TL;DR 🦄
- 📈 -(으)면 -(으)ㄹ수록 [-(eu)myeon -(eu)l-su-rok] means the more... the more...
- Use it when one thing changes in proportion to another thing: more practice → more natural, more thinking → more confusing, higher climb → lower temperature.
- The short form -(으)ㄹ수록 often works by itself: 연습할수록 자연스러워져요 — The more you practice, the more natural it becomes.
🎧 Iru Helper Note — Use 
Korean Helper Widgets to hear 연습하면 할수록, 생각하면 할수록, 올라갈수록, 알면 알수록, and 바쁠수록. Listen for the tight rhythm: condition first, growth/change second. 🎧
🌈 The Big Picture
-(으)면 -(으)ㄹ수록 is used when one degree increases or decreases as another degree increases.
English often says:
- “The more I study, the more interesting it gets.”
- “The more I think about it, the more confused I get.”
- “The higher you go, the colder it gets.”
- “The busier you are, the more important rest becomes.”
Korean can say this in two main ways:
- Full paired pattern: 공부하면 공부할수록 재미있어요. — The more I study, the more fun it is.
- Shorter natural pattern: 공부할수록 재미있어요. — The more I study, the more fun it is.
Examples:
- 한국어는 배우면 배울수록 재미있어요.
[han-gu-geo-neun bae-u-myeon bae-ul-su-rok jae-mi-i-sseo-yo] — The more I learn Korean, the more fun it is. 🇰🇷
배우다 = to learn; 재미있다 = to be fun.
- 생각하면 생각할수록 더 어려워요.
[saeng-ga-ka-myeon saeng-ga-kal-su-rok deo eo-ryeo-wo-yo] — The more I think about it, the harder it gets. 💭
생각하다 = to think; 어렵다 = to be difficult.
- 높이 올라갈수록 기온이 낮아져요.
[no-pi ol-la-gal-su-rok gi-o-ni na-ja-jyeo-yo] — The higher you go up, the lower the temperature gets. 🏔️
높이 = high; 올라가다 = to go up; 기온 = temperature.
The key feeling: as X changes more, Y changes too. 📈
🎨 The Core -(으)ㄹ수록 Family
1. Vowel stem + ㄹ수록
Use this when the verb/adjective stem ends in a vowel.
- 가다 [ga-da] — to go → 갈수록 — the more one goes / as it goes on
- 보다 [bo-da] — to see/watch → 볼수록 — the more one sees
- 배우다 [bae-u-da] — to learn → 배울수록 — the more one learns
- 바쁘다 [ba-ppeu-da] — to be busy → 바쁠수록 — the busier one is
2. Consonant stem + 을수록
Use this when the stem ends in a consonant.
- 먹다 [meok-da] — to eat → 먹을수록 — the more one eats
- 읽다 [ik-da] — to read → 읽을수록 — the more one reads
- 좋다 [jo-ta] — to be good → 좋을수록 — the better it is
- 작다 [jak-da] — to be small → 작을수록 — the smaller it is
3. ㄹ-ending stems: drop one ㄹ + 수록
When a verb/adjective stem already ends in ㄹ, the stem-final ㄹ drops before -ㄹ수록.
- 살다 [sal-da] — to live → 살수록 — the more one lives
- 멀다 [meol-da] — to be far → 멀수록 — the farther it is
- 길다 [gil-da] — to be long → 길수록 — the longer it is
- 알다 [al-da] — to know → 알수록 — the more one knows
4. Noun + 일수록
Use this when the first idea is a noun category.
- 초보자 [cho-bo-ja] — beginner → 초보자일수록 — the more someone is a beginner / especially beginners
- 학생 [hak-saeng] — student → 학생일수록 — the more someone is a student / especially students
- 전문가 [jeon-mun-ga] — expert → 전문가일수록 — the more expert someone is
🛠️ How It Works in a Sentence
The first clause usually gives a degree or repeated action. The second clause gives the resulting change.
Examples:
- 연습할수록 발음이 자연스러워져요.
[yeon-seu-pal-su-rok ba-reu-mi ja-yeon-seu-reo-wo-jyeo-yo] — The more you practice, the more natural your pronunciation becomes. 🗣️
연습하다 = to practice; 발음 = pronunciation; 자연스럽다 = to be natural.
- 책을 읽을수록 어휘가 늘어요.
[chae-geul il-geul-su-rok eo-hwi-ga neu-reo-yo] — The more you read books, the more your vocabulary grows. 📚
책 = book; 어휘 = vocabulary; 늘다 = to increase.
