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Degree/Extent

Quick Reference

Pattern Meaning Formation Example
-(으)ㄹ 만큼 Enough to, to the extent Vowel/ㄹ: -ㄹ 만큼 울 만큼 (enough to cry)
(degree that warrants) Consonant: -을 만큼 먹을 만큼 먹었어요
-(으)ㄹ 정도로 To the degree that Vowel/ㄹ: -ㄹ 정도로 죽을 정도로 (to the point of dying)
(extreme degree) Consonant: -을 정도로 아플 정도로
-(으)ㄹ 정도 About/approximately Same as above 할 수 있을 정도 (about able to do)
(level/extent)

Key Difference: 만큼 = sufficient amount; 정도로/정도 = degree/level (often extreme)

Detailed Explanation

These patterns express the extent, degree, or level of an action or state, often comparing or indicating sufficiency.

-(으)ㄹ 만큼 (Enough To, To the Extent That)

Formation: - After vowel or ㄹ: -ㄹ 만큼 (가다 → 갈 만큼) - After consonant: -을 만큼 (먹다 → 먹을 만큼)

Key Features:

  • Sufficient degree: Enough to warrant something
  • Comparison: As much as, to the extent of
  • Cause and effect: The degree leads to a result
  • Can be positive or negative

Common Patterns:

  • Verb + -(으)ㄴ/는 만큼: as much as (actual amount)
  • 할 수 있을 만큼: as much as one can
  • Adjective + -(으)ㄹ 만큼: enough to be

-(으)ㄹ 정도로 (To the Degree That)

Formation: - After vowel or ㄹ: -ㄹ 정도로 (가다 → 갈 정도로) - After consonant: -을 정도로 (먹다 → 먹을 정도로)

Key Features:

  • Extreme degree: Often emphasizes unexpectedness
  • Hyperbolic expressions: Can be exaggerated
  • Strong emphasis: More dramatic than 만큼
  • Usually followed by result clause

-(으)ㄹ 정도 (About, Approximately, Level)

Formation: Same as 정도로 but without 로

Key Features:

  • Approximate level: Around that degree
  • Less extreme: More neutral than 정도로
  • Can stand at end: 이해할 수 있을 정도예요
  • Estimation: About this much

Formation Steps

For -(으)ㄹ 만큼:

  1. Take the verb/adjective stem
  2. Check if it ends in vowel/ㄹ or consonant
  3. Add -ㄹ 만큼 or -을 만큼
  4. Add result clause

For -(으)ㄹ 정도로/정도:

  1. Take the verb/adjective stem
  2. Check if it ends in vowel/ㄹ or consonant
  3. Add -ㄹ 정도로/정도 or -을 정도로/정도
  4. Add result clause or end sentence

Examples

-(으)ㄹ 만큼 (Sufficient Extent):

  • 울 만큼 슬펐어요 (I was sad enough to cry)
  • 죽을 만큼 배고파요 (I'm hungry enough to die)
  • 믿을 만한 사람이에요 (He's a person trustworthy enough)
  • 볼 만한 영화예요 (It's a movie worth watching)
  • 먹을 만큼 먹었어요 (I ate as much as I needed to)
  • 이해할 만해요 (It's understandable)
  • 살 만해요 (It's livable/worth living)

With Present Tense (-는 만큼):

  • 아는 만큼 보여요 (You see as much as you know)
  • 먹는 만큼 내요 (Pay as much as you eat)
  • 일하는 만큼 받아요 (Get paid as much as you work)
  • 노력하는 만큼 성공해요 (Succeed as much as you try)

-(으)ㄹ 정도로 (Extreme Degree):

  • 죽을 정도로 바빠요 (I'm busy to the point of dying)
  • 미칠 정도로 더워요 (It's hot to the point of going crazy)
  • 울 정도로 웃겼어요 (It was funny to the point of crying)
  • 넘어질 정도로 놀랐어요 (I was surprised to the point of falling over)
  • 잊어버릴 정도로 오래됐어요 (It's been long enough to forget)
  • 포기할 정도로 어려웠어요 (It was difficult to the point of giving up)

