-만큼 expresses the degree, extent, or amount of something, meaning "as much as," "to the extent of," "enough to," or "like." It shows comparison or indicates a certain level.
Structure
Verb/Adjective/Noun + -만큼
Breakdown:
- 만큼: Particle indicating degree/comparison
- Can attach to verbs, adjectives, and nouns
- Multiple meanings based on context
Main meanings:
- Comparison: "As much as"
- Extent: "To the extent of," "enough to"
- Proportion: "In proportion to"
Formation Rules
With Nouns
Noun + 만큼:
- 나만큼 (as much as me)
- 친구만큼 (as much as my friend)
- 하루만큼 (as much as one day)
- 어제만큼 (as much as yesterday)
With Verbs
Verb stem + -(으)ᄅ 만큼:
No final consonant: -ᄅ 만큼
- 가다 → 갈 만큼 (enough to go)
- 보다 → 볼 만큼 (enough to see)
- 먹다 → 먹을 만큼 (enough to eat)
With final consonant: -을 만큼
- 좋다 → 좋을 만큼 (enough to be good)
- 믿다 → 믿을 만큼 (enough to believe)
With Adjectives (Present State)
Direct attachment or with -은/ᄂ:
- 크다 → 큰 만큼 / 클 만큼 (as big as)
- 좋다 → 좋은 만큼 / 좋을 만큼 (as good as)
- 많다 → 많은 만큼 / 많을 만큼 (as much as)
Meaning 1: Comparison (As Much As)
Equal Comparison
Same degree or amount:
- 나만큼 키가 커요 (They're as tall as me)
- 어제만큼 춥지 않아요 (It's not as cold as yesterday)
- 친구만큼 열심히 해요 (I work as hard as my friend)
- 예전만큼 좋지 않아요 (It's not as good as before)
Comparative Standards
Using something as a measure:
- 이것만큼 좋은 게 없어요 (Nothing is as good as this)
- 그만큼 비싸요 (It's that expensive)
- 생각한 만큼 어렵지 않아요 (It's not as difficult as I thought)
Meaning 2: Extent/Degree (Enough To)
Sufficient Degree
To the extent that/enough to:
- 죽을 만큼 아파요 (It hurts enough to die / to the point of dying)
- 울 만큼 슬펐어요 (It was sad enough to cry)
- 믿을 만큼 좋아요 (It's good enough to trust)
- 살 만큼 돈이 있어요 (I have enough money to live)
Worthiness
Worth doing, deserves to:
- 볼 만한 영화예요 (It's a movie worth watching)
- 읽을 만한 책이에요 (It's a book worth reading)
- 갈 만한 곳이에요 (It's a place worth going to)
- 먹을 만해요 (It's edible / worth eating)
Meaning 3: Proportion (In Proportion To)
Proportional Relationship
In accordance with, corresponding to:
- 노력한 만큼 성공해요 (You succeed in proportion to your effort)
- 먹은 만큼 살이 쪄요 (You gain weight in proportion to what you eat)
- 연습한 만큼 늘어요 (You improve in proportion to practice)
- 일한 만큼 받아요 (You get paid in proportion to work)
Fair Exchange
Getting what you give:
- 공부한 만큼 성적이 나왔어요 (I got grades according to my study)
- 투자한 만큼 돌려받아요 (You get back what you invest)
Common Usage Patterns
Negative Comparisons
Not as much as:
- 생각한 만큼 좋지 않아요 (It's not as good as I thought)
- 예상한 만큼 어렵지 않아요 (It's not as difficult as I expected)
- 전만큼 좋지 않아요 (It's not as good as before)
- 바란 만큼 안 되었어요 (It didn't turn out as hoped)
With Question Words
How much? To what extent?:
- 얼마만큼 필요해요? (How much do you need?)
- 어느 정도만큼 알아요? (To what extent do you know?)
