📝 Grammar B2

-(으)ㄹ수록

-(eu)lsurok

The more ..., the more ...

What it means

A connective ending expressing a proportional relationship: as one action or state increases, so does another. Attaches to verb/adjective stems. With vowel-ending stems use -ㄹ수록; consonant-ending stems use -을수록.

Nuance & when to use

Often paired with -면 할수록 for emphasis ("the more you do it, the more..."). Conveys natural inevitability rather than cause-and-effect.

⚠ Common mistake

Learners confuse -(으)ㄹ수록 with -(으)면. -(으)면 means "if/when", while -(으)ㄹ수록 expresses a proportional increase.

Example sentences

연습할수록 실력이 늘어요. Yeonseuphalsurok sillyeogi neureoyo. The more you practise, the better you get.

생각할수록 이상해요. Saenggakhalsurok isanghaeyo. The more I think about it, the stranger it seems.

알수록 더 어려운 것 같아요. Alsurok deo eoryeoun geot gatayo. It seems the more you know, the harder it gets.

FAQ

When is this used?

Often paired with -면 할수록 for emphasis ("the more you do it, the more..."). Conveys natural inevitability rather than cause-and-effect.

What's a common mistake?

Learners confuse -(으)ㄹ수록 with -(으)면. -(으)면 means "if/when", while -(으)ㄹ수록 expresses a proportional increase.

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