-(으)ㄹ 정도 (Approximate Level):

  • 이해할 수 있을 정도예요 (It's at a level I can understand)
  • 한국어를 읽을 정도는 돼요 (I'm at least at a level where I can read Korean)
  • 대화할 정도는 아니에요 (It's not at a conversation level)
  • 먹을 수 있을 정도로 익었어요 (It's cooked to an edible level)
  • 기억할 정도로 인상적이었어요 (It was impressive to the point of remembering)

Comparing 만큼 vs 정도로:

Similar meaning, different emphasis:

  • 울 만큼 슬펐어요 (Sad enough to cry - sufficient sadness)
  • 울 정도로 슬펐어요 (Sad to the point of crying - extreme emphasis)

With Past/Present Tense:

  • 죽을 만큼 힘들었어요 (It was hard enough to die)
  • 죽는 만큼 힘들었어요 (It was as hard as dying)
  • 기억할 만한 순간이었어요 (It was a moment worth remembering)

Complex Examples:

  • 잠을 못 잘 정도로 걱정했어요 (I worried to the point where I couldn't sleep)
  • 한국어를 가르칠 만큼 잘해요 (I'm good enough at Korean to teach it)
  • 눈물이 날 정도로 감동적이었어요 (It was touching to the point of tears)
  • 이해할 수 있을 만큼 설명했어요 (I explained enough to be understandable)
  • 믿을 수 없을 정도로 빨라요 (It's fast to an unbelievable degree)

Special Patterns

만하다 (Worth doing, About):

  • 볼 만하다 (worth seeing)
  • 읽을 만하다 (worth reading)
  • 살 만하다 (worth living, livable)

As much as nouns:

  • 당신만큼 (as much as you)
  • 이것만큼 (as much as this)
  • 3시간 정도 (about 3 hours)
  • 10명 정도 (about 10 people)

Common Mistakes

❌ 죽을 만큼 바빠요 (Technically correct but 정도로 is more natural for extreme degree) ✅ 죽을 정도로 바빠요

❌ 먹을 정도 먹었어요 (Missing topic/particle) ✅ 먹을 만큼 먹었어요 (ate enough)

Practice

  1. (울다) ____ 슬픈 영화였어요. (enough to)

  2. (죽다) ____ 추워요. (extreme degree)

  3. (믿다) ____ 사람이에요. (worthy/reliable)

  4. (알다) ____ 보여요. (as much as you know)

  5. Translate: "It's hot to the point of going crazy."

  6. (먹다) ____ 먹었어요. (as much as needed)

  7. (넘어지다) ____ 놀랐어요. (to the point of)

  8. (이해하다) ____ 설명해 주세요. (to an understandable level)

  9. Translate: "It's a book worth reading."

  10. (잊어버리다) ____ 오래됐어요. (to the degree of forgetting)

Show Answers 1. 울 만큼 - **울 만큼** 슬픈 영화였어요. - It was a movie sad enough to cry 2. 죽을 정도로 - **죽을 정도로** 추워요. - It's cold to the point of dying (extreme cold) 3. 믿을 만한 - **믿을 만한** 사람이에요. - He's a trustworthy person (worthy of trust) 4. 아는 만큼 - **아는 만큼** 보여요. - You see as much as you know (common saying) 5. 미칠 정도로 더워요. - 미치다 (go crazy) + -ㄹ 정도로 for extreme emphasis 6. 먹을 만큼 - **먹을 만큼** 먹었어요. - I ate as much as I needed (sufficient amount) 7. 넘어질 정도로 - **넘어질 정도로** 놀랐어요. - I was surprised to the point of falling over 8. 이해할 수 있을 정도로 - **이해할 수 있을 정도로** 설명해 주세요. - Please explain it to an understandable level 9. 읽을 만한 책이에요. - 읽다 → 읽을 만하다 (worth reading) 10. 잊어버릴 정도로 - **잊어버릴 정도로** 오래됐어요. - It's been long to the degree of forgetting