Easy Korean - Level 3, Unit 1: Too, Very, Much

Welcome to Level 3! In this unit, we will learn how to emphasize verbs, adjectives, and adverbs using words that mean "too," "very," or "much."

1. 너무 (neo-mu) - Too, Very

너무 (neo-mu) originally meant "too much" in a negative sense, like when something is excessive. However, in modern spoken Korean, it is widely used to simply mean "very" or "really" in both positive and negative contexts.

• 너무 커요. (neo-mu keo-yo.) = It is too big. / It is very big.
• 너무 맛있어요! (neo-mu ma-si-sseo-yo!) = It is very delicious!
• 너무 비싸요. (neo-mu bi-ssa-yo.) = It is too expensive.

2. 진짜 (jin-jja) & 정말 (jeong-mal) - Really, Truly

These two words are practically interchangeable in everyday conversations. They mean "really" or "truly."

• 진짜 예뻐요. (jin-jja ye-ppeo-yo.) = It's really pretty.
• 정말 좋아요. (jeong-mal jo-a-yo.) = It's really good.
• 이거 진짜예요? (i-geo jin-jja-ye-yo?) = Is this real?

3. 아주 (a-ju) - Very, Quite

아주 (a-ju) is a standard word for "very." It is often used in writing or more formal situations, but you will also hear it in everyday speech.

• 아주 좋아요. (a-ju jo-a-yo.) = It is very good.
• 아주 멀어요. (a-ju meo-reo-yo.) = It is very far.

4. 많이 (ma-ni) - A lot, Much

많이 (ma-ni) is the adverb form of 많다 (to be many/a lot). It is used to describe an action done "a lot."

• 많이 먹었어요. (ma-ni meo-geo-sseo-yo.) = I ate a lot.
• 공부를 많이 했어요. (gong-bu-reul ma-ni hae-sseo-yo.) = I studied a lot.

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Example Sentences

1. 오늘 날씨가 너무 추워요. (Today's weather is very/too cold.)
2. 이 영화 진짜 재미있어요. (This movie is really interesting.)
3. 밥을 많이 먹었어요. (I ate a lot of food.)