가 많아요
= As a country is less developed, there is more pick pocketing
소매치기가 흔한 장소에서는 가방을 잘 지키는 것이 중요해요
= It’s important to keep your bag safe in places where pickpocketing is common
Verbs:
재우다 = to put somebody to sleep
Common Usages:
애기를 재우다 = to put a baby to sleep
Examples:
애기가 피곤할수록 애기를 재우기가 더 쉬워요
= The more tired the baby is, the easier it is to put him asleep
옛날에는 애기를 재울 때 포대기에 싸서 재웠어요
= A long time ago, when putting babies to sleep, you wrapped them in a baby blanket (and then put them to sleep)
지향하다 = to aim for, to pursue
Examples:
이 식당은 건강한 식사를 지향해요
= This restaurant aims for healthy food
저는 환경을 생각하는 삶을 지향해요
= I am aiming for/pursuing a like that is conscious of the environment
반사하다 = to reflect
Examples:
물체의 표면에서 빛이 반사되었어요
= Light is reflected off the surface of the object
지구표면에 눈과 얼음이 많을수록 자외선이 반사돼요
= The more snow and ice on the earth’s surface, the more UV rays get reflected
단축하다 = to make time shorter
Common Usages:
단축근무 = shorter working hours
Examples:
시간을 단축하기 위한 방법을 찾고 있어요
= I’m looking for ways to shorten the time
수업 시간이 단축될수록 학생들이 기뻐해요
= As the class time shortens, students get happier
작별하다 = to leave, to say farewell
Examples:
친구와 작별하고 나서 바로 새로운 곳으로 떠났어요
= I left right after I said bye to my friend
사람들과 친해질수록 작별을 하는 게 힘들어져요
= The closer you get with people, the more difficult it is to say goodbye to them
Adjectives:
싱싱하다 = to be fresh
Common Usages:
재료가 싱싱하다 = for ingredients to be fresh
과일이 싱싱하다 = for fruit to be fresh
야채가 싱싱하다 = for vegetables to be fresh
Examples:
싱싱한 식재료를 사용하여 요리하면 요리가 더 맛있어져요
= Cooking with fresh ingredients makes the dish more delicious
아침 일찍 과일을 살수록 과일이 더 싱싱해요
= The earlier you buy fruit in the morning, the fresher the fruit will be
For help memorizing these words, try using our mobile app.
Introduction
In this lesson, you will learn how to attach ~ㄹ/을수록 to the end of a clause. A rather advanced grammatical principle, but something that you should be able to grasp easily. Let’s get started.
As One Situation Changes, Another Situation Changes: ~ㄹ/을수록
~ㄹ/을수록 is attached to verbs, adjectives and 이다 to indicate that – as one situation changes to some degree, another situation is affected and also changes to that degree. Let’s start by looking at a simple sentence to illustrate this meaning:
공부를 할수록 똑똑해요
In this sentence, ~ㄹ/을수록 is attached to 공부하다. The speaker is indicating that the degree in which one studies will affect the degree in which one is smart. A common English translation when ~ㄹ/을수록 is used in a sentence is “As….” For example:
공부를 할수록 똑똑해요 = As you study, you get smart
Implied in the meaning of ~ㄹ/을수록 is the idea that – if one studies to a certain degree, they get smart to that degree – but if one studies even more, they get even smarter. Therefore, it might be better to translate the sentence above in either of the following ways:
공부를 할수록 똑똑해요 = As you study more, you get smarter, or
공부를 할수록 똑똑해요 = The more you study, the smarter you get
You can use words like “많이” and “더” in these sentences, but it isn’t necessary. For example:
많이 공부를 할수록 더 똑똑해요 = As you study more, you get smarter
많이 공부를 할수록 더 똑똑해요 = The more you study, the smarter you get
Although “많이” and “더” are included in the sentences immediately above, their meanings are the same as the sentence presented earlier without them. As I mentioned, this meaning is already implied in the meaning of ~ㄹ/을수록. Although not necessary, it is common for Korean people to include these words.
