Comparison with 더/덜 (more/less)

In English, we often change the word itself. We say "big" becomes "bigger." In Korean, it is much simpler than that. You just add a word in front. 더 means "more" of a quality or action. 덜 means "less" of a quality or action. These words function as adverbs in a sentence. They usually sit right before an adjective or a verb. They don't change their form based on tense. They don't care about politeness levels either. They just sit there and do their job. It is like a grammar traffic light guiding your meaning. You don't need to memorize complex conjugation rules here. Just drop them in and keep going. It is one of the easiest wins in Korean grammar.

1. 1Choose the adjective or verb you want to modify.
2. 2Place 더 or 덜 directly before that word.
3. 3Add the rest of your sentence as usual.
4. 4If comparing two things, use 보다 with the noun.
5. 5Example: 더 + 커요 (big) = 더 커요 (bigger).
6. 6Example: 덜 + 매워요 (spicy) = 덜 매워요 (less spicy).
7. 7To say "A is more than B," use B보다 A가 더....
8. 8You can also use them alone for emphasis.
9. 9No special patches or endings are required for these adverbs.
10. 10They work with both descriptive and action verbs perfectly.
11. 11Think of it as a simple math equation: Adverb + Verb.

Use 더 when you want to increase an amount. Use it when you want to show a preference. It is perfect for ordering food at a restaurant. "Please make it more spicy" becomes 더 맵게 해주세요. Use 덜 when things are a bit too much. If the music is too loud, say it's 덜 noisy. Use them when you are shopping for clothes. "Do you have a bigger size?" uses 더 큰 사이즈. Use them in job interviews to show growth. "I want to work harder" uses 더 열심히. They are great for describing changing weather patterns. Use them to compare your current state to the past. "I am more tired today" is a classic use case. They help you express specific needs without being rude.

Don't use 더 when you mean "another one" of a noun. For "one more apple," use 사과 하나 더. Don't use 덜 if a word already means "small." For example, don't say 덜 커요 if you mean 작아요. It sounds a bit unnatural to use 덜 with negative verbs. Avoid using them when you are talking about absolute extremes. For "the most," you should use 가장 or 제일. Don't put them at the very end of a sentence. They need a word to modify to make sense. Using 더 with 많이 is okay but can be redundant. Try not to overcomplicate your sentences with too many adverbs. Keep it simple so your meaning stays crystal clear.

Many people forget to use 보다 when comparing two items. You can't just say "This is more than that" easily. You must say "Than that, this is more." Another mistake is putting 더 after the verb. It must always come before the word it modifies. Some people confuse 더 with 또 (again). 더 is about quantity or degree, not repetition. Don't use 더 and 가장 in the same phrase. That is like saying "more most," which is just confusing. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes! Just remember the "Before the Verb" rule to stay safe. If you feel stuck, just pause and reset. It is better to be slow than to be misunderstood.

How is 더 different from 가장 or 제일? 더 is for comparing two things or states. 가장 and 제일 are for the absolute best or worst. It is like comparing a silver medal to a gold medal. 더 is the silver; 가장 is the gold. What about 더 versus 또? 또 means doing an action one more time. 더 means doing an action with more intensity or volume. Think of 또 as a replay button on a video. Think of 더 as the volume slider on that video. 덜 is the opposite of 더, obviously. But 덜 is used less often than "not very" (별로). Koreans often prefer saying "not very" over "less." However, 덜 is perfect for specific technical comparisons.