-(으)ㄹ수록 in Korean: “the more ... the more”
-(으)ㄹ수록
-(eu)lsurok
the more ... the more
Intermediate · Linking ideas
-(으)ㄹ수록 (-(eu)lsurok) means "the more ... the more". It says that as the first thing increases, the second thing changes along with it. It is often doubled up with -(으)면, as in 보면 볼수록 ("the more I look").
How to form it
| When | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Stem ending in a vowel | + ㄹ수록 | 가다 → 갈수록 |
| Stem ending in a consonant | + 을수록 | 먹다 → 먹을수록 |
| Stem ending in ㄹ | + 수록 (no extra ㄹ) | 살다 → 살수록 |
| Doubled with -(으)면 | -(으)면 + -(으)ㄹ수록 | 보다 → 보면 볼수록 |
| Noun | + 일수록 | 친구 → 친구일수록 |
How to use it
Use -(으)ㄹ수록 when one thing grows or continues and another thing grows or changes with it: the more you practice, the easier it gets. It works with both verbs and adjectives.
The doubled form -(으)면 -(으)ㄹ수록 (보면 볼수록, 들으면 들을수록) adds emphasis and is very common in everyday speech. The second half often has 더 (more) or -아/어지다 (become).
The pattern itself has no politeness level. How polite the sentence is depends on the ending at the very end, like 좋아요 (polite) or 좋아 (casual).
Examples
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Talking about a new friend
Eating snacks
Getting used to a new city
Asking for a reply
Don’t mix it up with
-(으)면서: -(으)면서 means two things happen at the same time (eating while watching TV). -(으)ㄹ수록 means one thing increases as the other does.
점점: 점점 is an adverb meaning "gradually, more and more" on its own. -(으)ㄹ수록 links two clauses and says what the change depends on.
Common mistakes
With ㄹ-stems, do not add another 을: 만들다 becomes 만들수록, not 만들을수록.
수록 is attached to the verb with no space: write 갈수록, not 갈 수록.
Want the basics first? Read Saying "if" in Korean (-(으)면).
Questions learners ask
What does 갈수록 mean in Korean?
갈수록 comes from 가다 (to go) + -ㄹ수록, so it literally means "the more it goes." In practice it means "as time goes on" or "increasingly," as in 갈수록 추워져요 (It's getting colder and colder).
Do I need -(으)면 before -(으)ㄹ수록?
No. 먹을수록 alone is correct. Adding -(으)면 (먹으면 먹을수록) just adds emphasis and sounds a little more conversational.