- 바쁠수록 쉬는 시간이 중요해요.
[ba-ppeul-su-rok swi-neun si-ga-ni jung-yo-hae-yo] — The busier you are, the more important rest time is. 🌿
바쁘다 = to be busy; 쉬다 = to rest; 중요하다 = to be important.
You can also repeat the same word for emphasis:
- 연습하면 연습할수록 좋아져요. — The more you practice, the better it gets.
- 생각하면 생각할수록 복잡해져요. — The more I think, the more complicated it gets.
🧩 General Formation Rule
Vowel stems
Remove 다, then add ㄹ수록.
- 가다 → 갈수록
- 보다 → 볼수록
- 배우다 → 배울수록
- 커지다 → 커질수록
Consonant stems
Remove 다, then add 을수록.
- 먹다 → 먹을수록
- 읽다 → 읽을수록
- 좋다 → 좋을수록
- 작다 → 작을수록
ㄹ stems
Drop the stem-final ㄹ, then add ㄹ수록 visually as 수록 after the remaining stem.
- 살다 → 살수록
- 알다 → 알수록
- 길다 → 길수록
- 멀다 → 멀수록
Nouns
Noun + 일수록
- 초보자 → 초보자일수록
- 학생 → 학생일수록
- 전문가 → 전문가일수록
Spacing note
-ㄹ수록 is a connective ending, so write it attached:
- ✅ 할수록
- ✅ 배울수록
- ✅ 알수록
- ❌ 할 수록
- ❌ 배울 수록
📚 Cross-check note
This lesson was cross-checked against National Institute of Korean Language resources at korean.go.kr. Korean.go.kr explains that -ㄹ수록 is a connective ending meaning the degree of the first clause becomes a condition for the degree of the second clause becoming greater or lesser, as in 문제를 풀수록 더 쉽게 느껴진다 and 높이 올라갈수록 기온은 떨어진다. Korean.go.kr also confirms that 할수록 is written attached, not 할 수록. ✅
🔍 -(으)ㄹ수록 vs Related Grammar
-(으)ㄹ수록
Proportional change: the more X, the more/less Y.
- 연습할수록 쉬워져요. — The more you practice, the easier it gets.
-(으)면
Simple condition: if/when.
- 연습하면 쉬워져요. — If you practice, it gets easier.
-(으)려면
If you want to / in order to.
- 잘하려면 연습해야 해요. — If you want to do well, you have to practice.
-도록
So that / to the extent that / until, depending on context.
- 잘 들리도록 크게 말해 주세요. — Please speak loudly so it can be heard well.
갈수록 as an adverb
갈수록 can also mean “as time goes on / increasingly.”
- 날씨가 갈수록 추워져요. — The weather is getting colder and colder.
🪞 Synonym Alert
Possible English translations:
- “the more..., the more...” → 배울수록 재미있어요. — The more I learn, the more fun it is.
- “as..., increasingly...” → 시간이 갈수록 나아져요. — As time goes on, it gets better.
- “the more..., the less...” → 생각할수록 자신이 없어져요. — The more I think about it, the less confident I feel.
- “especially when...” → 바쁠수록 쉬어야 해요. — Especially when you’re busy, you should rest.
Useful companion words:
- 더 — more
- 점점 — gradually
- 오히려 — rather / instead
- 계속 — continuously
- 나아지다 — to improve
- 어려워지다 — to become difficult
⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge
- ❌ 할 수록 → ✅ 할수록.
- ❌ 먹ㄹ수록 → ✅ 먹을수록.
- ❌ 알을수록 → ✅ 알수록.
- ❌ 학생수록 → ✅ 학생일수록.
- ❌ Using -(으)ㄹ수록 for a one-time condition → ✅ Use -(으)면 for simple if/when.
- ❌ Forgetting the proportional result → ✅ Add a second clause that changes: 더 좋아져요, 더 어려워져요, 중요해져요.
🎉 Now you can express proportional change in Korean: 배울수록 재미있어요, 연습할수록 쉬워져요, 바쁠수록 쉬어야 해요. More practice, more power. 📈✨
Try this exercise
Instructions: Complete each sentence with the correct -(으)ㄹ수록 form. Keep the blank outside the purple Korean so you can focus on the form.
1. 배우다 → 한국어는 ＿＿＿＿ 재미있어요.
[bae-u-da → han-gu-geo-neun ＿＿＿＿ jae-mi-i-sseo-yo]
The more I learn Korean, the more fun it is. 🇰🇷
Answer
배울수록 — vowel stem + ㄹ수록.
