Korean Particle 보다: Comparison (than)

Attached after a noun to mean 'than'. Often used with 더 (more).

The Rule

Attached after a noun to mean 'than'. Often used with 더 (more). Particles are the backbone of Korean grammar. Unlike English, which relies on word order to show who does what, Korean uses small markers attached directly to nouns. 보다 is one of the most fundamental particles you'll encounter, and understanding it correctly will dramatically improve your Korean comprehension.

Why English Speakers Get It Wrong

English doesn't have particles like 보다. In English, word order and prepositions do the job — "I gave the book to him" uses position and "to" to clarify meaning. Korean particles attach directly to nouns and change the grammatical role, which feels alien at first. The biggest confusion comes from trying to translate particles one-to-one with English prepositions. 보다 doesn't map neatly to any single English word. Instead, think of it as a grammatical tag that tells you the noun's role in the sentence.

How It Works

Attached after a noun to mean 'than'. Often used with 더 (more). 보다 attaches directly after a noun with no space. If the noun ends in a consonant (받침), the form may change — this is called "받침 sensitivity" and it's a pattern you'll see across Korean grammar. Pay attention to how native speakers use 보다 in real conversations. You'll start noticing patterns quickly.

Real Examples

• 여름보다 겨울이 좋아요. (yeoreumboda gyeouri johayo.) — "I like winter more than summer." [여름 + 보다 = than summer] • 커피보다 차가 더 좋아요. (keopiboda chaga deo johayo.) — "I like tea more than coffee." [더 emphasizes comparison] • 어제보다 오늘이 더워요. (eojeboda oneuri deowoyo.) — "Today is hotter than yesterday." [Time comparison]

Common Mistakes

❌ 여름은 겨울보다 좋아요. (yeoreumeun gyeourboda johayo.) ✅ 겨울이 여름보다 좋아요. (gyeouri yeoreumboda johayo.) → The thing you PREFER takes 이/가, the thing you compare against takes 보다.

Quick Tip

Practice by labeling objects around you with 보다. Say the noun + particle out loud until it feels natural. When reading Korean, circle every 보다 you see and ask yourself WHY it was used there — this active reading habit builds intuition faster than memorizing rules.

Remember: Attached after a noun to mean 'than'. Often used with 더 (more).

Examples

여름보다 겨울이 좋아요. — yeoreumboda gyeouri johayo. — I like winter more than summer.

커피보다 차가 더 좋아요. — keopiboda chaga deo johayo. — I like tea more than coffee.

어제보다 오늘이 더워요. — eojeboda oneuri deowoyo. — Today is hotter than yesterday.