-(으)ㄹ수록 Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

What you'll learn

• Attach -(으)ㄹ수록 to vowel stems, consonant stems, ㄹ stems and nouns.
• Use the paired form -(으)면 -(으)ㄹ수록.
• Tell a proportion ("the more") from a condition ("if").
• Say the tense on the last verb.

Prerequisites: the polite ending -아요/어요 and -(으)면. Time: about 15 minutes.

Listen to two model sentences.

The next section defines the pattern.

What Does -(으)ㄹ수록 Grammar Mean?

-(으)ㄹ수록 means "the more ..., the more ...". A connective ending is a word ending that joins one clause to the next. This one tells the listener, "As the first thing grows, the second thing grows with it."

The key idea is a proportion. Picture two bars on a chart. When the first bar rises, the second bar rises too. In 배울수록 재미있어요, the amount of learning goes up, and the interest goes up with it. A condition such as "if you learn" does not say anything about how much.

The ending contains the word 수록, which means "to the degree that". It always follows the ending -(으)ㄹ. You do not need to split the parts. Learn -(으)ㄹ수록 as one unit.

Here are two glossed examples.

Notice that the second clause often contains an adjective of degree, such as 재미있어요, 좋아요 or 어려워요. Speakers sometimes add 더 ("more") or 점점 ("gradually") to make the growth clear, but the ending alone is enough.

The next section shows how to build the form.

How Do You Form -(으)ㄹ수록?

Remove 다 from the dictionary form to get the stem. The stem is the verb or adjective without its dictionary ending -다. For 먹다 the stem is 먹. Then look at the last sound.

• If the stem ends in a vowel, add ㄹ to the last syllable and then 수록: 배우 + ㄹ수록 = 배울수록.
• If the stem ends in a consonant, add 을수록: 먹 + 을수록 = 먹을수록.
• If the stem ends in ㄹ, keep it and add 수록: 알 + 수록 = 알수록.

The ending is pronounced [-ㄹ쑤록]. After -ㄹ, the ㅅ of 수록 becomes a tense consonant, as in Article 27 of the Standard Pronunciation Rules (국립국어원). The spelling does not change. Revised Romanization (RR) does not mark tensing that comes from a neighbouring sound, so it writes surok.

After 먹, 읽 and 많, the 을 joins the final consonant, so 먹을 sounds like [머글]. The ㅎ of 많 is silent before a vowel.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

A vowel stem takes ㄹ: 갈수록, 올수록, 배울수록, 클수록. For 하다 words, write 할수록: 연습할수록 ("the more you practise").

Stems Ending in a Consonant

A consonant stem takes 을수록: 먹을수록, 읽을수록, 많을수록. The 을 is a helping vowel plus ㄹ.

Irregular Stems and Nouns

Irregular stems change as before any ending that starts with a vowel sound.

For nouns, use 이다, which means "to be". The form is 일수록 after any noun.

The next section builds a full sentence.

Worked Example: Building 한국어는 배울수록 재미있어요

Say "The more you learn Korean, the more interesting it gets." Follow five steps.

1. Name the rising action. "Learn" is 배우다.
2. Find the stem. Remove 다 to get 배우.
3. Add ㄹ수록. 배우 ends in a vowel, so the ㄹ joins the last syllable: 배울. Then add 수록: 배울수록.
4. Name the change. "Interesting" is 재미있다. In the polite style, it is 재미있어요.
5. Join the two parts. 한국어는 배울수록 재미있어요. The topic 한국어는 comes first.

You'll know it worked when the first part ends in 수록 and the second part names something that can grow or shrink. Try the same steps with "The higher you go, the colder the air": 높이 올라갈수록 공기가 차가워요.

The next section covers tense and sentence types.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -(으)ㄹ수록?

The ending carries no tense of its own. The tense and the speech level both go on the last verb of the sentence.

Look at the middle rows. You do not say -았/었을수록 for an ordinary trend. The clause names a growing amount, so the past marker is not needed inside it. To describe a trend that already finished, put the past tense on the last verb: 배울수록 재미있었어요. The past tense has its own page: past tense -았/었-.

A future trend uses a future form on the last verb, as in future tense -(으)ㄹ 거예요 and future guess -겠-.