2. 읽다 → 책을 ＿＿＿＿ 어휘가 늘어요.
[ik-da → chae-geul ＿＿＿＿ eo-hwi-ga neu-reo-yo]
The more I read books, the more vocabulary grows. 📚
Answer
읽을수록.
3. 연습하다 → ＿＿＿＿ 발음이 좋아져요.
[yeon-seu-pa-da → ＿＿＿＿ ba-reu-mi jo-a-jyeo-yo]
The more I practice, the better my pronunciation gets. 🗣️
Answer
연습할수록.
4. 알다 → 그 사람을 ＿＿＿＿ 더 좋아져요.
[al-da → geu sa-ra-meul ＿＿＿＿ deo jo-a-jyeo-yo]
The more I know that person, the more I like them. 🙂
Answer
알수록 — ㄹ stem.
5. 바쁘다 → ＿＿＿＿ 쉬는 시간이 중요해요.
[ba-ppeu-da → ＿＿＿＿ swi-neun si-ga-ni jung-yo-hae-yo]
The busier you are, the more important rest time is. 🌿
Answer
바쁠수록.
6. 높다 → ＿＿＿＿ 공기가 차가워져요.
[nop-da → ＿＿＿＿ gong-gi-ga cha-ga-wo-jyeo-yo]
The higher it is, the colder the air gets. 🏔️
Answer
높을수록.
7. 길다 → 설명이 ＿＿＿＿ 더 헷갈려요.
[gil-da → seol-myeong-i ＿＿＿＿ deo het-gal-lyeo-yo]
The longer the explanation is, the more confusing it gets. 😵💫
Answer
길수록 — ㄹ stem.
8. ❌ 할 수록 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
할수록 — write it attached.
9. ❌ 먹ㄹ수록 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
먹을수록.
10. -(으)ㄹ수록 is strongest when:
Answer
One degree changes as another degree increases or decreases — “the more X, the more/less Y.”
Vocabulary Box
- 배우다 → to learn
- 책 → book
- 어휘 → vocabulary
- 연습하다 → to practice
- 발음 → pronunciation
- 쉬다 → to rest
- 중요하다 → to be important
- 공기 → air
- 헷갈리다 → to be confusing / get confused
Tip 💡 Look for a change word: 좋아지다, 늘다, 어려워지다, 중요해지다.
Want more reps? The Practice Hub below gives you a full “the more... the more...” workout. 📈
🎯 Practice Hub — The more... the more...: -(으)면 -(으)ㄹ수록
Welcome to the proportional-change gym. 📈 You’ll practice building -(으)ㄹ수록, choosing the right shape, fixing spacing, and making natural “the more X, the more Y” sentences.
🔊 Audio reminder: Use Korean Helper Widgets whenever you want to hear the completed sentence aloud.
Exercise 1 — Form Builder 🔧
A. 하다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
할수록.
B. 가다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
갈수록.
C. 보다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
볼수록.
D. 먹다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
먹을수록.
E. 읽다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
읽을수록.
F. 좋다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
좋을수록.
G. 알다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
알수록.
H. 길다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
길수록.
I. 바쁘다 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
바쁠수록.
J. 학생 → ＿＿＿＿
Answer
학생일수록.
Form Box
- Vowel stem → ㄹ수록
- Consonant stem → 을수록
- ㄹ stem → 알수록, 길수록, 멀수록
- Noun → 일수록
Spacing: always attached, like 할수록.
Exercise 2 — Read the Change 📈
A. 한국어는 배울수록 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
재미있어요. — The more I learn Korean, the more fun it is.
B. 연습할수록 발음이 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
좋아져요. — Pronunciation gets better.
C. 책을 읽을수록 어휘가 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
늘어요. — Vocabulary increases.
D. 생각할수록 문제가 더 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
복잡해져요. — The problem becomes more complicated.
E. 높이 올라갈수록 기온이 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
낮아져요. — Temperature drops.
F. 바쁠수록 건강을 더 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
챙겨야 해요. — The busier you are, the more you should take care of your health.
G. 가격이 높을수록 기대도 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
커져요. — The higher the price, the bigger the expectation.
H. 설명이 길수록 더 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
헷갈려요. — The longer the explanation, the more confusing it is.
I. 시간이 갈수록 마음이 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
편해져요. — As time goes on, my mind feels more comfortable.
J. 초보자일수록 기본이 ＿＿＿＿.
Answer
중요해요. — For beginners especially, basics are important.