It is also common to attach ~아/어지다 (Lesson 18) to the final word if it is an adjective. For example:
많이 공부를 할수록 더 똑똑해져요 = As you study more, you get smarter
I’m not able to express any difference in meaning when using ~아/어지다 or not in these examples. Again, the meaning of “more” or “getting…” is already implied in the meaning of ~ㄹ/을수록, so it isn’t necessary. That being said, there are times when adding ~아/어지다 is inappropriate. For example, look at the following sentence, which does not have ~아/어지다:
아침 일찍 과일을 살수록 과일이 더 싱싱해요
= The earlier you buy fruit in the morning, the fresher the fruit will be
Let me explain the difference between the following sentences:
공부를 할수록 똑똑해져요
아침 일찍 과일을 살수록 과일이 더 싱싱해요
In the first sentence, ~아/어지다 is used. If you think about the subject of this sentence – people in general – people can get smarter. However, in the second sentence, the fruit itself isn’t getting fresher. Only the situation of “going early” will allow one to get fresher fruits – but the fruit isn’t actually getting fresher.
Below you can see a similar example where ~아/어지다 would be inappropriate:
바나나가 초록색일수록 딱딱해요 = The greener bananas are, the harder they are
In this example, the bananas themselves don’t actually get harder. The speaker is just expressing the notion that the degree in which a banana is green will affect the degree in which it is hard. However, you will not see a banana actually get greener and then, because of that, get harder.
The sentence above shows ~ㄹ/을수록 added to 이다. You have also seen it added to verbs. It is also possible to add it to adjectives. For example:
여자들은 예쁠수록 인기가 많아요
여자들은 예쁠수록 인기가 많아져요
= As girls get prettier, they get more popular
You can also create a negative sentence to indicate that as a situation happens less, some other situation will be affected. For example:
일을 안 할수록 시간이 많아요
일을 안 할수록 시간이 많아져요
= As you work less, you will have more free time
——————————
Let’s look at a bunch of example sentences using ~ㄹ/을수록:
발톱이 길어질수록 아파요
= The longer my toenails get, the more they hurt
어두워질수록 야경이 예뻐요
= As it gets darker, the night view gets prettier
가방에 물건을 넣을수록 무거워져요
= As you put more things/items in my bag, the heavier it gets
친구들을 자주 만날수록 행복해져요
= The more often you meet friends, the happier you get
휘발유가 비쌀수록 교통비가 비싸져요
= The more expensive gasoline is, the more expensive transportation costs will be
선진국이 아닐수록 소매치기가 많아요
= As a country is less developed, there is more pick pocketing
스트레스를 받을수록 혈압이 높아져요
= The more stressed you are, the more your blood pressure goes up
사람들이 돈이 많을수록 욕심이 많아요
= The more money people have, the greedier they are
고무줄을 늘어뜨릴수록 저항력이 세져요
= The more you stretch the rubber band, the stronger the resistance is
시간이 늦을수록 버스 운행 간격이 줄어요
= As it (the time) gets later, the interval time for buses (the frequency that buses run) decreases
수업 시간이 단축될수록 학생들이 기뻐해요
= As the class time shortens, students get happier
성수기가 가까워질수록 숙소비가 더 비싸져요
= As it gets closer to the peak season, the price of accommodation gets more expensive
애기가 피곤할수록 애기를 재우기가 더 쉬워요
= The more tired the baby is, the easier it is to put him asleep
사람들과 친해질수록 작별을 하는 게 힘들어져요
= The closer you get with people, the more difficult it is to say goodbye to them
소리를 크게 지를수록 메아리가 더 크게 돌아와요
= The louder you scream, the louder the echo is
사람들이 환경을 파괴할수록 이 생태계가 나빠져요
= The more people destroy the environment, the worse this ecosystem gets
환율 변동이 생길수록 주식시장에 문제가 많이 생겨요
= As changes in the exchange rate happen/come up there are problems in the stock market
지구표면에 눈과 얼음이 많을수록 자외선이 반사돼요
= The more snow and ice on the earth’s surface, the more UV rays get reflected
꿀벌이 없어질수록 인류에 영향을 미치는 문제가 많아요
= As bees disappear, there will be more problems that affect humans
오존층이 없어질수록 지구에 들어오는 자외선이 많아져요
= The more the ozone layer disappears, the more UV rays enter earth
That’s it for this lesson.