Yes/no questions end with a rise. A wh-question puts the stress on the question word and often ends with a fall or a rise-fall, rather than a sharp rise: 배울수록 뭐가 어려워요? asks "The more you learn, what gets harder?"

The next section compares -(으)ㄹ수록 with -(으)면.

How Is -(으)ㄹ수록 Different from -(으)면?

Both link two clauses and both can be translated with "if" in loose English. The difference is whether the second clause changes with the amount of the first.

Compare these two sentences.

• 배우면 재미있어요. ("If you learn it, it is interesting.") Learning makes it interesting. There is no amount.
• 배울수록 재미있어요. ("The more you learn, the more interesting it is.") Interest grows step by step.

A useful test is to try "the more ..., the more ..." in English. If it fits, use -(으)ㄹ수록. If it does not, you likely need -(으)면. For a match in degree, such as "as much as you put in", read -(으)ㄴ/는 만큼. For a condition that must be met first, see -아/어야.

The next section covers set phrases and edge cases.

Variations and Edge Cases of -(으)ㄹ수록

The Pair -(으)면 -(으)ㄹ수록

Speakers often repeat the verb first with -(으)면 and then with -(으)ㄹ수록. 보면 볼수록 예뻐요 means "The more I look at it, the prettier it is." 먹으면 먹을수록 맛있어요 means "The more you eat it, the tastier it gets." The pair makes the idea of repeated action stronger. The first part means "if I look" and the second part says "the more".

Adding 더 or 점점

더 ("more") and 점점 ("gradually") often appear in the second clause: 갈수록 더 추워요 ("The further we go, the colder it gets"). They make the growth clear, but they are not required.

Pronunciation [-ㄹ쑤록]

Always say the ㅅ of 수록 as a tense sound after -ㄹ: [배울쑤록], not [배울수록]. The spelling stays the same. This helps you sound natural, and it also helps you hear the ending in fast speech.

A Proverb

The saying 급할수록 돌아가라 means "The more urgent it is, the more you should go the long way round." It teaches patience. Korean proverbs are called 속담. This one uses the imperative 돌아가라, a plain command that is common in sayings.

Adjectives of Degree

The second clause usually contains an adjective that can grow: 어렵다, 재미있다, 좋다, 바쁘다, 어리다. It rarely contains a plain event verb. 갈수록 어려워요 sounds natural. 갈수록 문을 열었어요 does not.

The next section lists the mistakes that appear most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -(으)ㄹ수록?

Learners make seven predictable mistakes. Each has a reason and a fix.

Learners often use it for a single past fact. Wrong: 어제 먹을수록 배불렀어요. Right: 어제 많이 먹어서 배불렀어요. Fix: -(으)ㄹ수록 needs a gradual trend, not a one-time event.

Learners often add 을 after a ㄹ stem. Wrong: 알을수록 and 만들을수록. Right: 알수록 and 만들수록. Fix: a stem that ends in ㄹ takes 수록 directly.

Learners often forget the ㅂ change. Wrong: 어렵을수록. Right: 어려울수록. Fix: ㅂ-irregular stems become 우 before a vowel sound.

Learners often leave out the ㄹ. Wrong: 배우수록 and 가수록. Right: 배울수록 and 갈수록. Fix: write the ㄹ under the last syllable of a vowel stem.

Learners often use -(으)면 when they mean "the more". 배우면 재미있어요 is a correct sentence, but it means "If you learn it, it is interesting". Fix: if the amount matters, use -(으)ㄹ수록.

Learners often attach 수록 to a noun directly. Wrong: 사람수록. Right: 사람일수록. Fix: use 이다: 일수록.

Learners often use an event verb in the second clause. Wrong: 한국어를 배울수록 어제 영화를 봤어요. Right: 한국어를 배울수록 영화가 더 재미있어요. Fix: the second clause needs something that can change in degree.

The next section gives you practice.

Practice and Answers

Do the four tasks, then compare with the key.

Task 1: join the sentences with -(으)ㄹ수록. Write one sentence for each pair.