Vocabulary Box
- 좋아지다 → to get better
- 늘다 → to increase
- 복잡해지다 → to become complicated
- 낮아지다 → to become lower
- 챙기다 → to take care of / pack
- 기대 → expectation
- 편해지다 → to become comfortable
- 기본 → basics
Exercise 3 — Full Pair or Short Form? 🔁
A. 공부하면 공부할수록 재미있어요. means:
Answer
The more I study, the more fun it is. Full repeated pattern.
B. 공부할수록 재미있어요. means:
Answer
The more I study, the more fun it is. Short natural pattern.
C. Make the full pair: 생각하다 → ＿＿＿＿ 더 어려워요.
Answer
생각하면 생각할수록 더 어려워요.
D. Make the short form: 생각하다 → ＿＿＿＿ 더 어려워요.
Answer
생각할수록 더 어려워요.
E. Full pair: 보다 → ＿＿＿＿ 더 좋아져요.
Answer
보면 볼수록 더 좋아져요.
F. Short form: 보다 → ＿＿＿＿ 더 좋아져요.
Answer
볼수록 더 좋아져요.
G. Full pair: 알다 → ＿＿＿＿ 더 신기해요.
Answer
알면 알수록 더 신기해요.
H. Short form: 알다 → ＿＿＿＿ 더 신기해요.
Answer
알수록 더 신기해요.
I. Which is more emphatic? ① 배울수록 / ② 배우면 배울수록
Answer
② — repeated full pair feels more emphatic.
J. Which is shorter and common? ① 배울수록 / ② 배우면 배울수록
Answer
① — short form is common and natural.
Choice Box
- 배울수록 → simple and natural
- 배우면 배울수록 → stronger emphasis: “the more and more I learn...”
- Both can be correct. Choose based on rhythm and emphasis.
Exercise 4 — Repair the Mistake 🛠️
A. ❌ 할 수록 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
할수록.
B. ❌ 배울 수록 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
배울수록.
C. ❌ 읽ㄹ수록 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
읽을수록.
D. ❌ 알을수록 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
알수록.
E. ❌ 길을수록 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
길수록.
F. ❌ 초보자수록 → ✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
초보자일수록.
G. ❌ 연습하면 발음이 좋아져요 (intended: the more you practice)
✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
연습할수록 발음이 좋아져요.
H. ❌ 높이 올라가면 기온이 낮아져요 (intended: the higher you go)
✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
높이 올라갈수록 기온이 낮아져요.
I. ❌ 바쁘면 쉬는 시간이 중요해요 (intended: the busier you are)
✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
바쁠수록 쉬는 시간이 중요해요.
J. ❌ 그 사람은 보면 좋아요 (intended: the more I see them, the more I like them)
✅ ＿＿＿＿
Answer
그 사람은 볼수록 좋아요.
Common Traps
- Do not split 수록 from the verb.
- Do not add 을 to ㄹ stems: 알수록, not 알을수록.
- Simple -(으)면 is “if/when,” not automatically “the more.”
- Nouns need 일수록.
Exercise 5 — Translation Challenge ✍️
A. The more I practice, the easier it gets.
Answer
연습할수록 쉬워져요.
B. The more I read, the more vocabulary I learn.
Answer
읽을수록 어휘가 늘어요.
C. The more I think about it, the more complicated it gets.
Answer
생각할수록 더 복잡해져요.
D. The busier you are, the more you need rest.
Answer
바쁠수록 쉬어야 해요.
E. The higher you go, the colder it gets.
Answer
높이 올라갈수록 추워져요.
F. The more I know Korean, the more interesting it becomes.
Answer
한국어를 알수록 더 흥미로워져요.
G. The longer the meeting is, the more tired I get.
Answer
회의가 길수록 더 피곤해져요.
H. The more expensive it is, the higher expectations become.
Answer
비쌀수록 기대가 커져요.
I. Especially for beginners, pronunciation practice is important.
Answer
초보자일수록 발음 연습이 중요해요.
J. The more I listen, the more natural it sounds.
Answer
들을수록 자연스럽게 들려요.
Vocabulary Box
- 쉬워지다 → to become easier
- 흥미롭다 → to be interesting
- 회의 → meeting
- 비싸다 → to be expensive
- 기대가 커지다 → expectations get bigger
- 초보자 → beginner
- 자연스럽게 들리다 → to sound natural
Tip 💡 English “the more...” usually becomes -(으)ㄹ수록 in Korean.
🎉 Practice complete. You can now describe proportional change with -(으)ㄹ수록: 배울수록, 연습할수록, 읽을수록, 알수록, and 바쁠수록. The more you use it, the more natural it gets. 📈✨
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