안녕하세요 여러분! It’s your favourite Korean voyage guide here, ready to unravel another exciting grammar point with you. Are you ready to dive in? Fasten your seatbelts because today we are exploring the fascinating world of “는 만큼”!
“는 만큼” is a bit like the secret sauce in your favourite Korean dish. It might not be the first thing you notice, but it adds a layer of complexity and depth that just takes the flavour to the next level.
So, just as the amount of gochujang you add to your bibimbap determines the spiciness you’ll experience, “는 만큼” illustrates the proportionate relationship between two events or situations. Now, I’m not saying your conversations will be spicy if you use “는 만큼” – but they will definitely be zestier!
Ready to transform your Korean sentences from plain rice to fully loaded bibimbap? Then let’s get started and dive into the delicious depths of “는 만큼” together!
Conjugation
ACTION VERB STEM + 는 만큼
- Take a verb i.e. 가다
- Drop “다” i.e. 가
- Add 는 만큼 i.e. 가는 만큼 (as much as you go)
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 는 만큼 –> 먹는 만큼 (as much as you eat)
- 사다 –> 사 + 는 만큼 –> 사는 만큼 (as much as you buy)
- 주다 –> 주 + 는 만큼 –> 주는 만큼 (as much as you give)
- 보다 –> 보 + 는 만큼 –> 보는 만큼 (as much as you see)
DESCRIPTION VERB STEM + ㄴ/은 만큼
- Take a verb i.e. 예쁘다
- Drop “다” i.e. 예쁘
- Add appropriate ending based on the below (in this case it becomes 예쁜 만큼 – as pretty as)
- If the word ends with a vowel, add ㄴ 만큼
- If the word ends with a consonant, add 은 만큼
- If the word ends with a consonant “ㅂ”, drop ㅂ and add 운 만큼
- 싸다 –> 싸 + ㄴ 만큼 –> 싼 만큼 (as cheap as)
- 빠르다 –> 빠르 + ㄴ 만큼 –> 빠른 만큼 (as quick as)
- 바쁘다 –> 바쁘 + ㄴ 만큼 –> 바쁜 만큼 (as busy as)
- 무섭다 –> 무섭 + 운 만큼 –> 무서운 만큼 (as scary as)
NOUN + 만큼
- 학생 만큼 (like a student)
- 음식 만큼 (like food)
- 한국 만큼 (like Korea)
- 노래 만큼 (like a song)
Understanding the meaning
The Korean grammar point “-는 만큼” is used to express a proportional or equivalent relationship between two events or states. It can be translated to mean “as much as” or “to the extent that” in English. The construct “-는 만큼” helps illustrate that the degree or level of one event is proportionate to the degree or level of another event.
For example, if we say “공부를 많이 하는 만큼 성적이 올라갔어요,” this would translate to “My grades went up as much as I studied,” illustrating a direct proportional relationship between the amount of studying and the improvement in grades.
The grammar point “-는 만큼” is not limited to verbs. It can also be used with adjectives and nouns.
When used with adjectives, for example, “너는 착한 만큼 사람들이 널 좋아해.” This translates to “People like you as much as you are kind.”
When “-는 만큼” is used with nouns, a subject marker (이/가) usually precedes it. An example sentence could be “커피가 많은 만큼 사람들이 많이 올 거예요” which translates to “As much as there is coffee, many people will come.“
In summary, “-는 만큼” allows you to create sentences that express an equivalent or proportional relationship between two events or states in a detailed and nuanced way. So the more you practice using “-는 만큼”, the more comfortable you will become with this essential Korean grammar point.