1. 한국어를 배우다 / 재미있어요.
2. 높이 올라가다 / 공기가 차가워요.
3. 연습하다 / 실력이 늘어요.
4. 나이가 들다 / 시간이 빨리 가요.

Task 2: fix the error. Each sentence has one mistake. Rewrite it correctly.

1. 사람은 알을수록 좋아요.
2. 한국어가 어렵을수록 재미있어요.
3. 유명한 사람수록 바빠요.

Task 3: translate. Write in Korean: "The more I look, the prettier it is." and "The busier you are, the more you should rest."

Task 4: write your own. Write one sentence about learning, and one with the pair -(으)면 -(으)ㄹ수록.

Answer key

1. (1) 한국어를 배울수록 재미있어요. (2) 높이 올라갈수록 공기가 차가워요. (3) 연습할수록 실력이 늘어요. (4) 나이가 들수록 시간이 빨리 가요.
2. (1) 사람은 알수록 좋아요. (2) 한국어가 어려울수록 재미있어요. (3) 유명한 사람일수록 바빠요.
3. 보면 볼수록 예뻐요. 바쁠수록 쉬세요. Other correct versions exist, for example 볼수록 더 예뻐요.
4. Sample answers: 한국 드라마를 볼수록 한국어가 쉬워져요. 먹으면 먹을수록 더 먹고 싶어요. Any pair is correct if the first clause ends in 수록 and the second names something that can change in degree.

If task 1 was correct, you have the formation rule. If task 2 was hard, check the ㄹ stem, the ㅂ change and the noun route. The next section points you to what comes after this lesson.

What Should You Learn after -(으)ㄹ수록 Grammar?

After -(으)ㄹ수록, learn -(으)ㄴ/는 만큼, which matches two amounts ("as much as"). Review -(으)면 if the difference between a condition and a proportion still feels hazy.

For a wider view, the parent page Conditions (If) lists every connector in this group. To plan by level, use Intermediate Grammar.

This lesson covers -(으)ㄹ수록 in the polite and casual styles. It does not cover every written variation. About this page. Last updated 2026-10-09. Revised Romanization follows the national rules and is shown only as a learning aid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does -(으)ㄹ수록 Mean?

-(으)ㄹ수록 means "the more ..., the more ...". The first clause sets a rising amount, and the second shows how something changes with it. 한국어는 배울수록 재미있어요 means "The more you learn Korean, the more interesting it gets." It describes two things that grow together.

How Do I Attach -(으)ㄹ수록 to a Verb or Adjective?

Take the stem. After a vowel, add ㄹ수록: 배우 becomes 배울수록. After a final consonant, add 을수록: 먹을수록. A stem ending in ㄹ keeps it: 알수록. ㅂ-irregular stems turn into 우: 어렵다 becomes 어려울수록. For a noun, use 일수록: 유명한 사람일수록.

Can -(으)ㄹ수록 Be Used in the past Tense?

Not inside the clause. You do not say -았/었을수록 for a normal trend, because the clause names a growing amount, not a finished event. The tense appears on the last verb: 한국어를 배울수록 재미있었어요 means "The more I learned Korean, the more interesting it was." The ending itself stays the same.

Is -(으)ㄹ수록 Used in Speech or Only in Writing?

Both. It is common in speech, in essays, in news and in sayings. It works in polite, casual and formal styles because the speech level is on the last verb. The paired form -(으)면 -(으)ㄹ수록, as in 먹으면 먹을수록, makes the idea stronger and is typical of conversation.

What Is the Most Common Mistake with -(으)ㄹ수록?

The most common mistake is using it for a single fact that already happened, as in 어제 먹을수록 배불렀어요. The pattern needs a gradual change. Other frequent mistakes are 알을수록 for a ㄹ stem, 어렵을수록 for a ㅂ-irregular stem and 배우수록 without the ㄹ.

What Is the Difference between -(으)ㄹ수록 and -(으)면?

-(으)면 says that something happens if a condition is true: 배우면 재미있어요, "If you learn it, it is interesting." -(으)ㄹ수록 says that the amount of one thing rises with the other: 배울수록 재미있어요, "The more you learn, the more interesting it is." -(으)면 is a condition, and -(으)ㄹ수록 is a proportion.

Save This to Pinterest