-(으)ㄹ 정도로 in Korean: “so much that, to the point of”
-(으)ㄹ 정도로
-(eu)l jeongdoro
so much that, to the point of
Intermediate · Saying what you think and feel
-(으)ㄹ 정도로 (-(eu)l jeongdoro) means "so much that" or "to the point of." It shows how strong something is by describing a result, like "I laughed so hard I cried."
How to form it
| When | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Stem ending in a vowel | + ㄹ 정도로 | 놀라다 → 놀랄 정도로 |
| Stem ending in a consonant | + 을 정도로 | 죽다 → 죽을 정도로 |
| Stem ending in ㄹ | keep ㄹ + 정도로 | 울다 → 울 정도로 |
| At the end of a sentence | + (으)ㄹ 정도예요 | 아프다 → 아플 정도예요 |
How to use it
정도 means "degree" or "extent." The part before 정도로 paints a picture of how much: 눈물이 날 정도로 웃었어요 means "I laughed to the point of tears."
It's common with everyday exaggerations, such as 죽을 정도로 ("so much I could die") and 믿을 수 없을 정도로 ("unbelievably").
To end a sentence, use 정도예요 or 정도야: 걷기 힘들 정도예요 means "It's so bad I can hardly walk."
It works in polite and casual speech; only the final verb changes.
Examples
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After a big dinner
Watching a comedy
Noisy neighbors
Praising a classmate
Don’t mix it up with
-(으)ㄹ 만큼: -(으)ㄹ 만큼 means almost the same thing ("as much as, enough to") and can often replace 정도로. 정도로 tends to stress the extreme degree a bit more.
-도록: -도록 can also mean "until" or "to the point that," as in 밤새도록 (all night long), but it is more often used for "so that."
Common mistakes
Confusing it with 정도 after a number or noun. 한 시간 정도 means "about an hour," not "so much that." The "so much that" meaning needs a verb or adjective with -(으)ㄹ before 정도로.
Questions learners ask
What does 정도로 mean in Korean?
After a verb with -(으)ㄹ, it means "so much that" or "to the point of." For example, 울 정도로 아팠어요 means "It hurt so much I could have cried."
What's the difference between 정도로 and 만큼?
They overlap a lot and often swap freely. 정도로 leans toward describing an extreme degree, while 만큼 can also mean "as much as" in a neutral way.