How do you say "The princess is smaller than the king" in Korean?

공주는 왕보다 더 작아요. The correct Korean translation is "공주는 왕보다 더 작아요.". gongjuneun wangboda deo jakayo.

Fill in the blank: 공주는 왕보다 더 ___

작아요. The correct ending is "작아요". The polite -요 form is essential for everyday Korean conversation.

How to Say "The princess is smaller than the king" in Korean | -아/어요 Grammar

Quick Answer: "The princess is smaller than the king" in Korean is "공주는 왕보다 더 작아요." (gongjuneun wangboda deo jakayo.). It uses the -아/어요 grammar pattern (Polite Ending (-아/어요)). Level: A1.

In Korean, "The princess is smaller than the king" is expressed as "공주는 왕보다 더 작아요.". This sentence demonstrates Polite Ending (-아/어요), one of the most useful grammar patterns for Korean learners. Let's explore the grammar and vocabulary.

What does "The princess is smaller than the king" mean in Korean?

The Korean sentence "공주는 왕보다 더 작아요." translates to "The princess is smaller than the king." in English. This line matches the English meaning, "The princess is smaller than the king", but it keeps the mood soft. The "-요" ending makes it gentle and kind.

Pronunciation guide: gongjuneun wangboda deo jakayo.

Grammar Point: Polite Ending (-아/어요)

The -아/어요 ending is the standard polite speech level in Korean. Use -아요 after bright vowels (ㅏ, ㅗ), -어요 after dark vowels, and 해요 for 하다 verbs.

가다 → 가요, 먹다 → 먹어요, 하다 → 해요. This is the most common speech level in daily Korean.

Korean Sentence Structure Breakdown

Korean follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order, which is different from English (SVO). In "공주는 왕보다 더 작아요.", the verb comes at the end of the sentence. Here is the word-by-word breakdown: • 공주는 (gongjuneun) • 왕보다 (wangboda) • 더 (deo) • 작아요 (jakayo)

Korean sentences always end with the verb. Get comfortable with putting the action word last.

Why This Korean Expression Sounds Natural

English depends on voice tone for warmth. Korean bakes warmth into the sentence, so "The princess is smaller than the king" sounds like a friendly whisper.

Cultural Insight

한국 동화는 작은 장면 안에 따뜻한 마음을 숨겨 둡니다.

Examples

공주는 왕보다 더 작아요. — gongjuneun wangboda deo jakayo. — The princess is smaller than the king.

정말 공주는 왕보다 더 작아요. — jeongmal gongjuneun wangboda deo jakayo. — Really, the princess is smaller than the king

오늘은 공주는 왕보다 더 작아요. — oneuleun gongjuneun wangboda deo jakayo. — Today, the princess is smaller than the king

Common Mistakes

Incorrect: 먹아요 → Correct: 먹어요. The stem 먹- ends in a dark vowel (ㅓ), so it takes -어요 not -아요. Match the vowel harmony.

Incorrect: 작아요 공주는 왕보다 더 → Correct: 공주는 왕보다 더 작아요. Korean uses Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order. The verb must come at the end of the sentence, unlike English where it comes after the subject.