-(으)ㄹ 정도이다
To the Extent of
-ㄹ 정도이다 means 'to the extent that...' or 'so... that...'. It describes how extreme an action or state is.
How It Works
-ㄹ 정도이다 is a powerful expression used to describe the degree of an action or state by comparing it to a hypothetical or real situation. It emphasizes that the degree is so high that it reaches a certain notable point.
Conjugation:
It attaches to verb and adjective stems using the -ㄹ/을 noun-modifying form, followed by 정도 (degree, extent) and the copula 이다.
- Verb/Adjective stem ending in a vowel or
ㄹ+ -ㄹ 정도이다
- 가다 → 갈 정도이다 (to the extent of going)
- 슬프다 → 슬플 정도이다 (to the extent of being sad)
- 만들다 → 만들 정도이다 (to the extent of making) - Verb/Adjective stem ending in a consonant + -을 정도이다
- 먹다 → 먹을 정도이다 (to the extent of eating)
- 좋다 → 좋을 정도이다 (to the extent of being good)
Usage Forms:
1. As a sentence predicate: -ㄹ/을 정도이다
This form ends the sentence. The copula 이다 can be conjugated for tense.
- 현재 (Present): -ㄹ 정도이다 / -ㄹ 정도예요
- 과거 (Past): -ㄹ 정도였다 / -ㄹ 정도였어요
- 추측 (Conjecture): -ㄹ 정도일 것이다 / -ㄹ 정도일 거예요
2. As an adverbial phrase: -ㄹ/을 정도로
When changed to -ㄹ/을 정도로, it functions as an adverb modifying the following verb or adjective, meaning 'so... that...' or 'to the point where...'.
- 예: 목이 쉴 정도로 노래를 불렀어요. (I sang so much that my throat became hoarse.)
Nuance:
This pattern often carries a sense of surprise or hyperbole. It's used to make a point by highlighting an extreme outcome or comparison. While similar to -ㄹ 만큼 ('as much as'), -ㄹ 정도이다 tends to imply a higher, more remarkable degree.
Examples (4)
- 어제는 너무 피곤해서 서서 잠을 잘 정도였어요.
Yesterday, I was so tired that I could have fallen asleep while standing.
Word by Word: Yesterday so tired-because standing sleep well extent-was.
This shows an exaggerated state. The tiredness was at the level where one could sleep standing up. The past tense is indicated by
정도였어요. - 그 영화는 눈물이 날 정도로 슬펐어요.
That movie was so sad that it brought me to tears.
Word by Word: That movie tears come out extent-to sad-was.
Here,
-ㄹ 정도로is used as an adverb to modify the adjective슬펐어요(was sad). It describes how sad the movie was. - 배가 터질 정도로 많이 먹었어요.
I ate so much that my stomach felt like it would burst.
Word by Word: Stomach burst extent-to much ate.
A common hyperbolic expression used to emphasize the large quantity of food eaten.
- 그 문제는 너무 어려워서 아무도 풀 수 없을 정도예요.
That problem is so difficult that nobody can solve it.
Word by Word: That problem too difficult-because anyone solve can not extent-is.
This describes the high degree of difficulty of the problem, to the point where a specific consequence (nobody can solve it) occurs.
Common Mistakes
Using -ㄹ 정도이다 directly after a noun without a descriptive verb/adjective clause.
Different Meaning그는 천재 정도이다.Better그는 천재라고 불릴 정도이다.The pattern
-ㄹ 정도이다needs a verb or adjective to describe the 'extent'. You can't just say 'He is the extent of a genius'. You must say 'He is to the extent that he is called a genius' (불릴 정도이다) or 'He is so smart that he is like a genius' (천재 같을 정도이다).
Learn This First
To express 'to the extent of', you need modifier forms and 이다.
Related Patterns
- -ㄴ/는/ㄹ 만큼Enough to, As Much as
Both express 'to the extent of'. However,
-ㄹ 정도이다often implies a more extreme or surprising degree, sometimes used for hyperbole. -ㄹ 만큼 can be more neutral, often meaning 'as much as' or indicating equivalence. - -는/ㄹVerb Noun Modifier
This pattern is built on the -ㄹ/을 noun-modifying form. The verb/adjective with
-ㄹ/을modifies the noun정도(degree, extent), forming a clause like 'the extent of doing X'. - -(으)ㄹ 정도로To the Extent That
This is the adverbial form of
-ㄹ 정도이다. While-ㄹ 정도이다finishes a sentence,-ㄹ 정도로connects to a following verb or adjective to describe how an action was done or how a state was. For example,죽을 정도로 아팠다(It hurt to the extent that I could die).