Past tense
ACTION VERB STEM + ㄴ/은 만큼
- Take a verb i.e. 가다
- Drop “다” i.e. 가
- Add appropriate ending based on the below (in this case it becomes 간 만큼 – as much as you went)
- If the word ends with a vowel, add ㄴ 만큼
- If the word ends with a consonant, add 은 만큼
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 은 만큼 –> 먹은 만큼 (as much as you ate)
- 사다 –> 사 + ㄴ 만큼 –> 산 만큼 (as much as you bought)
- 주다 –> 주 + ㄴ 만큼 –> 준 만큼 (as much as you gave)
- 보다 –> 보 + ㄴ 만큼 –> 본 만큼 (as much as you saw)
Future tense
ACTION VERB STEM + ㄹ/을 만큼
- Take a verb i.e. 가다
- Drop “다” i.e. 가
- Add appropriate ending based on the below (in this case it becomes 갈 만큼 – as much as you will go)
- If the word ends with a vowel, add ㄹ 만큼
- If the word ends with a consonant, add 을 만큼
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 을 만큼 –> 먹을 만큼 (as much as you will eat)
- 사다 –> 사 + ㄹ 만큼 –> 살 만큼 (as much as you will buy)
- 주다 –> 주 + ㄹ 만큼 –> 줄 만큼 (as much as you will give)
- 보다 –> 보 + ㄹ 만큼 –> 볼 만큼 (as much as you will see)
Examples
- 예쁜 만큼 인기가 많아요. – She is as popular as she is pretty.
- 일을 열심히 하는 만큼 보상을 받을 거예요. – You will be rewarded as much as you work hard.
- 하늘만큼 땅만큼 사랑해요. – I love you as much as the sky and the earth.
- 노력한 만큼 성공했어요. – He succeeded as much as he tried.
- 동생이 운동을 많이 할 만큼 체력이 좋아질 거예요. My sister’s stamina will improve as much as she will exercise.
Activity 1
Fill in the blanks.
- 요리를 _________________ 실력이 늘어요. – The more you practice cooking, the better you become.
- 운동을 많이 _________________ 체력이 좋아져요. – As much as you exercise, your stamina improves.
- 공부를 많이 _________________ 한국어 실력이 좋았어요. – Her Korean skills were good as much as she studied.
- _________________ 돈을 벌 거예요. I will earn as much money as I work.
- 어려운 경험을 _________________ 강해져요. – You become stronger as you go through difficult experiences.
Activity 1 Answers
- 요리를 연습하는 만큼 실력이 늘어요. – The more you practice cooking, the better you become.
- 운동을 많이 하는 만큼 체력이 좋아져요. – As much as you exercise, your stamina improves.
- 공부를 많이 한 만큼 한국어 실력이 좋았어요. – Her Korean skills were good as much as she studied.
- 일할 그만큼 돈을 벌 거예요. I will earn as much money as I work.
- 어려운 경험을 겪는 만큼 강해져요. – You become stronger as you go through difficult experiences.
Wrap up
Well, K-Explorers! We’ve just navigated the wavy seas of the Korean grammar point “-는 만큼”, and I bet you’re now as full of knowledge as we’ve sailed through this lesson. See what I did there? 😉
Just like a well-cooked kimchi stew gets more delicious the longer you simmer it, your Korean skills will improve the more you use and practice these concepts. So go ahead and use “-는 만큼” to express the intensity of your love for K-Pop or K-Dramas. Or maybe describe how the spiciness of kimchi is directly proportional to your tears – the spicier the kimchi, the more the tears!
Remember, life is like a giant Korean textbook, and every day you’re adding a new page of learning and experience. So, as much as you live, that much you learn. In Korean, that would be “살아가는 만큼 배우게 되죠”. And who knows, maybe your future in Korean mastery is as bright as the amount of time you spend diving into Korean dramas!
Don’t forget to comment down below with your favorite “-는 만큼” sentence, or maybe share a funny situation where you can apply it! 공부한 만큼 성장하실 거예요! (You’ll grow as much as you study!)
Thanks for joining me on another Korean language adventure! As they say in Korea, 고생 많으셨습니다 (You’ve worked hard). See you in our next language escape! 🚀