Time and Quantity
Specific amounts:
- 한 시간만큼 기다렸어요 (I waited for about an hour)
- 이만큼 주세요 (Please give me this much)
- 조금만큼 넣어요 (Put in a little bit)
Common Expressions
Daily Comparisons
- 나만큼 (as much as me)
- 너만큼 (as much as you)
- 어제만큼 (as much as yesterday)
- 예전만큼 (as much as before)
- 생각한 만큼 (as much as thought)
Worth Expressions
- 볼 만해요 (worth seeing)
- 먹을 만해요 (worth eating / edible)
- 들을 만해요 (worth listening to)
- 갈 만해요 (worth going to)
- 믿을 만해요 (trustworthy)
Extent Phrases
- 죽을 만큼 (to the point of dying)
- 미칠 만큼 (to the point of going crazy)
- 울 만큼 (to the point of crying)
- 웃을 만큼 (to the point of laughing)
Proportional
- 노력한 만큼 (in proportion to effort)
- 일한 만큼 (in proportion to work)
- 공부한 만큼 (in proportion to study)
Politeness Levels
Works with All Levels
-만큼 itself doesn't change:
- 나만큼 좋습니다 (formal)
- 나만큼 좋아요 (polite)
- 나만큼 좋아 (casual)
Special Pattern: 이만큼/그만큼/저만큼
Demonstrative + 만큼
This much, that much:
- 이만큼 주세요 (Please give me this much)
- 그만큼 비싸요 (It's that expensive)
- 저만큼 커요 (It's as big as that)
Comparison with Similar Patterns
-만큼 vs -(으)ᄅ 정도로
-만큼: Comparison or proportion
- 죽을 만큼 아파요 (It hurts as much as dying)
- Often implies sufficiency
-(으)ᄅ 정도로: Describing extent/degree
- 죽을 정도로 아파요 (It hurts to the extent of dying)
- Emphasizes the degree reached
Note: Often interchangeable in extent expressions
-만큼 vs -(으)ᄅ수록
-만큼: Proportional relationship (equal exchange)
- 노력한 만큼 성공해요 (You succeed as much as you try)
-(으)ᄅ수록: Increasing proportion
- 노력할수록 성공해요 (The more you try, the more you succeed)
-만큼 vs 처럼
-만큼: Degree/amount comparison
- 너만큼 키가 커요 (I'm as tall as you)
처럼: Similarity/manner
- 너처럼 해요 (I do it like you)
Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect: 친구를 만큼
Using object particle with noun
✅ Correct: 친구만큼
Attach directly to noun
❌ Incorrect: 좋만큼
Missing modifier for adjectives
✅ Correct: 좋은 만큼 or 좋을 만큼
Use proper adjective form
❌ Incorrect: 나만큼으로
Adding unnecessary particle
✅ Correct: 나만큼
-만큼 already functions as particle
Fixed Expressions
Common Set Phrases
- 그만큼 (that much, to that extent)
- 이만큼 (this much)
- 이만큼저만큼 (this much and that)
- 있는 만큼 (as much as there is)
- 아는 만큼 (as much as one knows)
- 하는 만큼 (as much as one does)
Summary Table
| Usage | Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comparison | Noun + 만큼 | 나만큼 커요 | As big as me |
| Extent | Verb + -(으)ᄅ 만큼 | 죽을 만큼 아파요 | Hurts enough to die |
| Worth | Verb + -(으)ᄅ 만한 | 볼 만한 영화 | A movie worth watching |
| Proportion | Verb + -(으)ᄅ 만큼 | 노력한 만큼 성공해요 | Succeed in proportion to effort |
| Negative | Noun + 만큼 + 否 | 예전만큼 좋지 않아요 | Not as good as before |
Usage Context Guide
Use -만큼 for:
- Making equal comparisons
- Expressing sufficient degree
- Showing proportional relationships
- Indicating worth or value
- Quantity/amount expressions
Common contexts:
- Comparisons with people/things (나만큼, 친구만큼)
- Extreme degrees (죽을 만큼, 미칠 만큼)
- Worth expressions (볼 만한, 먹을 만한)
- Fair exchange (노력한 만큼, 일한 만큼)
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Multiple meanings: Comparison, extent, proportion
- ✅ Versatile particle: Works with nouns, verbs, adjectives
- ✅ Very common: Essential daily expression
- ✅ No conjugation: -만큼 stays the same
- ✅ Worth pattern: -(으)ᄅ 만하다 for value
- ✅ Proportional use: Fair exchange concept
-만큼 is one of the most versatile and frequently used particles in Korean, essential for making comparisons, expressing degrees, and showing proportional relationships.