KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -(으)ㄴ 만큼
Korean Grammar “-(으)ㄴ 만큼”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 6)
How to attach it
Attach the pattern to the verb stem, which is the dictionary form without 다. Compare how each verb below changes depending on its last sound.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | With this pattern | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보다 | to see, to watch | 본 만큼 | bon mankeum |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽은 만큼 | ilgeun mankeum |
| 하다 | to do | 한 만큼 | han mankeum |
| 살다 | to live | 산 만큼 | san mankeum |
What changes
- After a stem ending in a vowel, ㄴ is added to the last syllable (보 → 본). After a stem ending in a consonant, 은 is added (읽 → 읽은). A stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ and takes ㄴ (살 → 산), and 하 becomes 한.
Explanation
열심히 노력한 만큼 좋은 결과가 나왔어요.
“-(으)ㄴ 만큼” means “to the extent that ~ / in proportion to ~”: the result matches the degree or amount of the first clause (verb: past (으)ㄴ, present 는, future (으)ㄹ + 만큼). The sentence means “I got good results in proportion to how hard I worked.” “-(으)ㄴ 탓에” points to a negative cause and does not go with a positive result.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 열심히 노력한 만큼 좋은 결과가 나왔어요.
In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 열심히 | ||
| 열 | ㅇ+ㅕ+ㄹ | yeol |
| 심 | ㅅ+ㅣ+ㅁ | sim |
| 히 | ㅎ+ㅣ | hi |
| 노력한 | ||
| 노 | ㄴ+ㅗ | no |
| 력 | ㄹ+ㅕ+ㄱ | [려] ryeo |
| 한 | ㅎ+ㅏ+ㄴ | [칸] kan |
| 만큼 | ||
| 만 | ㅁ+ㅏ+ㄴ | man |
| 큼 | ㅋ+ㅡ+ㅁ | keum |
| 좋은 | ||
| 좋 | ㅈ+ㅗ+ㅎ | [조] jo |
| 은 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄴ | eun |
| 결과가 | ||
| 결 | ㄱ+ㅕ+ㄹ | gyeol |
| 과 | ㄱ+ㅘ | gwa |
| 가 | ㄱ+ㅏ | ga |
| 나왔어요 | ||
| 나 | ㄴ+ㅏ | na |
| 왔 | ㅇ+ㅘ+ㅆ | [와] wa |
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | [써] sseo |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Aspiration: ㅎ next to ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ or ㅈ blends with it into ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ or ㅊ. 력한 → [려칸]
- Silent ㅎ: a final ㅎ (including the ㅎ inside ㄶ and ㅀ) is not pronounced before a vowel. 좋은 → [조은]
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 왔어 → [와써]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 노력하다 | verb | to make an effort | TOPIK level 3 |
| 좋다 | adjective | good, nice | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 열심히 노력한 ____ 좋은 결과가 나왔어요.
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Answer: 열심히 노력한 만큼 좋은 결과가 나왔어요.
Question 2 Which is the correct form of 보다 + -(으)ㄴ 만큼?
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Answer: 본 만큼
Question 3 Which is the correct form of 읽다 + -(으)ㄴ 만큼?
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Answer: 읽은 만큼
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